House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry is wasting no time in his efforts to build on last year’s reforms to the defense acquisition system.  Less than a year after he launched his opening salvo in a new round of changes, Chairman Thornberry previewed the year ahead with a recent hearing and a presentation at the National Press Club.

Chairman Thornberry plans to circulate draft reform legislation and incorporate the finished product into the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  Emphasizing (once again) the themes of agility and innovation, the hearing featured the senior acquisition executives from each of the military departments.  Chairman Thornberry expressed particular interest in finding ways to support their drive for greater flexibility in experimentation and prototyping.

The Chairman’s remarks at the National Press Club focused on key areas where the Committee will direct its energy—and where defense contractors should devote some attention in the coming months.  These objectives include adding muscle to the ideas articulated in the administration’s Third Offset Strategy; expanding the Committee’s oversight and engagement on cybersecurity issues; pushing for continued modernization of the nuclear triad; and defining the proper scope of employment for the country’s over-extended special operations forces.

Chairman Thornberry conceded that reform will be an ongoing task for succeeding Congresses, and that the presidential elections are likely to divert attention in the second half of this year.  Still, his early start this year conveys optimism, commitment, and openness to ideas from industry.  Contractors of all sizes—including non-traditional defense contractors the Defense Department has been courting—can benefit from offering constructive recommendations early and often in the coming months.   Of course, Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also has a robust reform agenda. Whether McCain and Thornberry’s priorities align will be the story to watch in the coming weeks.

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Photo of Raymond Biagini Raymond Biagini

A distinguished counselor and litigator, Raymond Biagini has risen to national prominence in a number of high-profile tort cases, defending commercial and government contractors in:

  • “Contractor on the Battlefield” tort litigation;
  • the Exxon Valdez litigation;
  • the Cell Phone Radiation Hazards lawsuits;
  • the “Fen-Phen”

A distinguished counselor and litigator, Raymond Biagini has risen to national prominence in a number of high-profile tort cases, defending commercial and government contractors in:

  • “Contractor on the Battlefield” tort litigation;
  • the Exxon Valdez litigation;
  • the Cell Phone Radiation Hazards lawsuits;
  • the “Fen-Phen” litigation;
  • the nationwide Repetitive Stress Injury suits;
  • claims arising out of “friendly fire” accidents during Operation Desert Storm; and
  • “war crimes” allegations filed against manufacturers of military weapons systems sold to Israel.

Ray is widely recognized for his expertise in defending “contractors on the battlefield” in tort litigation, and he has established ground-breaking legal principles at the federal appellate level which immunize defense contractors from tort liability arising out of combatant scenarios.

Ray also has an extensive product liability prevention practice, counseling companies on mechanisms for reducing their tort exposure for products and services sold to government and commercial entities. He is significantly involved in counseling companies selling “homeland security” products and services, such as chemical/biological detection devices, perimeter security systems, biometric identity products, and airport security systems. Ray conceptualized and authored key provisions of the SAFETY Act, a new federal statute that is part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The SAFETY Act protects companies from tort lawsuits arising out of the sale of homeland security products and services. 

Ray has represented some of the world’s largest aerospace, defense and pharmaceutical companies, including Kellogg Brown & Root, Lockheed Martin, BAE SYSTEMS, Boeing, Textron, SAIC, Teledyne, Eon Labs, Unisys, and Philips Electronics. He is a frequent public speaker on risk mitigation techniques.