Changes in the technology and business landscapes and worldwide threats are the driving forces behind the Defense Department realigning the way it does business to support the warfighter, DoD officials say.
For those reasons, DoD's acquisition, technology and logistics organization was restructured Feb. 1 into two organizations: Acquisition and Sustainment, and Research and Engineering, each with an undersecretary.
Ben FitzGerald, director of the Acquisition and Sustainment Office of Strategy and Design, explained the ongoing, two-year process to an American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council seminar of industry members, here, March 27.
With the reorganization aimed at simplifying business, which was mandated by Congress in the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, research and engineering will drive innovation and accelerate the advancement of U.S. warfighting capability, while acquisition and sustainment will deliver proven technology into the hands of the warfighter more quickly and affordably, according to the executive summary of an August report to Congress on the acquisition, technology and logistics reorganization.
Changing Service Authority
“Importantly from an AT&L perspective, we had traditionally had milestone decision authority,” FitzGerald said of the numerous changes the large-scale reorganization brings to DoD. “That has been delegated…
