The Pentagon is embarking on a profound reform of how it acquires weapon systems, aiming for a significant acceleration of the process. However, speed is not an end-all-be-all, emphasized the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer.
The New Acquisition Paradigm: Speed, But Not at Any Cost
„We’re emphasizing speed, but we’re not mandating speed,” Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey told reporters on a call this morning. „We’re continually going to be dependent on the judgment of program leaders who are executing these programs to understand where does the need for speed balance with the risk that we would undertake [for the] cost and or performance of the system.” This statement underlines a balanced approach, where speed is important, but not at the expense of other essential factors.
Radical Reforms: From JCIDS to PAEs
Duffey’s comments follow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s presentation on Friday of plans to overhaul the acquisition system. Key points highlighted included the recent demise of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process, prioritizing commercial solutions, language designed to prevent vendor lock, and a shift from „Program Executive Offices” to Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAE), under which a single official is accountable for interrelated programs.
Throughout the speech, Hegseth emphasized speed, echoing a memo reported earlier in the week by Breaking Defense, which stated that „Speed to capability delivery is now our organizing principle: the decisive factor in maintaining deterrence and warfighting advantage.”
Shift in Focus: Schedule, Performance, Cost
Duffey’s comments today appeared to signal to industry that while speed matters, it’s not going to always come at the cost of capability. He also provided more depth on some of the challenges the department may face as it works to balance buying things quicker against cost and due diligence. The new service PAEs, he explained, will be tasked with this balancing act, which also includes moving money around to different priorities and examining trade requirements.
“There’s certainly no question about the emphasis on speed, but recognizing that there’s a need for judgment and flexibility in that triangle of cost schedule performance,” he told reporters. “One thing we’re doing around here nowadays is we’re now saying ‘schedule, performance, cost’ instead of ‘cost, schedule, performance,’ just as a way of emphasizing the fact that speed is priority amongst us.”
Streamlining the Process: Farewell to Redundant Studies?
In a 39-page acquisition strategy document released today, the department also calls for replacing „redundant and excessive” studies like the Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) — a previously required step designed to compare operational effectiveness, suitability, and the cost of alternative options. Lawmakers often use those analyses to help make oversight and investment decisions.
When asked about scrapping AoAs, Duffey said there could certainly be „exceptional circumstances” with large-scale development programs that will require additional studies like an AoA. „We may need to do a study of what an alternative might be but our intent there is a heavy focus on prototyping and experimentation as the best learning and best connected to the art of cutting-edge technology,” he furthered. This vision suggests a more agile and practical approach to developing and acquiring new technologies.
