The Navy currently has 295 deployable ships, though its shipbuilding plan calls for that number to be increased to 390 by 2054. (REUTERS/Stelios Misinas)
"The Pentagon is the Ford Motor Company of the 1950s. I mean, they the way they operate, slow, stoic," Wittman explained. "‘Let's spend years to write a requirement, then let’s spend years to go to a program or record, let’s spend years to acquire.’ By the time we acquire something, guess what? The threat’s way ahead of us."
"We want them to reflect the Apple 2025 model."
Nowhere is this clearer to defense leaders than in the nation’s shipbuilding capabilities. The Navy currently has 295 deployable ships, though its shipbuilding plan calls for that number to be increased to 390 by 2054. The Maritime Security Program, which maintains privately owned, military-useful ships to deploy in wartime, is down to 60 in its fleet.
"It's precipitously low. We could not get to where we need to be in the Pacific right now if we needed to," Wittman told Fox News Digital.
The issue seemingly keeps President Donald Trump awake at night.
"China specifically is better at cybersecurity than we are." – Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.
John Phelan, Trump’s nominee for Navy secretary, quipped during his confirmation hearing that the president texts him late at night, "sometimes after 1 a.m." about "rusty ships or ships in a yard, asking me, what am I doing about it?"
Phelan added that he has told the president, "I'm not confirmed yet and have not been able to do anything about it, but I will be very focused on it."
The Pentagon began work on the F-35 fighter jet 25 years ago. (Andrej Tarfila/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Even the newest F-35s need to be taken back to the assembly line to be fitted with 360-degree motion sensors known as the digital aperture system and the other latest technology in radars, Wittman said.
"We're still not going to deliver the current jets coming off the line with technical refresh three hardware and have that software enabled until probably early next year."
Under a new DOGE memo, the Pentagon has kicked off a review of its contracting procedures. "Each Agency Head, in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, shall conduct a comprehensive review of each agency’s contracting policies, procedures, and personnel," a memo circulated this week read.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., told Fox News Digital she worries most about the military being prepared to defend against a cyberattack.
"China specifically is better at cybersecurity than we are," she said. "It only takes one or two incursions that we don't see coming or that we aren't responsive to, to make an enormous difference here."
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., suggested that the U.S. may need to start thinking about offensive cyber missions.
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"When it comes to cyber, we’ve got to change the rules of engagement," he said. "China is eating our boxed lunch in the energy area, in our cellular phone infrastructure, they’re trying to get into Wall Street, they’re trying to get into agriculture."
"We’re really good on cyberintelligence but we have [rules of engagement] that do not let us do nearly what China or Russia does," he continued. "I don’t think it’s like taking punches to the face, saying ‘can I have another.’"
"We’ve got to be able to allow cyber command to fight fire with fire. I wouldn’t even advertise it that much. Just carry a big stick and, get them back."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-losing-cutting-edge-weapons-innovation-needs-massive-kick-pants-say-defense-leaders