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.
Shoppers packed malls and downtown streets in Caracas on Black Friday (28 November) as retailers offered discounts despite Venezuela’s prolonged eco...
The famed Nuremberg Christmas Market opened on Friday (28 November) with its traditional ceremony featuring the Nuremberg Christkind, an angel-like ch...
A joint operation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday resulted in the seizure of more than four...
Peru will declare a state of emergency along its border with Chile, President José Jerí said on Friday, as migrants seek to cross into the country f...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, two U.S. officials told reporters, markin...
The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after what it described as seditious behavior by the former astronaut and decorated veteran.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 1 November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the U.S. military to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in 33 years, minutes before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.Trump made the surprise announcement on Truth Social while aboard his Marine One helicopt
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s plane made an emergency landing in the United Kingdom after a crack appeared in the aircraft’s windshield during his return flight from a NATO meeting in Belgium.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
Netflix crashed on Wednesday for about an hour in the U.S. as it launched season five of "Stranger Things", with the service becoming inaccessible to many subscribers within minutes of the episodes going live at 8 p.m. local time.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
French health experts are warning that the highly pathogenic H5 strain of bird flu, already devastating wild and farm animals, could evolve into a virus capable of human-to-human transmission — potentially sparking a pandemic worse than COVID-19.
Russia’s state communications watchdog said it is tightening restrictions on WhatsApp, claiming the US-owned platform violates Russian law and is being used to facilitate criminal activity, according to comments carried by the Tass news agency.
Russia successfully launched a military satellite into space on Wednesday (November 26) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, marking another milestone in the country's expanding space capabilities.
China's first emergency space launch entered orbit after blasting off on Tuesday, as the country looks to plug safety risks at its crewed space station after a vessel was damaged in orbit earlier this month.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a new federal programme to accelerate American artificial intelligence research and applications.
Audi has unveiled the car that marks its first major step into Formula One. It presented the 2026 challenger at a launch event in Munich attended by drivers, team leaders and senior company executives.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment