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Rack MA – Acquisition Frameworks & Reform

Aisle M — Modernization

Library:  Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)

Modernization (M):  Acquisition Frameworks (MA) — Capabilities Development (MC) — Defense Industrial Base (MD) — Program Management (MP) — Requirements Development (MR) — Science & Technology (MS) — Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation (MT) — Major Weapons Systems (MW)

Disclaimer: The inclusion of resources here is for informational, historical, and research purposes only and is provided as a service for US Army War College faculty, students, and graduates to support their educational and professional requirements. These may include outdated or superseded materials. The inclusion of these materials does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.

This rack provides resources on how the Department of Defense (DoD) systematically develops and delivers new warfighting capabilities to the Combatant Commands. An important supporting effort of this process is how the DoD prioritizes, funds and manages Science and Technology (S&T) development. For many years, the DoD’s stakeholders have been very frustrated by the slow pace and high cost of developing, procuring and delivering new materiel solutions. Acquisition reform efforts in Congress and the DoD have oscillated between increased oversight in an effort to reduce program costs and risks and more decentralized control of acquisition programs to give leaders more flexibility to streamline and tailor their programs to try to speed up the acquisition process. Although there are many high-profile examples of failed DoD acquisition programs, including the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) and the Comanche helicopter program, the Defense Acquisition System (DAS) has been effective at providing some of the best military materiel the world has seen. The challenge we now face is how to maintain this technical edge and superiority on the future battlefield against potential near-peer adversaries who are investing heavily to challenge the US’s dominance in many areas of technology and overall military capability.

There have been significant changes in recent years in the way the DoD and the Army develop and deliver materiel solutions. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has established the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) with six distinct pathways designed to better suit the development of different categories of systems. The Army has established the Army Futures Command to focus on how the Army will fight in the future and to lead the Army Modernization Enterprise (AME). Congress has both driven and underwritten these and other initiatives, playing an active role in prescribing specific changes, such as the establishment of the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) pathway to rapidly develop and deliver prototypes, and in authorizing the Secretary of Defense to waive some acquisition laws in order to deliver vital national security capabilities.

Shelf MA.00 — General

This shelf contains general resources on on theories of acquisition and acquisition systems, their development and implementation, and associated transformation efforts. The rack will include shelves for each of the service acquisition strategies.​​​​​​​

Faculty Publications:
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
Strategies and Reports:
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):

Shelf MA.ZA — Army Acquisition Frameworks & Reform

This shelf is focused on the service specific acquisition frameworks, strategies, processes, and transformation efforts of the Army.

Faculty Publications:
  • None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
Strategies and Reports:
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):

Shelf MA.ZN — Navy Acquisition Frameworks & Reform

This shelf is focused on the service specific acquisition frameworks, strategies, processes, and transformation efforts of the Navy.

Faculty Publications:
  • None.
Laws, Policies, Memos, and Regulations (sorted by regulation number):
  • None.
Strategies and Reports:
Commentaries (inclusion does not represent endorsement):
  • None.   

Title image credit:  From Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02, public domain..

Modernization (M):  Acquisition Frameworks (MA) — Capabilities Development (MC) — Defense Industrial Base (MD) — Program Management (MP) — Requirements Development (MR) — Science & Technology (MS) — Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation (MT) — Major Weapons Systems (MW)

Library:  Main Page — Professional Development (A) — Defense Enterprise (E) — Force Structure (F) — Modernization (M) — Personnel (P) — Readiness (R) — Special Enterprises (S) — Resource Management (X) — References (Z)