Asks Secretary Gates how to outfit defense industry to meet wartime needs

June 7, 2007 

In response to Marine Corps’ reported shortages of critical armored vehicles, Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., today demanded that the Pentagon detail their efforts to ensure that American forces are fully and adequately protected.  Dodd today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to require the Pentagon to spell out what steps are being taken to address the U.S. industry’s ability to meet these demands.

“The Marine Corps needs these vehicles to keep our troops in Iraq safe, especially from improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” Dodd said.  “We should do everything we can to ensure that our manufacturers are fully prepared to supply our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines with the tools necessary to complete their missions effectively and securely.”

The letter also requests recommendations for updating a Korean War-era law, the Defense Production Act (DPA), which falls within the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, chaired by Dodd.  This law allows the government to help expand critical U.S. industry in times of war and other national emergencies.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Gates,

I am writing to inquire about section 101 of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2071 et seq) as it relates to media accounts that there are inadequate industrial capabilities to supply critical combat gear for our troops. An article published in Defense News on May 28^th 2007, entitled “DoD’s Top-Priority Rating Still Wouldn’t Speed MRAP Arrivals,” reports that the Department of Defense is currently considering giving the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles a “DX”-rating. Such a rating, according to DPA-related regulations, would designate the MRAP as a top priority for the Pentagon and would require its manufacturers to set aside other projects to meet U.S. military demands as soon as possible.

I know that you share my deep belief that we should have no higher priority than the safety and well-being of our troops deployed in harm’s way, particularly given the abundance of road-side bombs in Iraq. At a recent hearing, General John Abizaid said that improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) are “the enemy's most effective weapon.” In a news briefing last month, Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway suggested that MRAP vehicles offer “four hundred percent” more protection than an armored HMWVV. Their unique design could save dozens, possibly hundreds, of American lives, and it should be our top priority to give our soldiers the tools and equipment they need to defend themselves.

However, according to the Defense News article, a Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) report disclosed that, even with a DX-rating, U.S. firms could only produce 900 vehicles a month, while the Marine Corps alone has requested a production rate of 1,200 vehicles a month.  I would respectfully request a copy of this report and ask for all other related information on other critical combat weaponry found to be in short supply.

It appears that few items designated with a DX rating currently relate to U.S. force protection.  Such a situation is deeply troubling, considering the tremendous threats our soldiers and marines face every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. If it is true that provisions of the DPA are unable to ensure that industry can meet the Marine Corps’ MRAP requirements, it is essential that we explore new ways to protect our troops.