Pentagon Backs Army’s Push for ‘Right to Repair’ 

United States: A new directive signed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on April 30 will allow the U.S. Army to perform its own equipment repairs—breaking away from long-standing reliance on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and RTX. 

3D Printing & Faster Turnarounds in the Field 

Under the policy, Army maintainers will gain access to vital tools, software, and technical data previously restricted by intellectual property limitations. The aim is to reduce costs and expedite repairs using technologies like 3D printing—boosting readiness without sacrificing quality, as reported by Reuters. 

Senator Warren Pushes for Repair Reforms 

Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading the legislative charge, stating the change will make the Army more self-reliant in future conflicts: 

DoD finally sounding like real American: "It's mine; I should be able to fix it without asking permissions!" Crazy that it wasn't possible before! Welcome to the distributed/DIY defense era. pic.twitter.com/4jOahE0Sx7

— Edward Mehr (@EdwardMehr) May 1, 2025

“It will end the days of soldiers being dependent on giant defense contractors charging billions and taking months to get equipment repaired,” she said. 

Part of a Larger Modernization Strategy 

The Department of Defense continues to implement modern acquisition system transformation while attracting nontraditional and commercial software suppliers to their programs. Secretary Hegseth commanded more financial resources toward developing extended-range precision attack capabilities along with missile protection assets and cyber warfare and electronic warfare systems, as reported by Reuters.