The annual defense policy bill is not yet over the finish line, but the arms industry already seems to have won it big.

The final conference version of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would codify a total overhaul of the weapons acquisition process. The bill includes several key provisions to eradicate what mechanisms remain for policymakers to control military contract prices, securing windfall future profits for military contractors.

According to the House Armed Services Committee, the NDAA focuses the acquisition system on “quickly equipping warfighters with needed capabilities in the most cost-effective manner practicable.” But the bill effectively decimates what tools remain for the Pentagon to conduct any meaningful cost or price analysis on military contracts.

Read the full article on Responsible Statecraft.