The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a top government watchdog, said last week that the War Department’s top new weapons programs were behind schedule by an average of 12 years and would likely continue to lag.
In a report released on July 2, the GAO said that the War Department set overly optimistic timeframes for major defense acquisition programs totaling $2.4 trillion.
The 12-year average, purportedly fueled by immature technologies and static planning, represented an increased delay from what the office reported the prior year.
The delays noted in the report include the Air Force’s T-7 project, its hypersonic attack cruise missile program, and the radar modernization of its B-52s.
The Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon system, its maneuver short-range air defense increment 3 program, and its mid-range capability system have also been delayed.
The office said the delays are specifically affecting major defense acquisition programs.
“The overall average time frame to deliver a capability increased this year to over 12 years. Further, several MDAPs [major defense acquisition programs] have not set new delivery dates or are delaying critical interim milestones,” it said.
The report said the 12-year average for the delivery of new major defense acquisition programs is “likely” to increase in the future since the programs have kept delivery dates “static” in the face of multiple setbacks.
The report also found that the Pentagon increased the use of the middle tier of acquisition rapid prototyping and fielding pathways. The Pentagon uses this type of acquisition to bypass traditional requirements and develop new technology in a reduced timeframe of less than five years.
However, the Pentagon is planning to invest at least $49 billion into 23 of its most expensive acquisition programs, some of which have been delayed by “immature technologies.”
As an example of the issue, the report said 18 out of the 40 programs in the acquisition pathway from 2018 to 2025 have included “immature technologies.”
It said defense programs are not consistently following leading development practices that could help the Pentagon achieve its goals.
Other projects affected by delays include the Navy’s DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, ORCA Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle, MQ-25 Stingrays, and the Space Force’s Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared missile warning program.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The report came after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a series of reforms to rebuild the military’s industrial base and increase the speed of delivery for new weapons systems as part of the Pentagon’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy in November 2025.
The strategy called for the department to prioritize “speed, flexibility, and rigorous execution.”
Previous reports in 2024 and 2025 showed that the Pentagon has struggled to complete previous reforms aimed at increasing the delivery speed for major weapons programs.
The new report recommended that the Pentagon require weapons programs to start with “mature technologies” or require “immature technologies” to be developed separately.
The Pentagon agreed with the recommendation.
