US Defense Department Announces Comprehensive Overhaul of Weapons Procurement Procedures: "Improving the Slow Acquisition System"

Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense, is answering questions from the press during a joint press conference held on the afternoon of the 4th at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, after concluding the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the United States. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The United States Department of Defense has announced a sweeping overhaul of its weapons acquisition system, significantly streamlining the procedures for procuring arms. This measure is intended to help the U.S. military secure advanced technologies more rapidly amid escalating global security threats.

According to Yonhap News and other foreign media outlets on November 8, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated in a speech at the National War College in Washington, D.C., that the Department of Defense Acquisition System (DAS) will be completely restructured in accordance with the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April.

This reform is a fundamental overhaul of the existing weapons procurement system, which has been criticized even within the Department of Defense as being "unacceptably slow."

The Department of Defense diagnosed that the pace of fielding new technologies has been hampered by dispersed responsibilities and an inefficient incentive structure.

To address this, the Department is introducing a new position, the "Portfolio Acquisition Executive," who will have direct authority to manage key weapons programs, aiming to reduce bureaucracy.

Under the new acquisition framework, there will be a streamlined chain of command consisting of the program manager, the portfolio acquisition executive, and the chief acquisition officer (CAO) of each military branch, with all intermediate approval processes eliminated.

Additionally, the weapons procurement process will shift to prioritize commercial off-the-shelf products, and the bidding process will be simplified accordingly.

A time-based incentive system will also be implemented, offering rewards for early deliveries and imposing penalties for delays.

The reform plan stipulates that for major components of core weapons programs, at least two qualified suppliers must be secured at the initial production stage.

Following the revamp of its software procurement process earlier this year, the Department of Defense is accelerating the pace of defense innovation by now streamlining weapons acquisition procedures as well.

The event was attended not only by established defense giants such as RTX and L3Harris, but also by emerging companies, including defense technology startup Govini, maritime drone manufacturer Saronic, and electronic warfare specialist Epirus.

At the event, Secretary Hegseth stated, "Those who join us in this transformation will have tremendous opportunities for growth, and you will be the ones to reap the benefits."