Under Secretary Duffey's 5 Pillars to Speed Defense Acquisition

Government and industry must work together to deliver capabilities at the speed today’s missions demand. On April 23 in Washington, DC, the Warfighter Acquisition Forum brings both sides of the acquisition table into the same room to focus on one outcome: delivering faster, smarter, and more effectively to the warfighter. Defense leaders from both government and industry will open the event sharing their strategic visions. In the afternoon, attendees will participate in focused, action‑oriented sessions designed to help them translate these insights into practical next steps. Designed as a culture-change event, the Forum aligns leadership intent, program execution, contracting behavior, and industry response so reform becomes the default way of working, not just policy. It reflects Congress’s focus on reshaping how the acquisition workforce is hired, developed, and rewarded, emphasizing skills and performance to move faster while maintaining accountability. Register now to secure your seat: https://lnkd.in/ggEQwamR #WarfighterAcquisitionForum #DefenseAcquisition #AcquisitionReform

Michigan continues to play a critical role in the defense ecosystem, and at the end of January, SME was honored to host the most recent Michigan CODEL staffers breakfast (a congressional delegation briefing for federal staff focused on defense priorities). The briefing created the opportunity for alignment by connecting policy direction with the implications for manufacturing capability, workforce readiness, and execution across the defense industrial base. Insights shared by various presenters helped ground the conversation in how evolving acquisition, contracting, and budget priorities translate into action. Thank you to the Michigan Congressional Delegation’s legislative staff members, military and civilian leaders, and industry partners. All contributed to a thoughtful and forward-looking discussion. Conversations like these strengthen collaboration and reinforce the critical link between manufacturing, workforce, and national security.

Our last two peer or peer sponsored conflicts took 40-%+ and 13% of the economy. You can’t deter conflict with China with just the Primes.

Great to see the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment emphasizing speed at the recent Think Big Exchange. Getting emerging tech into the hands of the warfighter faster is critical if we want to keep pace with today’s threat environment. That means rethinking how we move from innovation to fielded capability and breaking down some of the traditional barriers in the acquisition process. Looking forward to seeing how this push for speed strengthens collaboration between government and industry at the tactical edge. #DefenseInnovation #AcquisitionReform #NationalSecurity

🚀 At the forefront of modern defense acquisition!    Our very own Louis Koplin sat down at WEST 2026 to discuss how the Department of the Navy is transforming the acquisition landscape by emphasizing speed, iteration, warfighter feedback, and industry collaboration to deliver capabilities early and often!   👉 In his interview with GovCIO Media & Research, Louis shared how embedding operators into development teams and leveraging commercial technology horizons are reshaping how we innovate and deliver for mission success!   🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/emVvfBCN    #DONPEODigital #PEODigital #USNavy #WEST2026

Honored to share that I’ve been invited to present WeCheck AI to the judging panel for the NATSEC Veteran Pitch Competition. This panel represents deep operational, legal, investment, and national security experience, the kind of people who understand what real risk looks like and what it takes to mitigate it responsibly. At WeCheck, we’re building digital identity intelligence infrastructure to help organizations make better, safer decisions about the people they work with, hire, admit, or investigate. The work sits at the intersection of technology, compliance, and public trust, and it’s driven by a simple mission: protect people, especially the most vulnerable, by bringing clarity where there is noise. Grateful for the opportunity to present our work, learn from this group, and contribute to a broader conversation around national security, innovation, and responsible use of AI. Looking forward to what’s ahead. #eMergeAmericas #NationalSecurity #VeteranInnovation #Defense #DigitalIdentity #AI #Entrepreneurship #Leadership

The recommendation comes as Defense Department leaders are moving to centralize management of the department’s innovation offices and to put the Pentagon’s CTO, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, in charge of those efforts. MORE: https://lnkd.in/e-28pXmf #AirForce #SpaceForce

🚀 United States Department of War acquisition is moving at warfighter speed — and months later, the impact is becoming clear. In November 2025, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 awardee, unveiled a sweeping overhaul of U.S. defense acquisition. “Speed to delivery is now our organizing principle,” he said — setting a new baseline where agility, competition and operational impact drive every program. Now, several months into implementation, the direction is unmistakable. Key reforms contractors need to watch: ✔️ Transition to a warfighting acquisition system ✔️ Appointment of portfolio acquisition executives in place of traditional PEOs ✔️ Commercial-first procurement practices ✔️ Streamlined foreign military sales Read more: https://lnkd.in/gr6mSiVK For GovCon executives, this isn’t theoretical anymore. Faster timelines, higher stakes and a premium on operational readiness are already reshaping how opportunities are competed — and won. Stay current on what’s changing: https://lnkd.in/g3yiFnjB #ExecutiveBiz

“What does operational relevance look like?” Lt. Gen. Jeth Rey, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6, rhetorically asked during his closing keynote at the annual Emerging Topics in Technology & Acquisition Course (ETTAC) at the Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia. “For the Army, we are transitioning from Program Executive Offices (PEOs) to Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs). This is a bold structural reform designed to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to warfighters. This aligns directly with the Department of War’s Warfighting Acquisition System, which prioritizes speed, accountability, and operational relevance over traditional compliance-driven processes. “This consolidated accountability through PAEs unifies decision-making authority across portfolios, reducing bureaucratic silos, and enables faster prioritization of resources. By managing capabilities at the portfolio level, PAEs can make strategic trade-offs to prioritize time-to-field over rigid programmatic scope. PAEs are empowered to focus on delivering capabilities urgently needed in conflict scenarios, rather than adhering to outdated acquisition timelines…. The shift reflects the Army’s broader move toward dynamic oversight models, such as continuous ATOs [Authorizations to Operate], to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.” (Photo by Jason Wilkerson, Visual Information Specialist at TJAGLCS) #ArmyG6 #armymodernization #artificialintelligence #datacentricity #electronicwarfare #emergingtechnology #militarymodernization #MilitaryAI #armyacquisition

Is the Department of War doing it wrong? The recently announced BOND program (Business Operations & Network Development) integrates senior private-sector leaders directly into Army acquisition and modernization efforts. While this may seem like we're trying to get the best 'from' industry, it seems to neglect warfighting. What does the Acquisition Enterprise need to do to ensure focus remains on the warfighters? I put my thoughts on maintaining focus in Who Dares Wins. I'd love to hear yours.