The Critical Design Review Process for Major Defense Acquisition Programs.

Critical design review CDR is defined as a review to determine if the detailed system design meets the performance and engineering requirements of development specifications. During CDR, the Government must ensure that all design areas are adequately examined, that design weaknesses are identified, and that solutions for design-related problems are available. The Government must use the results of the CDR to assess the readiness of the system to progress to the next acquisition phase. The design reviews and associated testing of design features let the Government review the complete system design and evaluate its capability to satisfy total mission requirements. Presently, DOD proposes acquisition strategies that focus on developing, but not on producing, systems. Those strategies require that CDR be effective and not rely on later production efforts to resolve design deficiencies.