As a former Marine Corps brigadier general, I’ve seen firsthand the difference that decisive leadership and streamlined processes make when the nation’s security is on the line. Under President Donald J. Trump this country has begone a real transformation of our defense procurement apparatus — one that is now gaining serious momentum under Pete Hegseth.
Together, they are unlocking the industrial backbone America needs to compete on a global scale, especially when confronting the manufacturing stronghold of China and Russia.
For too long, the procurement system at the Department of War has been bogged down in red tape, slow approvals, and staggered timelines that leave our warfighters and defense industries waiting. We face adversaries abroad who are producing at rates in one year what it would take us 20 years to do. We need the capacity to execute at the same pace. We cannot wait while excessive amount of paperwork are shoveled from one desk to another and committee clearances stall results. The obstacles in our system impose unacceptable risk.
As I have said before, “peace through strength requires more than rhetoric; it requires relentless production, strategic partnerships, and the political will to build an immutable supply chain.”
That remains true today. The United States cannot deter China, Russia, or any other adversary if it cannot produce, deliver, and replenish at the speed required for modern warfare. The ability to surge production — of munitions, ships, drones, and advanced technology — is no longer a luxury. It is the foundation of deterrence itself.
President Trump recognized this urgency. His “America First” approach prioritized readiness, capability, and industrial mobilization over bureaucratic stagnation. He made it clear that our defense establishment’s mission is to deliver for the warfighter, not to simply hold meetings and shuffle memos. Secretary Hegseth has taken that vision and is turning it into action by reorganizing acquisition pipelines, cutting redundant reviews, and focusing on one core metric: speed to delivery.
This partnership along with Trump’s strategic leadership and Hegseth’s operational execution is changing the culture of defense procurement. It is empowering program managers to make faster decisions, holding contractors accountable for performance, and insisting that America’s industrial base can no longer afford to lag behind foreign competitors. The bureaucracy that once smothered innovation is being replaced with efficiency and accountability.
What this means in practice is simple: fewer months wasted waiting for approvals, fewer years lost to acquisition purgatory, and more weapons and capabilities in the hands of our service members. It means that America is no longer content to lead only in theory — we are reclaiming our edge in production, deployment, and deterrence.
And let’s be clear about why this matters: Our adversaries are not waiting. Its state-directed industries are churning out ships, missiles, and AI-enabled systems at a speed our system has not matched in decades. Beijing’s procurement timelines are measured in months; ours have too often been measured in years. China and Russia are deliberately shaping global supply chains — tightening control over critical minerals, advanced technologies, and foundational industrial capacities with the explicit goal of denying the United States the materials and components required for modern defense production. This strategy is designed to erode U.S. technological superiority and risks rendering key segments of the American military obsolete. That imbalance threatens deterrence, and it’s why President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are right to force change now.
Congress should meet this moment by codifying procurement-streamlining authorities that remove outdated statutory barriers, authorize multi-year contracting for critical munitions and shipbuilding, and expand Defense Production Act funding to accelerate domestic manufacturing capacity. Lawmakers have a chance to put muscle behind this transformation — ensuring that “buy American, build faster” is not just an aspiration but a standing order.
Our troops deserve a defense establishment that moves with urgency, clarity, and purpose — not one bogged down in process overload while adversaries surge ahead. It’s time to stop being comfortable with procedure and start being comfortable with performance.
Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and Secretary Hegseth’s reforms, we are finally doing just that. The procurement system is being modernized, the industrial base is being revitalized, and America is once again building to win.
Ronald J. Johnson served as a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps.