Idaho Army National Guard Pfc. Alissa Mayorga works on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle at the Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. (Thomas Alvarez/Idaho Army National Guard)
Democratic and Republican senators are renewing a bipartisan push to give U.S. troops broader authority to repair their own military equipment, arguing the current system hurts combat capability and wastes taxpayer money.
In a May 19 letter to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., urged Congress to include the Warrior Right to Repair Act in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, the latest version of an annual bill that outlines defense priorities and spending.
The proposal would require defense contractors to provide the Pentagon with technical data and materials needed for troops and military maintenance units to repair equipment without relying as heavily on outside companies.
In their letter, Warren and Sheehy cited several examples of contracting restrictions they said caused delays in repairs and increased costs. For instance, they cited a report showing how the Navy had to spend thousands of dollars to fly in a contractor from Norway to change two fuses on a search-and-rescue boat and how the Air Force paid $900 per page for updates to some contractor-owned maintenance manuals.
“We write with concern about the ability of our service members to repair their own equipment quickly and securely,” the senators wrote, adding that limits on repair rights affect military readiness, service members’ skills and maintenance costs.
The lawmakers cited support from several senior military leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who said broader repair authority “would decrease reliance on external contractors” and lower long-term costs.
The letter also highlighted comments from Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, who told Congress that contractor repair restrictions are “not sustainable” and “dangerous.”
The issue has gained bipartisan attention in recent years as the Pentagon prepares for possible conflicts in contested environments where contractor support may not be readily available.
A 2021 Government Accountability Office review found the military could save billions of dollars if it secured greater access to repair data and parts. The report cited problems involving the Army’s Stryker vehicles, F-35 fighter jets, Navy ship programs and other military systems.
Right-to-repair provisions previously gained traction in Congress but were ultimately removed from the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill after opposition from some defense industry groups and contractors.
