The Pentagon finally wants to know who it’s actually paying

The Department of Defense is proposing new rules that require defense contractors to disclose their true beneficial owners. Currently, "opaque ownership" allows entities to hide behind layers of shell companies. This update forces them to reveal the actual humans who pull the strings.

For years, the Pentagon has been writing checks to companies it didn't fully understand. Investigations have found adversaries using front companies to win US military contracts, effectively getting paid to sit inside our supply chain. These rules are a massive, overdue effort to stop US tax dollars from accidentally funding the industrial base of its rivals.