The U.S. Department of Defense is overhauling its software acquisition strategy to open the door wider to commercial and nontraditional software providers.
The memo, part of a series of Pentagon directives aimed at transforming how the department acquires both weapons and support systems, calls for the adoption of the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) as the preferred route for all software development components. “It effectively is streamlining the access of those nontraditional commercials so that they can play in the game, that the defense primes are also playing in,” a defense official explained on a call with reporters.
Under the new directive, the DoD will pursue contracting strategies that favor commercial solutions over the traditional hardware-centric and cost-plus contract models. This shift is seen as essential for keeping pace with rapid commercial technology advancements and ensuring faster delivery and iterative improvement of software used in military operations.
Smaller companies, such as Second Front Systems, have made strides in entering Pentagon projects but have long struggled to break through barriers dominated by larger defense primes like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems, told Reuters, “Moving away from building custom software using cost-plus style contracts and towards procuring solutions puts better capabilities in the hands of our warfighters.”
To ensure a swift transition, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, has been tasked with developing an implementation plan within 30 days. The directive reflects the DoD’s commitment to adapting to the reality of software-defined warfare and improving its procurement processes to leverage commercial capabilities effectively.
U.S. federal prosecutors have charged six people over an alleged scheme that arranged hundreds of fraudulent ma...
Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a new defence industry agreement in Doha, bringing existing military projects under a share...
Georgia's Constitutional Court has begun hearing a landmark case that could see five opposition parties banned following a legal challenge by t...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, with discussions focused on the war in Ukraine and the prospects for progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
French authorities imposed local curfews in parts of Paris, Lille and Nice on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting linked to nationwide anti-government protests, as the government faced mounting criticism over security failures.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the technology landscape, fueling new cybersecurity threats, intensifying the battle for AI chips and raising questions about safety. From autonomous hacking to SpaceX’s mobile ambitions, here are five key developments shaping the industry.
Japan has launched an uncrewed spacecraft on a mission to collect the first-ever samples from one of Mars’s moons and bring them back to Earth, in a bid to uncover clues about the origins of the solar system.
Satellite restrictions affecting Ukraine's military have put SpaceX's Starshield network under scrutiny, raising questions about who controls the technology and who can restrict its use during wartime.
More than three centuries after the dodo disappeared from Mauritius, efforts to bring the iconic bird back from extinction are taking a new step forward.
Hackers forced the temperature of fridges and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets up to 50 degrees Celsius overnight, causing fires and food losses in what the Paris Prosecutor’s Office described as a “large-scale” attack.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment