The WSJ has two good stories today on Pentagon weapons procurement, one on how military brass have approached major manufacturers about boosting weapons productivity and the other on billionaire Steve Feinberg’s push to both increase and reform defense spending. … As the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran have shown, the U.S. procurement system isn’t geared for quick and affordable replenishment of depleted weapon stocks. And that’s in stark contrast to the U.S. defense industry during WWII, when America was known for its overwhelming industrial might and ability to churn out weapons in mind-boggling numbers.
Anyway, the Journal pieces reminded me of two YouTube videos I recently watched on German engineers’ reaction when they tested captured American Sherman tanks and Jeeps during WWII.* The Germans couldn’t believe how simple, pragmatic and reliable they were – and America’s ability to produce them en masse. Hopefully, the Pentagon is thinking along these same simple, pragmatic and reliable lines today as it attempts to transform its procurement system.

* I’m a fan of Mark Felton’s YouTube channel and other military-history sites, where I found the two above Sherman and Jeep videos after reading yet-another procurement-related story. They’re not the type of videos I watch every day, but definitely now and then.