William LaPlante
Golden Defense
William LaPlante is undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer. His vast portfolio includes procurement; contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; nuclear, chemical and biological defense; the acquisition workforce; and issues related to the defense industrial base. He has pushed to boost production lines and industrial base capacity for key weapon systems and munitions, expand the defense innovation base, and acquire new capabilities for the U.S. military to compete with high-tech adversaries, among others. His office also oversees the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
