WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - As the Pentagon overhauls
procurement regulations, an industry group that represents
defense and aerospace companies says it identified over 50
regulatory requirements that discourage companies from doing
business with the government.
The Pentagon has embarked on a renewed attempt to change how
the Pentagon acquires weapons and support systems. One example
was a March memo signed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
changing how the Pentagon buys software.
In a June 3 letter to Hegseth, the Aerospace Industries
Association, which represents defense companies including RTX
, Boeing ( BA ) and General Dynamics ( GD ), said its
members want to eliminate burdensome regulations that have
frustrated them for years.
"The cumulative growth of these requirements over time has
created a regulatory framework that itself poses an endemic
risk: stifling innovation, diminishing the supplier base,
driving up costs, and delaying delivery," Eric Fanning, head of
the AIA, said in the letter.
Key areas AIA targeted for reform include cybersecurity
compliance, cost accounting standards, intellectual property
rules, and commercial acquisition requirements. Industry leaders
have argued these regulations create unnecessary obstacles to an
expedited acquisition process.
Particularly problematic were the Cybersecurity Maturation
Model Certification requirements, which industry representatives
say place substantial risk and liability on prime contractors
who must verify compliance throughout their entire supply
chains.
Other targeted regulations include cost accounting standards
that force companies to maintain separate accounting systems
from standard commercial practices, and intellectual property
rules that industry claims discourage companies from offering
their best technologies to the Pentagon.
Later on Monday, the House Armed Services Committee revealed
a bill aimed at overhauling the Department of Defense's
acquisition process to deliver military capabilities more
rapidly and cost-effectively.
The Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and
Delivery Act of 2025 would restructure how the Pentagon buys
weapons systems and technology, with a focus on aligning
acquisition to Pentagon priorities and operational outcomes.