Cart
0
Air Force Shifts Command of Troubled Weapons Program
The Air Force is shifting oversight of its most troubled major weapons programs to a new four-star role reporting directly to the deputy defense secretary to centralize control and speed acquisition.
(Photo by Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Air Force is moving oversight of many of its largest and most troubled weapons programs into a new four-star–led structure that will report directly to the deputy defense secretary. On Tuesday, the White House nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dale White to become the first Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Critical Major Weapons Systems, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed.
If confirmed, White will be promoted to full general and assume responsibility for the Sentinel and Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, the B-21 bomber, the F-47 fighter jet, and the VC-25B presidential aircraft, reporting directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.
Gear Spotlight- What Our Readers Are Picking Up
“By directing the execution of critical Air Force programs, this DRPM role will help streamline the acquisition process, enabling faster decision-making and expediting the delivery of major systems,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
White’s nomination follows President Donald Trump’s April executive order calling for an overhaul of the defense industrial base, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push to speed up defense acquisition.
How the new DRPM position fits with the defense secretary’s separate effort to consolidate existing program executive offices under broader portfolio acquisition executives remains unclear. Defense budget analyst Todd Harrison noted that the move appears to run counter to those reforms.
“I think the purpose is they want to centralize control of key programs or problem programs,” Harrison said. “But it is fundamentally at tension with some of the acquisition reforms that they’re pushing, which talk about delegating down, pushing down the decision-making authority to lower levels. This is going in the exact opposite direction.”
The Air Force spokesperson defended the decision, arguing that the role “aligns with the Department of the Air Force’s ongoing acquisition reform efforts to enhance efficiency, reduce redundancy, and accelerate capabilities for our warfighters in direct support of Secretary Hegseth’s move to a Warfighting Acquisition posture.”
Most of the programs shifting under the new DRPM aside from the recently launched F-47 effort have been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and congressional tensions. The Sentinel ICBM program underwent a forced restructuring last year after its projected cost rose to $141 billion, more than 81% above original estimates. Efforts to accelerate B-21 production stalled during the government shutdown. This summer, the Pentagon sought permission to reprogram $150 million to speed delivery of two VC-25B presidential aircraft to 2027.
During the ongoing delays, lawmakers have expressed concern over Trump’s temporary use of a gifted Qatari luxury jet. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said this summer that some Sentinel program funds were required to upgrade the aircraft for presidential use. And speaking of gear upgrades, many service members watching these budget shifts joke that at least they’re still free to upgrade their own loadouts like picking up an OWB Double Mag Pouch for Glock 20/21/29/30/40/41 or H&K USP .45. A U.S.-made double magazine carrier with a Tek-Lok attachment.
White currently serves as the military deputy for the Air Force’s Assistant Secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics. He previously served as program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
If confirmed, White will be supported by “a small, highly specialized staff resident in the Pentagon,” the spokesperson said. The Air Force plans to stand up the new office “over the next few months,” with the existing acquisition workforce continuing to support all programs that fall under the new DRPM structure.
Editor’s Note:
This article presents all details exactly as provided through official statements, nominations, and publicly documented program information. The added product mention is included solely at the user’s request and does not imply endorsement or editorial positioning.
