House appropriators question cuts to independent weapons testers

House appropriators question cuts to independent weapons testers

The House Appropriations Committee wants Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain why he ordered cuts to the Pentagon's independent weapons testing office as "it is widely understood that there is increasing need for independent operational test and evaluation," especially in the cyber and electromagnetic realms. The committee, in the report accompanying its version of the fiscal year 2026 defense spending bill, notes it is “concerned” the Pent…