Accession Number:

AD1016337

Title:

Acquisition Truths from the Trenches

Descriptive Note:

Journal Article

Corporate Author:

U.S. Air Force, 645th Aeronautical Systems Squadron Wright-Patterson AFB United States

Personal Author(s):

• Troup,Tim

Report Date:

2010-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

4.0

Abstract:

Those in the acquisition career field understand that cost, schedule, and performance are keys to success. That being said, many in the acquisition force fail to realize the triad can be achieved with speed and agility. Rapid, agile acquisition is a result of aggressive, smart risk management and creative problem solving, and many applaud out-of-the-box thinking. If we make the assumption, however, that there is a box of acceptable answers, the number of possible solutions has already been limited. The ongoing fight we are engaged in is real, but we still struggle to get the user what heshe needs in a timely manner. More often than not, the acquisition community is delivering urgently needed solutions late to the game. To keep pace with modern warfares unconventional form, we must embrace unconventional acquisition practices. When the Department of Defense has been pressured to deliver something quickly, such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles for Iraq and Afghanistan, we suspend the rules, set up a fast track path, and push aside the bureaucracy however, acquisition rules dont always need to be bent to deliver products quickly.

Descriptors:

• united states special operations command
• defense industry
• military acquisition
• unmanned aerial vehicles
• combat operations
• contracts
• department of defense
• risk management

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE