Brown tapped for Pentagon acquisition chief

President Biden intends to nominate Michael Brown, the director of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit, to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, according to a White House announcement.

Brown has led DIU since September 2018. He is the former CEO of cybersecurity firm Symantec, where he worked between 2014 and 2016.

In November 2016, Brown became a Presidential Innovation Fellow and co-authored an influential report examining China's technology transfer strategy. The report was cited in lawmakers' efforts to strengthen the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

If confirmed, Brown would be responsible for overseeing the Pentagon's largest acquisition programs, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Among other things, Brown would also be expected to oversee efforts to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base as contractors continue to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.