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| Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment | |
|---|---|
| Post | Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment |
| Department | United States Department of Defense |
| Reports to | Secretary of Defense |
| Seat | The Pentagon |
| Appointer | President of the United States |
| Formation | 2018 |
| Precursor | Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics |
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment is the senior civilian official responsible for overseeing acquisition, procurement, logistics, industrial base, and installation policy within the United States Department of Defense. The office integrates functions formerly performed by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics to manage major weapon programs, sustainment of United States Armed Forces platforms, and relationships with the defense industry and federal agencies. The position interacts with congressional committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and the United States House Committee on Armed Services, and with executive offices including the Office of Management and Budget and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Undersecretary formulates acquisition policy, oversees major defense acquisition programs, directs logistics and sustainment strategy, and manages installation and energy programs across the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force. Responsibilities include promulgating acquisition regulations consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation environment, coordinating with the Defense Acquisition University and Defense Contract Management Agency, and ensuring compliance with statutes such as the Clinger–Cohen Act and the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. The office supervises industrial base resilience in coordination with the Defense Logistics Agency and supports export controls through interaction with the Department of State and the Bureau of Industry and Security.
The office was created by statute during a reorganization that followed critiques of acquisition performance in conflicts like the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and draws lineage from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Reforms enacted under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 and subsequent NDAAs restructured authorities to emphasize sustainment and lifecycle management, reflecting lessons from programs such as the F-35 Lightning II and the Zumwalt-class destroyer. The evolution has been shaped by interactions with defense secretaries including Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, Jim Mattis, and Lloyd Austin, and oversight by legislators such as John McCain and Carl Levin.
The Undersecretary leads a headquarters directorate that includes offices for Acquisition Programs, Industrial Policy, Logistics, Installations and Environment, and Commercial Partnerships, and oversees principal subordinate organizations including the Defense Acquisition University, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Defense Contract Management Agency, and the Defense Logistics Agency insofar as policy alignment is required. The office works with component acquisition executives such as the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), and liaises with the Defense Innovation Unit and the National Security Agency on technology transition.
Major programs under the office’s purview include lifecycle management for platforms like the F-35 Lightning II, the Virginia-class submarine, the Columbia-class submarine, the B-21 Raider, and the KC-46 Pegasus. Initiatives emphasize modernization and industrial base security, including the Third Offset Strategy lineage, the Defense Production Act mobilization efforts during crises, and resilience programs responding to supply-chain disruptions exemplified by reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Efforts to accelerate prototyping and rapid fielding involve partnerships with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and commercial firms such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics.
The Undersecretary is appointed by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the United States Senate. Nominees typically present records in acquisition, defense industry, or military logistics and undergo hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and sometimes the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee. Confirmation debates often reference nominees’ ties to companies like Raytheon Technologies or BAE Systems and their positions on procurement reforms that have been scrutinized by figures such as Mikael Moore and oversight bodies including the Government Accountability Office.
The office influences acquisition budget priorities within the Department of Defense budget process and collaborates with the Office of Management and Budget and congressional appropriations committees including the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. The Undersecretary reviews program objective memoranda, cost estimates, and major defense acquisition program milestones, shaping procurement decisions for platforms and services that involve companies like Raytheon Technologies, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. Policy instruments include issuance of acquisition guidance, sustainment policies, and industrial base plans aligned with strategic documents such as the National Defense Strategy and National Military Strategy.
Critics have targeted acquisition timelines, cost overruns, and program cancellations tied to high-profile programs such as the F-35 Lightning II and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Allegations of revolving-door employment between the Undersecretary’s office and defense contractors have prompted scrutiny from watchdogs including the Project on Government Oversight and inquiries by the Government Accountability Office. Tensions over competition, sole-source awards, and export control decisions have drawn attention from lawmakers including Adam Smith (Washington politician) and Jim Inhofe, while disputes over depot maintenance, base closures, and realignment have involved local stakeholders represented in the United States House of Representatives and state governors such as Larry Hogan and Gavin Newsom. Category:United States Department of Defense officials