Hegseth wants to make the Pentagon a global arms bazaar
The defense secretary is expected to roll out new mandates that would in part assist the weapons industry with international business. Why?
November 6, 2025

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Originally published on Responsible Statecraft

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will gather defense industry leaders in Washington on Friday to announce a significant organizational change that will in part help streamline U.S. weapons sales to other countries.

To do this, Hegseth will reportedly move the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which administers foreign military sales, from the Pentagon’s policy office to the acquisition office.

The overarching idea behind Hegseth’s anticipated plans is to cut bureaucratic red tape and increase the speed with which technology gets to the battlefield, according to reporters who have seen the six-page memo. But read the fine lines: it is also to force the Pentagon’s acquisition officials, who are supposed to focus their attention on ensuring the United States military has the hardware necessary to be effective, to also “give greater weight to what allies want to buy and make American offerings more competitive,” according to reporting by POLITICO.

Read the full article on Responsible Statecraft.

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