Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition)

Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition)
Name	Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition)
Jurisdiction	United States federal government
Formed	1947
Chief1 name	---
Parent agency	United States Department of Defense

Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition)

Overview

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition) advises the Secretary of Defense, coordinates with the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and interfaces with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the Defense Contract Management Agency to manage procurement, research, and sustainment across the United States Armed Forces, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It shapes policy with inputs from the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Comptroller of the Department of Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence while engaging congressional committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and the United States House Committee on Armed Services and liaising with contractors including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. The office integrates requirements from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force with acquisition authorities derived from statutes like the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership of the office is situated under the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and coordinates program executive offices, service acquisition executives, and offices such as the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Director of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy. Senior leaders liaise with the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and engage with defense oversight bodies like the Government Accountability Office and the Defense Science Board. The organizational structure includes functional directorates for science and technology, program integration, systems engineering, and industrial policy, drawing expertise from institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Roles and Responsibilities

The office establishes acquisition policy, sets requirements for major defense acquisition programs, and oversees major defense acquisition program life cycles in coordination with the Program Executive Office, the Systems Command, and the Service Acquisition Executive while applying processes codified by the Clinger–Cohen Act, the Goldwater–Nichols Act, and the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. It conducts milestone decisions interacting with the Defense Acquisition Board, the Milestone Decision Authority, and the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and ensures compliance with audit and financial reporting standards enforced by the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office. The office also manages industrial base resilience by coordinating with the Defense Production Act authorities, the Small Business Administration, and major defense industrial partners.

Key Programs and Initiatives

Major initiatives overseen by the office include modernization efforts for programs such as the F-35 Lightning II, the Columbia-class submarine, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, and the KC-46 Pegasus, alongside technology acceleration efforts with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Strategic Capabilities Office, and the Defense Innovation Unit. It directs digital engineering, the adoption of model-based systems engineering in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and interoperability initiatives tied to NATO standards and the Missile Defense Agency while supporting export programs under the Foreign Military Sales framework and security cooperation channels like the Foreign Assistance Act.

Policy and Regulatory Framework

Acquisition policy is framed by federal statutes, executive orders, and defense directives such as Title 10 of the United States Code, DoD Directive 5000.01, and DoD Instruction 5000.02, and aligns with budgeting guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and oversight reports from the Government Accountability Office. The office enforces compliance with environmental and safety statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act as they affect procurement and sustainment, and integrates export controls under the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. It also implements workforce development and ethics policies in line with the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and the Ethics in Government Act.

Budget and Acquisition Processes

Budgeting and acquisition follow planning, programming, budgeting, and execution cycles coordinated with the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), the President of the United States budget submissions, and appropriations by the United States Congress. The office manages Major Defense Acquisition Programs through Milestone Decision Authority gates, cost estimates vetted against Selected Acquisition Reports, and test and evaluation requirements provided by the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. Contracting uses instruments such as firm-fixed-price and cost-plus contracts administered under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and performed by contracting offices like the Defense Contract Management Agency and the Army Contracting Command while ensuring auditability under standards set by the Government Accountability Office.

History and Evolution

Since its origins in the post-World War II reorganization of the National Security Act of 1947, acquisition responsibilities have evolved through reforms prompted by events including the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the post-9/11 campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Legislative responses such as the Packard Commission recommendations, the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, and continuous adaptation following Operation Desert Storm shaped modern doctrine, while technological shifts driven by collaborations with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, MIT, and Stanford University influenced practices in rapid prototyping, software acquisition, and defense innovation. The office continues to adapt to contemporary challenges including great power competition with China and Russia, cyber threats highlighted by incidents affecting the Office of Personnel Management, and supply chain disruptions that prompted renewed emphasis on the Defense Production Act and industrial base security.

Category:United States Department of Defense