The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee slammed Pentagon plans to slash staffing at the office that oversees tests of major weapons systems, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the cuts would save the government $300 million.

The move may reduce the quality of the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation’s second opinions, but may not affect safety, former officials said.

Hegseth said in a new memo the move was informed by a "comprehensive internal review" that identified nonessential personnel within the office.