Pentagon Cancels $5.1 Billion In IT Contracts, Targeting 'Wasteful Spending'
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the cancellation of IT service contracts totaling $5.1 billion, impacting major consulting firms including Accenture and Deloitte. The move is part of a broader Pentagon initiative aimed at curbing what it calls “wasteful spending,” the Department of Defense said Friday (IST).
Hegseth said, “... for consulting services from Accenture, Deloitte, Booz Allen, and other firms. They're going to save the department $1.8 billion.”
In a memorandum signed April 10, Hegseth characterised the contracts as ‘non-essential spending on third-party consultants’ for work that could be handled internally by Pentagon staff. He estimated the cuts could generate nearly $4 billion in total savings.
Pentagon Slashes Funding Across IT Contracts and Universities
The US Department of Defense is cutting several high-value contracts as part of its cost-saving initiative. Among them is a $1.8 billion consulting agreement managed by the Defense Health Agency, a $1.4 billion enterprise cloud IT services deal with a software reseller, and a $500 million Navy contract for business process consulting.
A separate $500 million contract for IT help desk services under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will also be terminated, with the Pentagon citing overlapping capabilities already provided by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
In addition to the contract cuts, the Pentagon will halt over $500 million in funding to two universities accused of tolerating antisemitism and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This follows the recent rescission of $70 million from three other academic institutions.
Pentagon To Redirect Funds
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the sweeping contract cancellations, saying the funds would be better spent on enhancing healthcare services for military personnel and their families, rather than paying “$500 an hour” for outside consultants. He reaffirmed the Trump administration’s broader push to cut what it considers wasteful spending, particularly contracts tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, climate change programs, and pandemic-related efforts.
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Nearly $6 Billion Cut Under Efficiency Drive
The latest announcement builds on a March 20 statement from Hegseth, in which he outlined $580 million in cuts to various programs, contracts, and grants. To date, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative has slashed nearly $6 billion in Pentagon spending, with a focus on reallocating resources toward core defense and warfighting priorities.
“We’re excited to make these cuts on behalf of you, the taxpayer, and the warfighters here at the department,” Hegseth said.
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