Pentagon to seek “Right to Repair” provisions in Army contracts

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — M1255 CVV Strykers await daily checks and maintenance at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Jan. 19, 2024. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kourtney Nunnery via DVIDS)

By Jody Godoy and Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -     The U.S. Department of Defense wants new and existing defense contracts to give the Army the right to repair its own weapons, in a bid to save money and time by ending requirements to use original manufacturers for servicing.

The move introducing a "right to repair" outlined in an April 30 memo signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is expected to improve the Army's ability to maintain and upgrade its equipment, reducing reliance on original manufacturers and enhancing operational efficiency.

Currently, the government is often required to pay contractors like Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co, and RTX Corp, to use expensive original equipment and installers to service broken parts versus having trained military maintainers 3D print spares in the field and install them faster and cheaper.

Under the provision, the Army wants to give itself the right to conduct maintenance and access necessary tools, software, and technical data without being hindered by intellectual property constraints.

The contracts should loosen restrictions, "while preserving the intellectual capital of American industry," Hegseth's memo says.

 Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has pressed for right to repair provisions at the Pentagon.

"This reform means the Army will be more resilient in future wars, and it will end the days of soldiers being dependent on giant defense contractors charging billions and taking months and months to get the equipment they need repaired," she said.

The change is part of a broader effort to accelerate modernization and acquisition efficiency. In March Hegseth asked the Pentagon to shift how it buys software, eyeing greater access to commercial and non-traditional software providers as the Pentagon hopes to rapidly modernize its weapons and business systems.

Hegseth's memo this week also directed the Army to prioritize investments in long-range precision fires, air and missile defense, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities.

 (Reporting by Jody Godoy and Mike Stone in Washington, Editing by William Maclean)