The Department of Defense has implemented reforms to accelerate weapon systems acquisition, but it continues to struggle with delivering timely and effective solutions to warfighters within budget, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
In its latest assessment of the DOD’s acquisition process, GAO found that the department used the middle tier of acquisition, or MTA, pathway to speed up the development of critical technologies with low levels of maturity, but schedule delays persisted and none of the seven former MTA programs reviewed were ready for production or fielding.
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Leading Development Practices
The government watchdog also found that decision-makers in the DOD and across the military services do not take steps to ensure that future programs fully implement leading development practices. According to GAO, few reported plans to establish a minimum viable product — an initial set of capabilities that can be iterated upon; use digital twinning — a virtual representation of a physical product; or utilize digital threads — real-time data to inform decision-making.
“Incorporating leading practices prior to formally starting a new program can help programs take full advantage of the efficiencies they provide,” GAO said. “These practices are most effective when they are used together as part of an iterative approach to product development.”
GAO Recommendation
To address the issues, GAO recommended that DOD leadership take steps to ensure that future major weapon acquisition programs include leading practices for product development during the earliest stages of the programs. DOD concurred with the recommendation.
The investigative arm of Congress conducted the study as the Defense Department plans to invest nearly $2.4 trillion in developing and acquiring its costliest weapon programs.
The DOD’s weapon systems acquisition is included in GAO’s list of programs and operations with serious vulnerabilities to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or in need of transformation.
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