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Acquisition Research Program Newsletter

September 12, 2025       —       Issue 256

CALL FOR PAPERS AND PANELS

Accelerating Warfighting Capabilities

NPS 23rd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium
& Innovation Summit

Submissions are now open for papers and panels for the NPS 23rd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium & Innovation Summit, taking place May 6 & 7, 2026, in Monterey, California. Sponsored by Acquisition Research Program (ARP), Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Naval Postgraduate School Foundation (NPSF).

This year, the Research Symposium is combined with an Innovation Summit under the overarching theme of Accelerating Warfighting Capabilities.

The Research Symposium & Innovation Summit serves as a catalyst for meaningful progress and informed change in the field of defense acquisition. The event brings together academic researchers, acquisition professionals, and defense service leaders for two days of exploration, discovery, and dialogue intended to inform acquisition policy and modernization efforts.

In keeping with recent executive orders and DOD memoranda, the goal of this dual event is to explore and promote innovative ways to enhance readiness, deter adversaries, and increase warfighting capabilities by reviving our defense industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies.

We welcome papers and panels proposals that address these areas of concern, as well as any other topics related to accelerating warfighting capabilities in procurement, acquisition, requirements, test and evaluation, maritime dominance, space systems acquisition, contracting and commercial solutions, research and development, program management, acquisition workforce, industrial base and supply chain, emerging technologies, risk-taking and innovation, and technology transition, and readiness.

Proposals are due by November 18, 2025.

Visit the symposium website for topic suggestions and submission guidelines.

Happy Friday!

SECNAV John Phelan has ordered the creation of a dedicated PEO for unmanned systems - plus two more new leadership billets...

The Pentagon has issued its final CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) rule, to take effect on November 8...

Every F-35 delivered in 2024 was late - but contractors still received millions in incentive payments for on-time deliveries...

Congress is debating changes to SBIR...

CIMSEC calls for a Naval shipbuilding "lessons-learned" center...

MITRE and the Operational Energy Innovation Directorate (OE-I) have unveiled a new Transition Maturity Framework (TMaF), designed to close the gaps between technology readiness and warfighter needs...

And insights from leaders on empowering the acquisition workforce to accelerate the transition of technology and capabilities to the warfighter.

Enjoy!

This Week's Top Stories 

An unmanned surface vessel and guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black operate in the Persian Gulf, Jan. 8, 2023. (Photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

Navy suspends unmanned systems-buying amid enterprise overhaul
Anastasia Obis, Federal News Network

The Navy has paused all acquisition and contracting for unmanned systems for 30 days to establish new leadership positions and a dedicated program office for robotic and autonomous systems (RAS), with the intention to improve readiness and maximize operational advantage.

• New Structure: Phelan mandated the creation of new leadership billets: a Deputy Assistant Secretary (DASN RAS), a Program Executive Office (PEO RAS), and a Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE RAS) dedicated to these systems.
• Overburdened PEO: The existing Program Executive Office for Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) oversees a wide range of programs, including littoral combat ships and frigates. Long-standing issues with these programs, including cost overruns and delays, have diverted attention and resources from unmanned efforts.

Pentagon to officially implement CMMC requirements in all contracts by Nov. 8
Mikayla Easley, DefenseScoop

The Pentagon has finalized a new rule mandating the implementation of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 (CMMC 2.0) standards in all defense contracts. The rule marks the near end of a years-long effort to ensure that defense contractors are safeguarding sensitive Pentagon data from adversaries.

• DFARS Update: The Pentagon posted the its final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to the Federal Register on Tuesday; it will go into effect on November 8.
• Compliance Required: Vendors will not be eligible for contract awards, task orders, or delivery orders if they do not meet the required CMMC standards for the information they handle.

Dr. Bob Mortlock stands with the 2024 fall quarter's cohort of newly-certified Project Management Professionals (PMP). The Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Center's accreditation of select NPS programs, as well as PMI's PMP certification program, ensure NPS graduates master the advanced skills needed to lead complex, defense acquisition programs. (U.S. Navy photo by Javier Chagoya/Released)

People, Not Process: Empowering the Defense Acquisition Workforce
Michelle V. Johnson, Acquisition Research Program

The defense acquisition workforce is the single most critical factor for successfully accelerating technology transition to the warfighter. Speakers at last spring's "Creating Synergy for Informed Change: Transitioning Technology to the Warfighter," the 22nd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium and Innovation Summit, highlighted this message repeatedly. Across a number of panels, keynotes, and plenary sessions, the consensus called for empowering people and their expertise rather than focusing solely on bureaucratic processes and regulations.

