DoD needs more commercially available goods to speed acquisition

With shortages from production down through the supply chain, the Pentagon’s acquisition leadership wants to close the gap by purchasing more commercially available products. To make that work, contracting officers must overcome not just buying issues but budget and planning issues.
Military acquisition professionals speaking at the Acquisition Research Symposium in Monterey, California said Thursday they need better ways to get commercial products, particularly those involving advanced technology, into the hands of service members. Some initiatives are helping move Defense acquisition toward commercial products, but more needs to be done.
“What you’re seeing now are organizations springing up in order to try to fill that gap. Whether that’s AFWERX in the Air Force, or the unmanned task force that the Navy has played with, or the Office of Strategic Capital now trying to make some effort with money seeding,” said Navy Vice Adm. Francis Morley, military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
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