Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), a key figure on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called for sweeping reform within the Pentagon, declaring that “now is our chance” to overhaul the U.S. military’s outdated and bureaucratic systems. In a statement this week, Wicker emphasized that the current political and strategic environment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize how the Department of Defense operates, buys weapons, and supports innovation.
Wicker pointed to two plans he released last year—21st Century Peace through Strength and Restoring Freedom’s Forge—as blueprints for action. The first plan highlights the urgent need for increased defense funding to maintain American military dominance and deter adversaries. The second plan proposes a complete reworking of the Pentagon’s internal processes, describing the current system as a “Soviet-style bureaucratic mess” that stifles innovation and slows down weapons development.
According to Wicker, momentum for change is building fast. He praised President Donald Trump for delivering on his campaign promises to both raise defense spending and cut bureaucratic red tape. “We are well on our way,” Wicker said, citing the $150 billion military funding package included in the recent reconciliation bill. “The president promised wholesale Pentagon reform—freeing our innovators to build weapons better, faster, and cheaper—and we’re delivering.”
That delivery is taking shape through the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced by a bipartisan 26-1 vote. Wicker described the NDAA as containing the most significant reforms to the Pentagon’s acquisition system in decades. A core focus of the legislation is to shift away from the long-standing practice of paying defense contractors to develop weapons using taxpayer funds. Instead, the bill encourages the Pentagon to buy from commercial companies that are using private capital to build next-generation systems—often more efficiently and innovatively than traditional defense firms.
Wicker noted that the existing system gives far too many officials the power to delay programs, with decision-making scattered across multiple chains of command. Program managers lose authority early in the process, and contracting officers—under different reporting structures—can take up to 18 months to run risk-averse, compliance-driven reviews. The NDAA seeks to streamline this by establishing portfolio acquisition executives with real decision-making authority and accountability.
The legislation also aims to address the Pentagon’s notoriously slow and burdensome qualification process for new weapons and parts. Wicker said that the new reforms will streamline qualification procedures while being backed by a new $1 billion innovation fund. The goal is to open the door for more competition and eliminate the barriers that discourage newer companies from entering the defense sector.
Wicker emphasized that while the U.S. has excelled at producing advanced systems like Patriot missiles and GMLRS rockets, not every weapon needs to be complex and expensive. The NDAA provides nearly $5 billion for a new generation of cost-effective munitions, many of which will be developed using advanced manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing. “We are investing in smarter ways to produce effective systems without the cost and time burdens of the past,” he said.
In closing, Wicker issued a stark warning about the current global landscape. “We are living in the most dangerous moment since World War II,” he said. “To ensure a peaceful and secure future led by American strength, we must have a military and defense industrial base ready for the challenge.” With the combined impact of the defense reconciliation package and the transformational NDAA, Wicker believes the United States is on the verge of a generational rebuild of its military capabilities. “This is our chance,” he said. “And we must seize it.”