• People Paramount: Successfully accelerating technology and capabilities to the warfighter fundamentally relies on a talented acquisition workforce that is trained, incentivized, supported, and rewarded for delivering solutions at the necessary speed and scale.
• Developing Leaders: DOD needs to cultivate independent thinking among acquisition professionals while also providing the tools, techniques, and strategies to reward and incentivize such behavior on a large scale.
• Hands-on Experience: Acquisition professionals need firsthand experience with the capabilities they are procuring early in their careers.

Every single F-35 delivered to the US military last year was late
Matt White, Task and Purpose

A government watchdog has revealed that every F-35 strike fighter delivered to the U.S. military in 2024 was significantly behind schedule, averaging 238 days (about seven months) behind schedule.

• Escalating Costs: The latest round of F-35 jets will cost an additional $6 billion, and completion is at least five years behind original estimates.
• Ineffective Incentives: Lockheed Martin collected "hundreds of millions of dollars" in performance incentive fees, and engine maker Pratt & Whitney collected "tens of millions," despite consistently late deliveries.
• Capability Cutbacks: To speed delivery, program officials will delay or remove capabilities of the Block 4 F-35s, which were initially meant to come equipped with new weapons, radar enhancements, and technology to avoid aircraft collisions.

GAO Report: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Actions Needed to Address Late Deliveries and Improve Future Development

Report: Restoring Air Force to Dominance Will Take Sustained $20-$30 Billion Per Year
John Tirpak, Air & Space Forces Magazine

A new report from the Mitchell Institute argues that U.S. Air Force needs an urgent, sustained investment of tens of billions of dollars annually to rebuild its dangerously eroded readiness and capabilities.

• Urgent Funding: The Air Force needs an immediate $8 billion shift from R&D to procurement and operations/maintenance, followed by a sustained $20-$30 billion annually from Congress to acquire new aircraft (F-35s, B-21s, F-15EXs) and improve readiness.
• Aging, Unready Fleet: The average age of the U.S. fighter fleet is 26 years, with less than 59% mission capability, while China's PLAAF fleet averages 8.6 years and likely boasts 90% capability. Only 24% of U.S. fighters are fifth-gen.
• Growing Disparity: The U.S. Air Force has only 750 combat-coded fighters and 121 bombers, with roughly 520 for the Pacific, significantly outnumbered by China's 1,142 fighters and 197 bombers.
• End "Divest-to-Invest": The report advocates against retiring viable older aircraft to fund new development, urging their retention until new platforms are available to boost overall numbers for combat.

Full Report: Winning the Next War: Overcoming the U.S. Air Force’s Capacity, Capability, and Readiness Crisis 

ARP and NPS News

NPS physics professor Emil Kartalov

Faces of NPS: A Testbed for Operational Solutions
Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association

NPS serves as a testbed for the Joint Force, giving students, researchers and partners the space to experiment, prototype and push their ideas forward. Check out this month's Faces of NPS newletter to discover some of the projects NSP student and faculty are pursuing - including passive, AI-enabled counter-drone systems and technology that could enable underwater drones to recharge themselves using bacteria on the ocean floor.

WATCH: Empowering Acquisition through Education and Innovation
Chaired by Frank Kelley, BGen, USMC (Ret.), Vice-President of Defense Acquisition University

How can we foster innovative thinking and intelligent risk-taking in the acquisition workforce?

That was a recurring topic of conversation last spring at "Creating Synergy for Informed Change: Transitioning Technology to the Warfighter," the NPS 22nd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium and Innovation Summit.

The "Empowering Acquisition through Education and Innovation" panel, chaired by Frank Kelley of Defense Acquisition University, tackled this question through lens of training and development. Panelist collectively emphasized the need to cultivate a culture of innovation within the defense acquisition ecosystem and address the barriers that stymie innovation and culture change.

Panelists included:

• Lt Col Alan Lin, USSF, who presented a brief on using war games to enable mid-level acquisition program managers to learn by "doing sets and reps" in what would normally be a years-long space satellite acquisition program.
• Lolita Horne and Jonathan Barkand, who discussed the Defense Acquisition University’s Innovate to Win playbook, an interactive online tool that anyone, not just acquisition professionals, can complete to both self-assess and learn about innovative practices.
• Dr. Amanda Girth of Ohio State University, who shared research demonstrating how organizations can shift innovation from hyperlocal one-off occurrences to repeatable, scalable practices that create a culture of innovation.

