\u201cEl Departamento de Defensa ha tardado en reconocer que la guerra definida por software no es una construcci\u00f3n futura, sino la realidad en la que nos encontramos hoy\u201d, declar\u00f3 el Secretario de Defensa Hegseth en el memorando. \u201cEn lo que respecta a la adquisici\u00f3n de software, hace tiempo que deber\u00edamos haber adoptado un enfoque basado en el rendimiento y, por lo tanto, es el combatiente quien hoy paga el precio\u201d.<\/p>\n
In the two weeks since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive requiring the use of rapid procurement methods and contracting tools for all software acquisition, military officials and industry executives have expressed a mix of optimism and angst about the mandate, while also calling for more sweeping reforms to how the Pentagon develops, tests and funds software-heavy programs.<\/p>\n
The March 6 memo\u00a0directs all Defense Department components to use DOD\u2019s Software Acquisition Pathway<\/a>, along with other authorities designed to speed up the buying process and better leverage commercial providers. The tools\u00a0singled out in Hegseth\u2019s order<\/a>\u00a0have existed for years, but a relatively small number of programs actually use them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Department of Defense has been slow to recognize that software-defined warfare is not a future construct, but the reality we find ourselves operating in today,\u201d Hegseth said in the memo. \u201cWhen it comes to software acquisition, we are overdue in pivoting to a performance-based outcome and, as such, it is the warfighter who pays the price.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials have attributed the Pentagon\u2019s slow adoption of these processes to several causes but have primarily pointed to cultural inertia and risk aversion, both from DOD leaders and within military program offices. In interviews with Defense News and at events around the Washington, D.C., region in recent weeks, industry and Pentagon leaders said they were hopeful that Hegseth\u2019s mandate could lead to change \u2014 if it\u2019s enforced.<\/p>\n They also said they view the acquisition guidance as a first step toward broader reforms to how software is funded, tested and priced, as well as how acquisition officers and program managers are trained to manage software-heavy development efforts.<\/p>\n Steve Morani, the Pentagon\u2019s acting acquisition executive, said Hegseth\u2019s order sends a clear mandate for rapid transformation.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Secretary Hegseth\u2019s way of, just six weeks into his tenure, introducing some change,\u201d Morani said last week at the annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference. \u201cIt\u2019s a sign that he\u2019s determined to drive the system to operate differently. I think we\u2019re all on notice that, again, we\u2019re not going to do things business as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n Adjusting to cultural change<\/strong><\/p>\n In the immediate aftermath of Hegseth\u2019s mandate, Morani said his phone was \u201cblowing up,\u201d as many in the defense acquisition world were concerned about how this new way of buying software could impact their programs.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there was a lot angst up front,\u201d Morani said.<\/p>\n That angst is indicative of the culture change that will be required to implement Hegseth\u2019s direction, as well as the sense that there are more changes still to come, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not the exception,\u201d Morani said of the software memo. \u201cThis is going to be the standard way of doing things.\u201d<\/p>\n The Software Acquisition Pathway, created in 2020, has been regarded by the department as the recommended approach for buying software. The pathway offers a tailored acquisition mechanism, recognizing that software can\u2019t, and shouldn\u2019t, be procured under the same process as an aircraft or ship.<\/p>\n Today, around 82 programs representing each of the military services are using the pathway to buy a range of capabilities \u2014 from command-and-control systems to cyber. The problem, according to one official who recently spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity, is that the pathway hasn\u2019t been combined with other authorities designed to attract and take advantage of commercial capabilities.<\/p>\n Those authorities include\u00a0an approach championed by the Defense Innovation Unit<\/a>\u00a0called a Commercial Solutions Opening, a type of solicitation that allows startups and non-traditional defense companies to sell products and services to DOD without navigating arduous requirements documents. DIU also leverages a contracting tool called Other Transaction awards, which isn\u2019t subject to the same regulations as a standard contract.<\/p>\n When combined, these authorities allow DOD to award software contracts much faster than in the past.<\/p>\n Justin Fanelli, the Navy\u2019s chief technology officer, said this shift may be jarring for some acquisition officers who are used to dealing with a rigorous source selection process that can include thousands of pages of meticulous requirements. For example, the need statement for a Commercial Solutions Opening, or CSO, can sometimes be as succinct as a paragraph.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you can image, not everyone\u2019s comfortable with that, even inside the building,\u201d Fanelli said March 19 during an Emerging Technology Demo Day in Reston, Virginia. \u201cWe\u2019re saying, \u2018Here are three sentences that are user-sponsored,\u2019 and those serve as what we used to know as 3,000 pages of requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking with Defense News after his presentation, Fanelli said the Navy is working to break down some of those barriers by offering examples of programs that have successfully used these tools and reaped the benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are, right now, just using this opportunity to stockpile big success stories so that we can get more adoption and change our focus from risk avoidance when it comes to procurement to a focus on impact and outcomes and value-per-dollar,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Kori McNabb, a senior procurement analyst for the Air Force, told Defense News at the same event that while the shift to commercial-like buying is uncomfortable for some of the acquisition officials she works with, she\u2019s noticed there\u2019s been a greater sense of urgency to learn how to use these tools since Hegseth issued his directive.<\/p>\n McNabb highlighted the Air Force\u2019s CSO Center of Excellence, which offers training opportunities for program officers who may have less experience with the source selection tool. In recent weeks, use of the center\u2019s app has increased from around 200 users at a given time to close to 3,000, she said, adding that her team has upped its training webinar offerings since the memo\u2019s release.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just slowly grab them and pull them along with us,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re like, \u2018You have to come along because we\u2019re all moving to this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n