WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed the closure of a specialized unit often referred to as the Pentagon’s “internal think tank,” a group that focuses on evaluating the future of American military capabilities relative to potential rivals like China.
Hegseth has directed the “disestablishment” of the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) and ordered the development of a plan to rebuild the office in alignment with the department’s strategic priorities, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement Thursday night.