Capability Development
In an environment where rapid change is a fact of life, our current capability development paradigm is inadequate.
Large, complex programs with industrial-era development cycles measured in decades may become obsolete before
they reach full-rate production. The system is cumbersome, as the cost and complexity of these large programs
draw additional layers of oversight and scrutiny. We must begin designing agility into capability development
now. Doing so will require an ever-closer relationship between our Science & Technology (S&T), acquisition, and
requirements disciplines.
A commitment to capitalize on the most promising S&T breakthroughs
will expand the aperture when we consider future capabilities. We must
couple this commitment with a requirements process and acquisition
system that accommodates more frequent “pivot points” – opportunities
to modify or abandon a program during its life cycle – and harnesses rapid
prototyping to reduce resources required to bring a design idea into service.
Such a system will provide the flexibility to address evolving challenges in
multiple ways. At some points, technology will drive the development of
new concepts, and in other cases the reverse may be true. Regardless, the
ability to integrate the best technological advances in stride, and abandon
underperforming elements of a system will accelerate development of the
capabilities we need to maintain our edge into the future.
To the extent that our current policies and regulations can be modified to change the paradigm from large, complex
programs rife with crippling interdependencies to programs with simple, severable components, open architectures,
and more distributed participation, we will enact those changes. We will improve our ability to orchestrate the
development and integration of distinct elements of a capability. The new disciplines required of our Air Force are that
of integrator and synchronizer – directing how and when the elements must fit together. As we increasingly elevate
affordability as a key attribute of future acquisitions, we should look to the commercial industry for insights. The profit
motive that drives the private sector forces increased competition--along with innovative acquisition and development
processes--into business models as a matter of survival. We will carefully evaluate these practices for application in
our procurement processes. By building systems that are capable, affordable, and exportable, we can simultaneously
strengthen our defense capabilities at lower cost and create greater transparency and interoperability with our most
trusted allies and partners. For those areas in which external policies, regulations, or laws restrict this effort, we will
aggressively advocate and pursue the relief required to enable greater agility.