Defending the nation necessarily costs a lot of money. That said, we can and should endeavor to make national defense more cost effective and efficient. The problem is where and how to do so. In part, this will involve standing up to what former President Dwight Eisenhower once called the military-industrial complex.

The Institute for Spending Reform has just released a new report which suggests many ways the U.S. can save on defense-related spending. The most promising area may be in spending less money on unneeded stuff and more energy on accountability in the procurement process.