Michael Duffey, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, is taking center stage to outline the future of military procurement. As the keynote speaker for the upcoming 2026 Defense R&D Summit, Duffey will provide critical insights into how the Department of War is restructuring its approach to accelerating defense acquisition. His address comes at a pivotal moment as the agency shifts away from traditional bureaucratic hurdles toward a model centered on speed, accountability, and industrial resilience.
Redefining Procurement for Modern Threats
The current global security landscape demands a departure from slow-moving legacy processes. Duffey has consistently argued that future conflicts will be decided on the factory floor just as much as on the battlefield. To meet this challenge, the Department of War is implementing a sweeping overhaul that replaces traditional program executive offices with empowered portfolio acquisition executives. This structural change aims at accelerating defense acquisition by embedding contracting officers directly with program teams and allowing for more flexible funding allocations.
Strengthening the Industrial Base
A core tenet of Duffey’s strategy is the cultivation of a more robust and diverse defense industrial base. He emphasizes the need to eliminate barriers that discourage private capital and prevent nontraditional vendors from entering the market. By leveraging rapid fielding pathways and multiyear procurement authorities, the department seeks to provide industry partners with the stability needed to scale production. Duffey’s focus remains on ensuring that American ingenuity translates into ready combat power at a pace that preserves a decisive strategic edge.
Balancing Speed with Performance
While the “need for speed” is a top priority, Duffey maintains that it must be balanced with cost and performance. The department is now prioritizing “schedule, performance, and cost”—in that order—to signal a cultural shift in how programs are managed. By utilizing digital engineering and advanced analytics, the acquisition workforce can reduce cycle times without sacrificing the quality of the systems delivered to the joint force. This disciplined yet rapid approach is essential for accelerating defense acquisition and ensuring that mission-critical technologies reach the hands of operators when they need them most.