A lively Q&A session following the presentations explored the role of leadership in enabling innovation, the balance between individual autonomy and collaborative efforts, and the challenges of scaling grassroots initiatives.

Watch the full panel here.

Acquisition

The USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. under construction at Bath Iron Works in July 2023. (Photo via Bath Iron Works)

Design, Decide, Forget: Why the Navy Needs a Lessons-Learned Center for Shipbuilding
Marcus Jones, Center for International Maritime Security

The U.S. Navy needs establish a dedicated "lessons-learned center" for shipbuilding to systematically capture, analyze, and apply knowledge from its extensive experience. This institutional mechanism is crucial to prevent the recurrence of avoidable mistakes in major acquisition programs, thereby improving program outcomes and achieving the Navy's long-term force design goals.

• Past Failures: Despite repeated calls and initiatives dating back to the 1970s, the Navy has consistently failed to institutionalize a lasting capacity for acquisition-oriented organizational learning in shipbuilding. Data was often gathered but not practically applied or preserved.
• Knowledge Fragmentation: Major ship classes are designed infrequently, often every 20-30 years, leading to a loss of institutional memory as personnel involved in new projects lack direct experience from the last. 
• Successful Models: Feasible precedents exist within the defense sector, such as the U.S. Army’s Center for Army Acquisition Lessons Learned (CAALL), which uses a web-enabled portal, structured data, and professional analysis to provide authoritative acquisition-specific lessons.

A Practical Framework for Transitioning Technology to the Warfighter
Debra Zides, Natalie Faucher, et al., Defense Acquisition Magazine

The Transition Maturity Framework (TMaF) is a critical tool developed by the Operational Energy Innovation Directorate (OE-I), in collaboration with MITRE, to address the persistent challenge of transitioning defense technologies from innovative ideas to fielded capabilities. By integrating five readiness dimensions and providing actionable guidance, TMaF aims to overcome the "valley of death" and ensure technologies are Warfighter-validated and mission-relevant, not just technically feasible.

• Five Dimensions: TMaF incorporates three existing measure of readiness level and crucially adds two new dimensions: the Requirements Readiness Level (RRL), which measures alignment to a validated, funded Warfighter capability need, and the Warfighter Readiness Level (WRL), which assesses the extent a technology has been Warfighter-tested and adopted.

Related: Transition Maturity Framework (TMaF) 

Making the Defense Acquisition System More Warfighter-Centric: Increasing Stakeholder Engagement and Innovation at the Tactical Edge
Jeff Kwastel, MITRE

This report from MITRE argues that the Defense Acquisition System (DAS) must become more warfighter-centric, shifting from merely viewing warfighters as consumers to integrating them as active stakeholders. This change is vital for delivering adaptable capabilities at the pace of modern battlefields.

The Defense Acquisition System Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox: A Tool for Providing Real-Time Understanding of Changes to the Defense Acquisition System
Debra Zides and Jeff Kwastel, MITRE

The Defense Acquisition System (DAS) is increasingly challenged by the rapid pace and complexity of statutory, Executive Order, and departmental policy changes, which create cascading disruptions and delays across the Department of Defense (DoD). To address this, MITRE proposes a Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox (DAPS), a platform that would leverage AI and data analytics to provide real-time understanding of policy impacts and empower stakeholders to navigate change with agility and precision.

Acquisition Workforce

Image from War on the Rocks, Building a 21st Century Defense Acquisition Workforce, https://warontherocks.com/2019/05/building-a-21st-century-defense-acquisition-workforce/

The Futility of FAR Reform: It's About People, Not Rules
Lt. Col. Matthew J. Fleharty, USAF, The Nash & Cibinic Report

This article argues that federal acquisition reform efforts often miss the mark by focusing on rules rather than people. The acquisition workforce must read, interpret, and apply FAR rules, no matter how simple or streamlined. A true revolution in acquisition requires substantial investments in rigorous, in-person professional education for the workforce, focusing on critical skills like regulatory analysis, logical thinking, and effective contract design.

Institutional Amnesia And The Neglect Of The Federal Acquisition Workforce
Jessica Tillipman & Steven L. Schooner, The Government Contractor

The federal acquisition community’s persistent focus on regulatory overhauls, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rewrite, continues to neglect the critical need for sustained investment in the acquisition workforce, leading to a depleted staff unable to meet the nation's procurement demands. This ongoing "institutional amnesia" prioritizes procedural changes over human capital, resulting in significant operational failures and an erosion of public trust.

