Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
Title	Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition is a senior civilian official in the United States Department of Defense responsible for supervising defense acquisition, procurement, and related industrial base matters. The office interfaces with senior leaders across the Pentagon, coordinates with the United States Congress, and aligns acquisition programs with national security objectives established by the President of the United States and the National Security Council. The Under Secretary oversees major defense acquisition programs, research partnerships, and technology transition from laboratories such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to programs of record like the F-35 Lightning II and the Virginia-class submarine.

Role and Responsibilities

The Under Secretary manages portfolio oversight across systems like Patriot (missile), M1 Abrams, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, MQ-9 Reaper, and supports partnerships with industry leaders including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics. The office implements policies derived from statutes such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation, interacts with committees including the House Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Appropriations Committee, and coordinates with agencies like the Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Contract Management Agency, Naval Sea Systems Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and Army Materiel Command. The Under Secretary directs acquisition cadres, program executive offices, and collaborates with national laboratories such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to transition technologies from programs like Joint Strike Fighter prototypes and Next Generation Air Dominance concepts into fielded capabilities. The role includes oversight of export controls under frameworks like the Arms Export Control Act and coordination with allies in forums such as NATO and the Australia–United Kingdom–United States security pact.

History and Evolution

Acquisition responsibilities trace to early twentieth-century procurement offices and were reshaped after World War II with the creation of institutions like the National Security Act of 1947 and later reorganizations during the Goldwater–Nichols Act era. Cold War programs including Manhattan Project successors, the Minuteman missile program, and naval shipbuilding influenced the elevation of acquisition authorities. The role gained statutory definition in amendments following high-profile program challenges such as the Ballistic missile defense debates and the F-35 program cost and schedule controversies. Reform efforts after episodes like the A-12 Avenger II cancellation and the Manning reduction era prompted an emphasis on lifecycle management, leading to initiatives reflecting lessons from Project Mercury, Skunk Works, and the Internet-era shift driven by partnerships with firms behind DARPA successes. Congressional hearings involving figures from General Accounting Office (now Government Accountability Office) reports and oversight by the Congressional Budget Office shaped modern authorities and responsibilities.

Organization and Officeholders

The office coordinates with Deputy Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Technical Directors, and Program Executive Officers overseeing portfolios including Missile Defense Agency, Space Development Agency, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Strategic Capabilities Office, and service acquisition executives from United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Air Force. Past officeholders have engaged with Secretaries such as Lloyd Austin, Mark Esper, Jim Mattis, Leon Panetta, and Robert Gates and reported to officials like the Deputy Secretary of Defense and principals on the Joint Chiefs of Staff structure, including chairs from General Mark A. Milley to predecessors in uniform. The office interacts with state and local stakeholders in industrial hubs such as Huntsville, Alabama, Norfolk, Virginia, San Diego, California, and Tucson, Arizona and with prime contractor headquarters in locales like Arlington County, Virginia.

Policies and Major Initiatives

Major initiatives include acquisition reform measures, adoption of Other Transaction Authority for rapid prototyping, implementation of Defense Innovation Unit partnerships with commercial technology firms, and programs to accelerate microelectronics and semiconductors with entities like Semiconductor Industry Association. The Under Secretary champions priorities such as supply chain resilience reforms following disruptions reminiscent of COVID-19 pandemic impacts, modernization of procurement for cybersecurity procurements tied to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency concerns, and integration of capabilities from commercial space firms exemplified by collaborations with SpaceX and Blue Origin. Policy directives align with National Defense Strategy guidance, procurement reform acts, and acquisition statutes, and draw on lessons from programs like Columbia-class submarine development and the integration challenges seen in the Zumwalt-class destroyer program.

Budget, Procurement, and Acquisition Processes

The Under Secretary oversees budgeting interactions that inform the President's budget and appropriations for acquisition accounts including Weapons Procurement, Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, and Procurement of Major Defense Equipment. The office uses programmatic tools like cost-estimating relationships, earned value management influenced by analyses from RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies, and relies on audit functions performed by the Department of Defense Inspector General and Government Accountability Office. Major procurement decisions affect supply chains tied to companies such as Honeywell International, Textron, BAE Systems, Thales Group, and global suppliers in South Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, and Germany. The acquisition process governs milestone decisions, capability baselines, and contract types including fixed-price and cost-plus-award-fee arrangements governed by statutes like the Competition in Contracting Act.

Oversight, Accountability, and Legislative Interaction

Oversight involves regular testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Subcommittee hearings, coordination with Congressional Research Service analyses, and responsiveness to GAO audits and recommendations. The Under Secretary engages with inspectors general, advisory panels such as the Defense Science Board and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and partners with international counterparts within NATO acquisition frameworks and bilateral arrangements like the U.S.–Japan Security Alliance. Legislative interaction includes implementation of requirements from acts such as the National Defense Authorization Act and compliance with procurement law enforced by the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council and judicial review in the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Category:United States Department of Defense offices