Readiness Through Repair: How the U.S. Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair

If a $26,000 drone repair can be done in the field—but policy says it has to be shipped back to the manufacturer, do you really have a reliability problem… or a repair access problem?

Today on the show, I’m joined by William Santos, International Sales Manager at ABI Electronics and a global advocate for the Right to Repair movement.

William recently wrote a compelling article titled “Readiness Through Repair: How the U.S. Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair,” where he explores how repair access—or the lack of it—directly impacts mission readiness, lifecycle cost, and operational resilience within the U.S. military.
For decades, highly trained military technicians have been prevented from repairing mission-critical equipment due to restricted access to diagnostic tools, software, and spare parts. That model is now being challenged.

In April 2024, the U.S. Army announced plans to embed Right-to-Repair provisions into both new and existing contracts—a major shift with enormous implications for reliability, sustainment, and cost control.

Today, we’ll unpack what this policy change really means, why repair capability is inseparable from readiness, and what lessons commercial industry can learn from the military’s pivot toward repair empowerment.

Willian’s Posts:
Exposing the Myths and Truths of the Repair Industry!
https://tinyurl.com/mr47r33p

Readiness Through Repair: How the US Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair
https://tinyurl.com/4pytbvcs

ABI Electronics
https://www.abielectronics.co.uk

Repair Don’t Waste Podcast
https://tinyurl.com/du8skcxk