• Decades of Decline: Despite spending approximately $755 billion on contract awards in FY 2024, the acquisition workforce is "smaller, more junior, and...less experienced than a generation ago" due to mandated reductions beginning in 1989. 
• Predictable Failures: The failure to recruit, develop, and retain this workforce leads to inefficient use of public funds, increased risks of integrity failures, and a diminished ability to provide basic services, fostering a government overly dependent on contractors.
• Cycle of Neglect: New mandates are piled onto a depleted workforce without proportional investment, making it impossible for the system to function effectively. There is a broad consensus, including from the OECD, that professionalizing this workforce is "essential to effective governance."

Defense & Strategy

James Williams, computer scientist with the 580th Software Engineering Squadron, starts up the HH-60 cockpit mockup unit simulator at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, May 23, 2025. Williams saw component functions that needed to be updated in real-time, making the process of upgrading capabilities more efficient. (U.S. Air Force photo by C Arce)

The Pentagon’s Software Revolution and Its Testing Dilemma
Douglas C. Schmidt and Nickolas H. Guertin, War on the Rocks

The Pentagon's rapid embrace of AI-driven, software-defined warfare and accelerated acquisition promises a revolution in defense capabilities, yet it faces a critical dilemma: ensuring these advanced systems are battle-ready amidst severe cuts to its independent operational testing capabilities. This risks fielding unproven technologies that could fail in combat, highlighting an urgent need to reinvest in a modernized, tech-augmented test enterprise that blends human expertise with emerging tools.

• Speed of Trust: Counterintuitively, cutting testing can slow technology adoption, as commanders hesitate to trust systems with unknown limits and quirks. Rigorous, transparent testing is vital for building confidence in all systems, especially unpredictable AI.
• Reinvestment Needed: To safeguard its digital revolution, the Defense Department must "reinvest in a modernized, tech-augmented test enterprise" that combines new tools with "hard-won human expertise". This requires sustained investment, responsible automation, and preserving remaining expertise.

Ukraine’s milestone shows drones prevent defeat, but don’t secure victory
Patrick Tucker, DefenseOne

Ukraine’s unprecedented deployment of over a million drones showcases rapid technological innovation and agile procurement, a model the U.S. is now emulating to accelerate its own defense capabilities. However, this drone revolution, while preventing defeat, has not secured decisive victory or air superiority, highlighting the enduring necessity of traditional complex platforms alongside emergent, democratized technologies, and the critical future role of AI.

Distributed Logistics and Deterrence
Maj. Christopher M. Salerno, U.S. Army, Military Review

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command must transition from centralized to distributed logistical infrastructure, to effectively deter China and enhance resilience in the region. This strategic shift demands significant investment, robust diplomatic engagement with allies, and careful mitigation of new risks to ensure credible power projection and sustainment in a contested environment.

Industry

Navy Lt. Nicholas Swanda, left, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Norman Williams inspect pressure valves in the torpedo room of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Alaska, July 24, 2018. Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs are helping to fill gaps in declining domestic manufacturing capabilities and parts obsolescence that threaten the sustainability of aging weapons systems like Ohio-class submarines. Photo credit: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Eli Buguey

Major changes to SBIR program debated as reauthorization deadline nears
Jason Miller, Federal News Network

In the lead-up to it reauthorization deadline on September 30, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is caught in a legislative tug-of-war between those advocating for significant modernization and those defending its long-standing success.

• Reform Push: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the INNOVATE Act, seeking to transform the 43-year-old SBIR program to align with 21st-century research and development. Ernst's office claims that the bill ensures funds go to the "best and brightest" developing technology for warfighters and prevents funding for SBIR "mills" that are gaming the system.
• Defense Concerns: Supporters of the current program, such as the Small Business Technology Council, argue that the INNOVATE Act would harm small businesses and agencies and is trying to solve problems that are not widespread. They believe it promotes pushes the program toward a venture capital-like investment model, which they contend is unsuitable for early-stage innovation.

Navy’s MIB Program Celebrates Year of Focused Effort to Strengthen Maritime Industrial Capability and Capacity
Maritime Industrial Base Program Staff, US Navy

The U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program marked its first anniversary, showcasing significant progress in strengthening America's shipbuilding and repair capacity to meet critical fleet expansion demands. Through integrated efforts in advanced manufacturing, supplier development, and workforce training, the program is revitalizing the industrial base to build and sustain the fleet the nation needs.

