The Pentagon, citing the need to maintain technology overmatch with China, wants to empower military service secretaries to initiate their own weapons development programs without wading through the traditional budget and acquisition oversight process, according to a new legislative proposal sent to Congress. “The Department of Defense (DOD) must reduce the lead time to fielding a program of record by starting development activities immediately in the year-of-execution, to take advantage of emerging technology or responding to emerging threats, instead of...