Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s significant personnel cuts to the Pentagon’s Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) have halted all operations and jeopardized funding for the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), which provides crucial support. The cuts, reducing the DOT&E staff from 118 to 30, were deemed necessary for saving over $300 million annually but raised concerns about the office’s ability to fulfill its oversight obligations for over 230 weapon systems. Lawmakers, including Sen. Roger Wicker, are questioning the implications of these cuts, suggesting they may contradict established congressional policy.