• Modern Production: The MIB Program transitioned advanced manufacturing to the fleet, saving 30-45 days of dry dock maintenance on USS Virginia and installing 11 program-funded 3D printers on ships and overseas facilities for onboard repair.
• Skilled Workforce: Workforce initiatives celebrated 5,775 new hires on National Signing Day across more than 450 employers, contributing to over 10,000 maritime industrial base job placements since the program's inception.
• Expanded Capacity: Since Fiscal Year 2018, nearly 800 projects across 39 states have increased supplier capacity by over 2.5 times, including a 400 percent boost in torpedo production at L3 Harris.

Research

Sailors and Boeing team members prepare to move an unmanned MQ-25 Stingray aircraft into the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 30, 2021. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Noah J. Eidson.

Accelerating Capability to the Fleet: Rapid Fielding of Small Unmanned Surface Vehicles 
John Phillips, Colorado State

This dissertation outlines a novel framework designed to accelerate the fielding of new capabilities to the Fleet, particularly in robotics and autonomous systems, demonstrating its effectiveness through a case study focused on rapidly fielding small Unmanned Surface Vehicles (sUSVs) to the US Pacific Fleet between 2022 and 2025.

Defense Software for a Contested Future: Agility, Assurance, and Incentives
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Prompted by a request from DARPA, this report addresses the need for secure, reliable, and agile defense software. It provides recommendations for the Department of Defense to enhance software engineering and management, specifically to mitigate cyber risk and allow for rapid system evolution to meet evolving mission requirements.

ICBM Modernization: Air Force Actions Needed to Expeditiously Address Critical Risks to Sentinel Transition
Government Accountability Office

This GAO report calls for urgent Air Force actions to address significant challenges and risks in the complex transition from the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system to the new Sentinel system. The report emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive planning, particularly a robust risk management framework, to ensure a successful and timely modernization effort.

Other Transaction Agreements: Improved Contracting Data Would Help DOD Assess Effectiveness
Government Accountability Office

While Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) provide DOD with flexibility for prototype development and attract new contractors, the absence of systematic tracking for how prototype OTAs transition into standard production contracts prevents a full assessment of their effectiveness in delivering warfighter capabilities.

Events

2025 Undersea Warfare Fall Conference
National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)
15-17 September 2025
Groton, CT

Fleet Maintenance and Modernization Symposium (FMMS) 2025
American Society of Naval Engineers
23-25 September 2025
San Diego, CA

28th Annual Systems & Mission Engineering Conference
National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)
Tampa, FL
27-30 October 2025

USSOCOM Innovation Foundry
SOFWERX
28-30 October 2025
Chantilly, VA

CALL FOR PAPERS & PANELS: Accelerating Warfighting Capabilities
Naval Postgraduate School's 23rd Annual Acquisition Research Symposium and Innovation Summit
DUE: 18 November 2025

I/ITSEC 2025: Optimizing Training: Ensuring Operational Dominance
National Training & Simulation Association (NTSA)
1-4 December 2025
Orlando, FL

CCM Institute Academic Symposium 2025
Commerce & Contract Management Institute
2-4 December 2025
Virtual

Creative Disruptors in the Desert
Creative Defense Foundation
20-21 February 2025
La Quinta, CA

One more thing...

Admiral Chester Nimitz signs as Supreme Allied Commander during formal surrender ceremonies on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. September 2, 1945. Directly behind him are (left-to-right): General of the Army Douglas MacArthur; Admiral William Halsey, USN, and Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman, USN. US Navy Photo.

How Fleet Admiral Nimitz Safeguarded Officer Education
NPS Public Affairs

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is known for his leadership in the Pacific theater during Word War II -- as well as for signing Japan's formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in 1945. He is less known for his foresight in championing advanced officer education.

• Educational Foresight: In 1939, Nimitz prevented the planned closure of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Naval War College. With the outbreak of war in Europe, the student populated dropped by 60% as officers were sent to duty posts at sea. Horrified, Nimitz reversed the closure plans and expanded classes to ensure officers were prepared for war. By 1941, the student population had tripled.
• Post-war Relocation: After World War II, as Chief of Naval Operations, Nimitz championed the relocation of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) to Monterey, California, to ensure that future naval officers would receive the advanced technical education critical for modern warfare.
• Enduring Model: Nimitz's emphasis on education, science, and research established an enduring model for how NPS supports the fleet - not only with officer training, but by developing new technologies and operational concepts that continue to inform and shape today's Navy.

Maureen Lauder, PhD, Communications Manager
Karey Shaffer, MBA, Program Manager
Acquisition Research Program
Naval Postgraduate School
e: ARPEditor@nps.edu 

Note: Article summaries were generated with the help of AI tools.

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