The U.S. Army Is Fast-Tracking New Weapons as Trump Denies Shortages

The U.S. Army said Friday that it is opening five military test ranges to private companies developing missiles, drones, and other weapons, in an effort to cut months—and potentially years—from the time it takes to test new systems and get them into the acquisition pipeline. But officials say the initiative is not a response to concerns about dwindling munitions stockpiles.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced the initiative at a military testing range in Michigan, telling reporters that this effort would cut down months of red tape that military contractors must go through before launching new technology.He explained that it takes 12 to 18 months for a company to test a product “that can make a soldier’s life better, that can increase their lethality, and that can keep them safer.”“That is not sufficient,” he said. Before acquiring weapons, the military requires multiple rounds of rigorous testing to ensure that the weapons are battle-ready. That can result in potential producers facing long wait times in order to demonstrate proof of concept.To shorten that timeframe, the Army launched an online portal that allows munitions manufacturers to request access to a range. An Army “con...