Solving the Pentagon’s Acquisition Puzzle

Pentagon’s Acquisition Struggles: A bureaucratic Reality Check

The Department of Defense frequently articulates a desire for agile acquisition processes. Though, a critically important gap exists between this stated goal and the frequently enough-rigid bureaucratic reality within the Pentagon. This disconnect hinders innovation and slows the delivery of critical capabilities.

Bonnie Evangelista, a leading expert in defense acquisition, recently discussed these challenges. She has spent the last seven years spearheading rapid acquisition strategies for key Army and Joint initiatives, including Army Defensive Cyber, the Joint AI Centre, and the Chief digital and AI Office.

currently, Evangelista serves as a strategic advisor to the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul team. This team is undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulations, aiming to modernize and streamline the procurement process.

Evangelista’s insights highlight the systemic issues that impede rapid innovation within the defense sector. These include overly complex regulations, risk aversion, and a lack of flexibility in contracting procedures.

The ongoing FAR overhaul represents a crucial opportunity to address these shortcomings. Successful implementation of these reforms could unlock significant improvements in the speed and efficiency of defense acquisition.

Listen to the full conversation with Bonnie Evangelista here.

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Image: Perplexity.

How can the adoption of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Digital Engineering (DE) specifically mitigate the risk of “requirements creep” within lengthy defence acquisition timelines?

The Challenges of Defense Procurement

The Pentagon’s acquisition process is notoriously complex, ofen plagued by delays, cost overruns, and capabilities that don’t fully meet evolving threats. This isn’t a new problem; decades of reports – from the Packard Commission in the 1980s to more recent government Accountability Office (GAO) assessments – have highlighted systemic issues. Understanding these challenges is the first step towards effective solutions. Key hurdles include:

Lengthy Timelines: From initial concept to fielding a new system, defense acquisitions can take 10-20 years, far exceeding the pace of technological change.

Bureaucratic Red Tape: Multiple layers of review, stringent regulations, and a risk-averse culture contribute to importent delays.

Requirements Creep: Constantly evolving requirements during the acquisition cycle lead to scope changes, increased costs, and schedule slips.

Limited Competition: A shrinking defense industrial base and the dominance of a few prime contractors can stifle competition and drive up prices.

Insufficient Focus on Software: Customary acquisition processes are ill-suited for the rapid progress and deployment of software-intensive systems.

Modernizing Acquisition Strategies: Key Initiatives

Recognizing these issues,the Department of Defense (DoD) has launched several initiatives aimed at streamlining the acquisition process. These include:

Section 804 Middleware: This initiative,part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),aims to accelerate the adoption of standardized software components and open architectures,reducing vendor lock-in and fostering innovation.

Other Transaction Authority (OTA): OTAs allow the DoD to bypass traditional Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and directly engage with non-traditional defense contractors, including startups and small businesses. this fosters innovation and speeds up prototyping.

rapid Fielding: Focuses on quickly delivering capabilities to the warfighter, even if they aren’t fully mature. This involves accepting some level of risk in exchange for faster deployment.

DevSecOps Implementation: Adopting DevOps principles – emphasizing collaboration, automation, and continuous integration/continuous delivery – to accelerate software development and deployment while maintaining security.

Micro-Purchasing Thresholds: Increasing the micro-purchase authority allows for faster, simpler purchases of lower-cost items.

The Role of Digital Engineering and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

Digital Engineering (DE) and MBSE are crucial enablers of faster, more efficient defense acquisition.

Digital Engineering: Leverages digital representations of systems throughout the entire lifecycle – from design and development to testing and sustainment. This allows for better collaboration, improved decision-making, and reduced errors.

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE): Uses models as the primary source of information for system design and analysis, replacing traditional document-centric approaches. MBSE facilitates early detection of design flaws, reduces integration challenges, and improves system performance.

Benefits of DE & MBSE:

Reduced development time and costs.

improved system quality and reliability.

Enhanced collaboration among stakeholders.

Greater agility and responsiveness to changing requirements.

Addressing the Software Acquisition Challenge

Software is increasingly critical to modern defense systems, yet traditional acquisition processes struggle to keep pace with the speed of software development. Specific strategies to address this include:

1. Embrace Agile Development: Shifting from waterfall methodologies to agile approaches allows for iterative development, frequent feedback, and faster delivery of working software.
2. Prioritize Cybersecurity: Integrating security considerations throughout the entire software development lifecycle (devsecops) is essential to protect against cyber threats.
3. Leverage Cloud Computing: Cloud-based platforms offer scalability, flexibility, and cost savings for software development and deployment.
4. Open Systems Architecture: Designing systems with open interfaces and modular components allows for easier integration of new technologies and reduces vendor lock-in.

Case Study: The Navy’s Unmanned Systems Acquisition

The Navy’s efforts to acquire unmanned systems – notably unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) – illustrate the challenges and opportunities in modern defense acquisition. Initial programs faced delays and cost overruns due to unclear requirements, technical challenges, and bureaucratic hurdles. However, the Navy has begun to adopt more agile acquisition approaches, leveraging OTAs