Back to Hub

Pentagon Program Objective Memorandum (POM) Obsolescence Tax.

Mathematically exposes how the DoD 5-year budget cycle guarantees that by the time US Soldiers receive a smartphone or drone, the microprocessors are fundamentally obsolete.

## The Tragedy of the POM

The Department of Defense does not have a checking account. They use the Program Objective Memorandum (POM), a rigid 5-year budget forecast matrix. If a new technology (like cheap FPV Kamikaze Drones) appears today, the military literally does not have the budget allocated to buy it until they write it into the POM for two years from now.

### FAQ

**Q: Why do US Soldiers use radios that look like they're from 1995?**
A: Moore's Law vs Bureaucracy. The commercial tech industry doubles computer processing speed every 18 months. The Pentagon's acquisition cycle for a new encrypted radio takes roughly 6 years (72 months). By the time the military writes the requirements, waits for Congress to pass the budget, tests the radio against extreme temperatures, and ships it to the infantry, the iPhone in the soldier's pocket has been upgraded 4 separate times. The military is mathematically forced to deploy multi-million dollar technology that is fundamentally obsolete the day it arrives.