The Department of War has released a letter to the defense industrial base and acquisition stakeholders, requesting input on phase two of its Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, Overhaul initiative aimed at reducing regulatory burden and accelerating defense procurement.
The War Department said Friday the letter, issued Feb. 10, outlines phase one class deviations under the initiative and reflects ongoing efforts to streamline acquisition regulations.
What Is the Purpose of Phase RFO Phase 2?
According to the letter, phase two seeks recommendations to revise or eliminate FAR and Defense FAR Supplement, or DFARS, provisions to accelerate technology fielding and system modernization. The effort aims to help the department outpace adversaries, expand production capacity to support wartime surge and place both the acquisition system and the industrial base on a wartime footing, consistent with recent executive orders on defense procurement reform.
What Are the Core Objectives of the FAR Overhaul?
More broadly, the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, launched in May 2025, aims to modernize the acquisition framework by reducing unnecessary regulatory requirements and increasing flexibility for program execution. Guided by Executive Order 14275, the initiative centers on three priorities:
- Faster capability delivery: Streamlining procurement to deploy modern technologies more quickly.
- Industrial readiness: Expanding production scalability to meet potential wartime demand.
- Regulatory streamlining: Removing nonstatutory or outdated FAR and DFARS provisions.
The Department of War is coordinating with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy on implementation. Executive Order 14265 directs the Secretary of War to review and eliminate unnecessary supplemental regulations, while the department’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy calls for more agile acquisition processes.
The RFO initiative is also intended to simplify the registration process on the System for Award Management website, while the government can expect clearer, more traceable and procurement-specific terms and conditions.
What Has Been Implemented in Phase 1?
In phase one, the principal director for defense pricing, contracting and acquisition policy issued class deviations that may be used immediately, ahead of formal rulemaking. These deviations are designed to streamline compliance requirements for both the department’s acquisition workforce and its industry partners.
The overhaul follows a two-track approach. Agencies must implement standardized model class deviations—simplified, pre-approved versions of updated FAR provisions—within 30 days of issuance. Regulators will use feedback gathered during this interim period to inform and shape the subsequent formal rulemaking process.
