McCain welcomes Army's 'bold' modernization plans

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) praised the Army's plans to shake up its modernization strategy, calling it "an example of the kind of bold steps that will be necessary to fix a broken system."

"I welcome the new plan, which builds upon the significant acquisition reforms that Congress has enacted in recent years and takes seriously the priority Congress has long placed on Army modernization," McCain said in a Tuesday statement.

Inside Defense first broke news of the Army's plans to establish a new modernization command last week.

Senior Army officials have been providing additional details this week at the Association of the United States Army's annual convention in Washington.

"The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to conduct oversight of acquisition and modernization programs, particularly in light of the Army's troubled history of costly failures," McCain said. "We must ensure that our soldiers are receiving the equipment and capabilities they need to address current and emerging threats -- especially as our near-peer competitors invest heavily in modernization specifically targeted to erode our technological edge -- and those resources must be delivered on time, at cost, and up to expectations."