Army Accelerates Acquisition Reform for Future Warfare
The U.S. Army is intensifying efforts to overhaul its acquisition processes in a bid to adapt to the rapid pace of technological development and the evolving demands of modern warfare. According to a recent article from DefenseScoop titled “Inside the Army’s push to reform acquisition for 2025,” senior leaders are pushing for systemic reforms aimed at fostering greater speed, flexibility, and innovation in how the service procures next-generation capabilities.
Army acquisition officials are increasingly focused on accelerating the development and delivery of cutting-edge technologies that will equip soldiers to meet future threats. Approved by Congress in prior defense budgets, programs including modernization of command-and-control systems, long-range precision fires, and next-generation combat vehicles have encountered delays amid legacy bureaucratic processes. The Army’s new reform push seeks to eliminate such bottlenecks by streamlining decision-making, enhancing collaboration with industry partners, and shortening development cycles.
Douglas Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, emphasized in a recent panel discussion that the current geopolitical climate demands more than incremental improvements. He stated that the Army is reevaluating how it transitions programs from prototypes to full-scale production, with a particular focus on iterative testing and user feedback loops. This shift marks a departure from traditional acquisition pathways, which often favored rigid timelines and risk-averse methodologies.
The article highlights several strategies underpinning this transformation. Among them is the increased reliance on software-centric capabilities, which require fundamentally different procurement approaches than hardware-based systems. By embracing practices such as agile software development, Army leaders hope to rapidly field digital tools and continuously improve them based on front-line experience—a method already in use within some classified programs.
Additionally, partnerships with non-traditional defense contractors and expanded use of other transaction authority (OTA) agreements are central to the Army’s ambitions. These alternative contracting mechanisms, which reduce much of the regulatory overhead associated with federal acquisitions, have gained momentum in recent years and are expected to play an even greater role moving forward.
Despite these reforms, challenges remain. Scaling successful pilot programs to enterprise levels continues to pose risks, and achieving cultural buy-in across the acquisition workforce is an ongoing endeavor. Furthermore, reconciling the need for speed with congressional oversight, cybersecurity standards, and long-term sustainment planning complicates the implementation of even well-intentioned changes.
Still, Bush and other Army officials remain optimistic. As outlined in the DefenseScoop article, they are advocating for a sustained, institution-wide commitment to reform, rather than relying on one-off initiatives. With modernization at the heart of the Army’s strategic posture, how effectively the service transforms its acquisition systems in the months ahead may determine its preparedness for the conflicts of tomorrow.
