Lawn Wars: Garden tractor manufacturers and plumbing providers are lobbying against US military rights to repair their equipment

The right to repair devices is a hot topic these days. This is due to the European Parliament strengthening consumer rights and the occasional public spats between major tech companies and repair guide providers. You'd assume, however, the US military wouldn't have any trouble ensuring the equipment they buy from third-party manufacturers can be repaired and maintained on site.

According to a document obtained from 404 media, this is not the case. Multiple manufacturers who sell to the US Military are lobbying against legislation which would require military contractors make it easier to fix their equipment. This is a bold move, considering that the US Government and its most well-funded army in the world are standing in the way.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, in May this year, called for new legislation on the right to repair in the US military. She explained that, under the existing system, servicemen are prevented from maintaining and repairing equipment because of restrictions placed on government deals. The Defence Reauthorisation Act introduced Section 828, which requires contractors to provide "reasonable" access to repair materials.

It is not surprising that contractors who serve the US Military prefer to secure lucrative repair contracts than have their products repaired by the military. Senator Warren was quick to point out that this has led to some absurd situations.

"Take the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship. General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin considered much of the data on the ship to be proprietary, so the Navy had to delay missions and spend millions of dollars on travel costs, just so that contractor-affiliated repairmen could fly in, rather than doing this ourselves"

It's a good point. While we are rightfully upset by attempts to prevent us from repairing our phones and laptops when it comes to military gear, the stakes and costs can be much higher. Some have tried to block the law despite this.

The letter argues being required to sell parts to the military will "impose significant burdens to contractors throughout the nation, including the many small- and medium-sized business and commercial suppliers that contractors depend on to support the Department’s operational readiness and efficiency."

Among the expected names, such as the Aerospace Industries Association or the National Defense Industrial Association are some groups we might not have thought of when thinking of military contractors. There are the Textile Care Allied Trades Association and the Motorcycle Industry Council. The Graphic Media Alliance, too, and even Plumbing Manufacturers international.

The letter suggests that these companies would rather the military not use their own pipe wrenches for a leak. There's also the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, which advocates for companies that make garden tractors and mowers.

Pay attention to the lawns next time you watch a US military facility. If the lawns are looking a bit worse for wear, it could be because an engineer from outside is replacing some mower blades.