Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
U.S. Department of Defense · Public domain · source
Agency name	Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Formed	2018
Preceding1	Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Jurisdiction	United States Department of Defense
Headquarters	The Pentagon
Chief1 name	Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Parent agency	Department of Defense

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment is the principal civilian staff office responsible for acquisition, procurement, logistics, materiel readiness, and industrial base policy within the United States Department of Defense. It develops and implements policies affecting major defense acquisition programs, sustainment activities, and defense materiel supply chains supporting the United States Armed Forces, including the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force. The office interacts with executive branch entities such as the Office of Management and Budget, Congressional Budget Office, and Government Accountability Office as well as industry partners including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics.

Mission and Responsibilities

The office's mission includes oversight of acquisition programs tied to statutes such as the Clinger–Cohen Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, while coordinating with agencies like the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Federal Aviation Administration on interoperability issues. Responsibilities encompass lifecycle management from requirements influenced by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to procurement executed under authorities from the Small Business Administration and the Defense Innovation Unit. It supports readiness metrics used by the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, aligning sustainment with strategies articulated by the National Security Council and the National Defense Strategy.

Organizational Structure

The office comprises directorates and components including acquisition policy divisions analogous to those within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, program executive oversight similar to the Defense Acquisition University model, and sustainment functions paralleling the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness. Subordinate elements coordinate with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the United States Cyber Command, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for technical and security requirements. Interagency collaboration occurs with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security, and international cooperation engages partners such as NATO, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and South Korea through acquisition frameworks and defense cooperation agreements.

History and Evolution

The office traces lineage to prior offices such as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and earlier acquisition reform efforts following events including the Gulf War and legislated responses after hearings by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and the United States House Committee on Armed Services. Reorganizations mirrored priorities set by administrations from George W. Bush to Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and were influenced by reports from the Defense Science Board and commissions like the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States. Key programmatic debates referenced major programs including the F-35 Lightning II, KC-46 Pegasus, Zumwalt-class destroyer, and the Ohio-class submarine modernization. The office's evolution addressed issues raised during investigations by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee and audits from the Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers studies of defense industrial base resilience.

Policy and Program Areas

Policy and program areas include major defense acquisition programs such as Patriot (missile) upgrades, Aegis Combat System integration, sustainment of M1 Abrams fleets, and support for platforms like the Virginia-class submarine and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. It administers initiatives touching on supply chain security involving contractors like Raytheon Technologies, BAE Systems, Thales Group, and Safran, and supports modernization efforts such as networking programs influenced by Project Maven and the Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept. Other areas include industrial base policy related to the Defense Production Act, competition policy shaped by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice reviews, and technology transition efforts in coordination with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Leadership

The office is led by the Under Secretary, supported by Deputy Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, and Senior Executives drawn from backgrounds including service in the United States Navy Reserve, the United States Air Force Reserve Command, or experience at firms such as Honeywell International, L3Harris Technologies, and Leidos. Leadership appointments are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, with oversight from committees including the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Notable oversight interactions have occurred with congressional figures like Senator John McCain and Representative Mac Thornberry during program hearings.

Budget and Oversight

Budgetary authority interfaces with the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and fiscal guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, and is scrutinized by the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office. Program funding decisions consider inputs from the Defense Logistics Agency Energy and the United States Transportation Command for logistics costing, and are informed by acquisition metrics used in audits by KPMG and Ernst & Young. Oversight mechanisms include program executive officers reporting to service secretaries such as the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Air Force, with additional review by inspectors general from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.

Category:United States Department of Defense