Accelerated Air Force Acquisition Processes

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm presented Air Force Systems Command AFSC with opportunities unique to recent history. This was the first large-scale use of the weapon systems developed, produced, and fielded by AFSC since the Vietnam War. As such, it was the ultimate proof of those systems. This was also an opportunity to provide our combat forces with the very latest in state-of-the-art weaponry, including items that had not yet been delivered when Desert Shield began. Three types of accelerated acquisitions processes contributed to this effort upgrading already fielded equipment accelerating the delivery of systems in development and developing and fielding new capabilities. This paper examines the processes and procedures used in these acquisition programs and describes the lessons learned.