New appointment to lead US defense procurement.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked Pentagon acquisition executive Ashton Carter to lead a new initiative intended to free up billions annually within the U.S. military budget by more efficiently purchasing weapons and services. Gates told reporters at the Pentagon that Department of Defense officials have determined they must free up enough funds within the baseline defense budget to increase spending by 2 percent to 3 percent on weapons programs and other areas that directly support combat.

Acknowledging that it won’t be achieved overnight, Ashton Carter told reporters DoD leaders believe this effort will succeed - unlike the scores of past Pentagon acquisition reform efforts that flopped - because it is focused on "specific outcomes and specific programs" and not just the military's purchasing process.

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