Rapid Acquisition Pathways

Acquisition professionals have multiple rapid acquisition pathways to deliver capabilities.

Section 804 Middle Tier Acquisition

Field a prototype in an operational environment within 5 years
Field production quantities with min development within 5 years

Section 806 Weapon System Prototype

SAE’s most promising, innovative, and cost-effective prototypes
Deliver within 2 years, <$10M (or $50M w/Secretary approval)

Accelerated Acquisition

When schedule dominate, aggressively tailor 5000 (see Model 4)
Use when technology surprise by an adversary drives risk taking

Urgent Capability Acquisition

Fulfill urgent operational needs within 2 years, below ACAT I
JUONs, UONs, JEONs via 5000.02 Enclosure 13

DoD will develop a culture of rapid and meaningful innovation, streamline requirements
and acquisition processes, and promote responsible risk-taking and personal initiative.

Jim Mattis

Former Secretary of Defense

Rapid Acquisition Reports

Future Foundry, CNAS, Dec 2016
Leveraging Commercial Technology (Mobility), CNAS, Dec 2016
The Role of Experimentation Campaigns in the Air Force Innovation Life Cycle, National Academies of Science, 2016
Speed and Agility – How DoD Acquisition Can Enable Innovation and Rapid Technology Insertion, Briefing, MITRE, May 2016
12 Months In – 8 Months Left An Update on Secretary Carter’s Innovation Agenda, CNAS, Apr 2016
Innovation is a Contract Sport, Booz Allen Hamilton, Feb 2016
Global R&D Funding Forecast
National R&D – Gov’t vs Industry
Keeping the Technological Edge (Briefing, Report, Video), CSIS, Sep 2015
NDIA Pathway to Transformation, Nov 2014
Presentation on Innovation and Private Sector, Defense Business Board, Jul 2014
Innovation and Private Sector Report, Defense Business Board, Jul 2014
Defense R&E Strategy, ASD R&E, May 2014
Rapid Acquisition of Army C2 Systems, RAND, 2014
Technology and Innovation Enablers for Superiority in 2030, Defense Science Board (DSB), Oct 2013
Public Private Collaboration in the DoD, Defense Business Board, 2012
Rapid Acquisition and Fielding of Materiel Solutions by the Navy, DoD IG, 2009

Rapid Acquisition Articles

Faster, smarter: Speed is key in acquisition reform, Air Force, Feb 2019
Don’t Play Mob Ball: What Acquisition Pros Can Learn from Kids Soccer, DefenseOne, Jan 2019
Sci-Fi Acquisition: The Wrath Of Mid-Tier Krog, Breaking Defense, Dec 2018
Mattis sees need for new space programs, Space News, Sep 2017
Bridging the Valley of Death, Tony Davis, Tom Ballenger, Jan 2017
When and When Not to Accelerate Acquisition, Frank Kendall, Nov 2016
Intel Community joining DoD in Silicon Valley, Breaking Defense, May 2016
SOFWERX: Newest Acquisition Tool for Special Operators, National Defense Magazine, May 2016
Forget Technology. The Real Military Edge Comes From Promoting Smart People, Defense One, May 2016
The US Needs More Weapons That Can Be Quickly and Easily Modified, Defense One, Apr 2016
As Pentagon Dawdles, Silicon Valley Sells Its Newest Tech Abroad, Defense One, Apr 2016
Three Ways to Judge the Pentagon’s Tech-Sector Outreach, Defense One, Apr 2016
Google Executive Schmidt To Head New DoD Advisory Board, Defense News, Mar 2016
Veil of secrecy lifted on Pentagon office planning ‘Avatar’ fighters and drone swarms (SCO), Washington Post, Mar 2016
New Navy Procurement Office (MACO), Marines to Push Rapid Innovation In 2016, USNI News, Mar 2016
Accelerating Innovation By Breaking Up Contracts: SBIR & Beyond, Breaking Defense, Feb 2016
DoD’s top research official (Steve Welby) is bridging gap with Silicon Valley, Fed News Radio, Feb 2016
DHS Opens Silicon Valley Office in Search of Innovation, National Defense Magazine, Feb 2016
Beyond Offset – A series that aims to build a community-of-interest that will address the challenges of maintaining America’s competitive edge in military technology and advance solutions.
Faster Than Thought: DARPA, Artificial Intelligence, & The Third Offset Strategy, Breaking Defense, Feb 2016
Secretive SOCOM Opens Up to Private Sector, National Defense Magazine, Jan 2016
Is the US Military’s Plan to Keep Its Edge Fatally Flawed?, Robert Haddick, War on the Rocks, Jan 2016
Navy to Try Fast Acquisition Approach, Breaking Defense, Jan 2016
Navy Building New Office to Short Circuit Traditional DoD Acquisition Approach, FedNewsRadio, Jan 2016
R&D strategy leverages innovation, partnerships, Wright Patt AFB news, Jan 2016
DOD Head Ashton Carter Enlists Silicon Valley to Transform the Military, Wired, Nov 2015
America’s Victory Disease Has Left It Dangerously Deluded, War on the Rocks, Nov 2015
Centaur Army: Bob Work, Robotics, & The Third Offset Strategy, Breaking Defense, Nov 2015
It is Time for the US Military to Innovate Like Insurgents, War on the Rocks, Oct 2015
Carter Seeks Balance of Old, New Innovation, Sep 2015
Fast Track Program Invites Non-Traditional Roboticists to Help Bolster National Security, DARPA, May 2015
Fast Paced Technologies Passing by Military’s Acquisition Culture, DoD Buzz, Mar 2015
Top 10 Disruptive Technologies for a New Era of Global Instability, National Defense Magazine, Nov 2014
A New Defense Innovation Base, War on the Rocks, Aug 2014
Hacking Defense: Changing How DoD Innovates, War on the Rocks, Jun 2014
Build Fast, Effective Acquisition: Avoid The System We’ve Got, Breaking Defense, Apr 2014
“Special Forces” Innovation: How DARPA Attacks Problems, HBR, Oct 2013
Quick Wins Show the Benefits of DOD’s Rapid Acquisition Program, Federal News Radio, Jun 2012