Pentagon acquisition, technology, and logistics chief Frank Kendall on Wednesday released a new set of acquisition rules, replacing the 2013 iteration of “5000-series” guidelines that told managers how to build programs. The new guidance lets managers mix and match approaches to find one that best suits the thing they’re trying to buy. In a memo to his acquisition workforce, Kendall said the new rules emphasize “tailoring of program structures, content, and decision points to the product being acquired.” Although there are now several models described in the new guidelines (instead of one), “these … are not alternatives from which a program manager must choose; they serve as examples and starting points” from which mangers can draw inspiration to build their own program, he said.
The B-2 bomber fleet is now using an open mission systems architecture that will accelerate the speed with which it can be equipped with new weapons and cuts software update time from years to weeks.