ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- In direct support of the Secretary of War’s mandate to overhaul the defense acquisition system, the Department of the Air Force is aggressively implementing the new Warfighting Acquisition System. This generational overhaul places the entire acquisition enterprise on a wartime footing, transforming it from a compliance-based process to a dynamic, warfighter-focused model that prioritizes the speed of delivery for credible, combat-effective capabilities.
"This transformation is a generational opportunity for the Department of the Air Force,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. "It enables us to holistically reform our enterprise—from requirements, to acquisition, to test—in order to support the rapid and efficient development of our warfighting capabilities in order to get the operators what they need when they need it.”
This transformation empowers leaders by transitioning from Program Executive Officers (PEOs) to Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs), streamlining decision-making and aligning accountability with mission outcomes. Simultaneously, the department is reforming its oversight structure to enable rapid decisions and expanding partnership opportunities to lower barriers for industry, ensuring the entire enterprise is geared for speed and innovation. These initial actions are the first in a series of deliberate steps to fully implement the Secretary of War's comprehensive Acquisition Transformation Strategy.
"We will ensure that every one of our Portfolio Acquisition Executives, and the teams that support them, has the three things they need to succeed: the authority, the resources, and the talent to execute their mission,” said Meink.
The new approach empowers the acquisition workforce to move beyond legacy processes and make smart trades between cost, schedule, and performance, with the clear mandate to prioritize the warfighter's urgent needs.
Air Force: Forging the Future Force, Faster
"This acquisition transformation is not just about buying things faster; it's a fundamental overhaul of our culture to empower our Airmen, unleash innovation, and deliver the integrated capabilities we need to deter and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries," said William D. Bailey, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics." Leadership is aligned, our stakeholders are aligned, now is the time for bold change."
The Air Force is executing this transformation to empower the workforce, streamline processes, strengthen industry partnerships, and implement integrated portfolio management.
"By redesignating our PEOs as PAEs, we are pushing authority and accountability to the mission level," added Bailey. "We are telling our leaders, 'You own this mission set.' For the Airman on the flight line, this means getting the tools they need before they become obsolete. This move unlocks their expertise, cuts through bureaucracy, and ensures our acquisition enterprise is fully integrated with the warfighter's needs at all times."
Effective immediately, five PEOs represent the first tranche of PAEs, including those overseeing Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM); Fighters and Advanced Aircraft; Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3); Propulsion; and Weapons.
Space Force: Embracing Agility and Industry Speed
The Space Force’s acquisition approach directly embodies the principles of the Warfighting Acquisition System by prioritizing speed, adaptability, and a deep partnership with the private sector to maintain its advantage. This strategy aligns with the Secretary of War's call to maximize the use of industry-driven solutions.
In line with the department-wide transformation, the Space Force has designated its initial tranche of mission areas that will be assigned Portfolio Acquisition Executives. Effective immediately, the first tranche designated mission areas include: Space Access and Space Based Sensing and Targeting. This structural change is designed to empower leaders and integrate portfolios to deliver combat-ready capabilities for the space domain.
"Acquisition is now a warfighting function. We cannot be locked into decade-long development cycles," said Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the Space Force's acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. "Our 'commercial first' approach allows us to harness the incredible innovation happening in the private sector, getting cutting-edge technology into the hands of our Guardians at the speed of a startup, not a bureaucracy. This is how we maintain our edge."
This approach is built on a foundation of "speed with discipline," using iterative development and rapid fielding to get capability into the hands of Guardians faster. "Speed with discipline is our mantra, we continue to empower our acquisition corps to be experts who can manage risk and deliver capability through rapid, iterative cycles. By fielding minimum viable products and learning as we go, we ensure our Guardians have a persistent, evolving advantage against any threat," said Purdy.
This transformation represents a sustained commitment to building a more agile and lethal force, signaling to allies and adversaries alike that the Department is investing in credible, modernized deterrence by ensuring its Airmen and Guardians have what they need, when they need it.