then Add to Home Screen.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a comprehensive plan to accelerate the Pentagon’s acquisition process, aiming to deliver new weapons and systems faster.
Speaking at the National War College on Nov. 7, Hegseth announced the replacement of the current Defense Acquisition System with a streamlined Warfighting Acquisition System designed to prioritize speed, flexibility, and joint operations.
“We will rebuild the defense industrial base into a new arsenal of freedom,” Hegseth said. “The Warfighting Acquisition System will dramatically shorten timelines, improve and expand the defense industrial base, boost competition and empower acquisition officials to take risks and make tradeoffs.”
The new approach will reduce timelines from years to months, expand the defense industrial base, and encourage competition by moving away from reliance on large prime contractors. Instead, the Pentagon will partner with agile vendors capable of rapid production at a commercial pace. Hegseth emphasized eliminating unnecessary regulations, awarding longer contracts for proven systems, and prioritizing commercial solutions—even if initial requirements are not fully realized.
Program leaders will gain greater authority to manage budgets, adjust priorities, and expedite delivery. Program Executive Offices (PEOs) will transition to Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) with full accountability for cost, schedule, and performance decisions.
Hegseth also announced the termination of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), calling it rigid and inefficient. In its place, three new organizations will be established:
- Requirements and Resourcing Alignment Board to align funding with top priorities.
- Mission Engineering and Integration Activity to foster early collaboration and rapid prototyping.
- Joint Acceleration Reserve to fund promising programs quickly.
Hegseth emphasized speed, flexibility, and risk-taking, urging industry to invest in production capacity and align with military urgency.
“This is not a speech,” Hegseth said. “This is not a fire and forget. This is the beginning of an unrelenting onslaught to change the way we do business and to change the way the bureaucracy responds.”
The reforms received support from defense associations and industry leaders, who praised the initiative as vital to maintaining U.S. military superiority.
—Michael Metz
