PRODUCT SUPPORT
lenges have faced the PSM and the lo - gistics and Product Support commu - nity supporting our weapon systems. Our systems have become ever more sophisticated while our adversaries have advanced in technology, force structure, and tactics. Conflicts have simultaneously erupted across the globe, and our weapon systems—due to continuous, in-service positioning and operation over the last two de - cades—require updates or replace - ment. It is imperative that our PSS and accompanying solutions address these challenges in delivering and maintaining effective and affordable Product Support. To address these challenges, stat - ute, policy, and guidance for Product Support have evolved to keep pace. Over the past 15 years, Product Sup - port also has evolved as much as, if not more than, any other functional part of the acquisition and sustain - ment processes in DoW. Public Law 111-84, Section 805, formally estab - lished the PSM position that is de - fined in 10 U.S.C. § 4324. The statute lists PSM duties and responsibilities, and these have increased in almost every year since inception. The DoW emphasized the importance of Prod - uct Support by issuing DoD Instruc - tion 5000.91, dedicated to Product Support and integrating existing and emerging product support strate - gies into the Adaptative Acquisition Framework’s six unique pathways for program management. Eliminating failed or non-value- added requirements, redundancies, and inefficiencies in Product Support strategies has been a noteworthy and ongoing effort, with the results re - flected in new or updated statute and policy. Numerous guidebooks addressing Product Support, Supply Chain, Public Private Partnerships, Performance Based Logistics, Product Support Business Case Analysis, and more were released and subsequently updated as needed. Training for life cycle logisticians and the broader Lo - gistics community was revamped to
provide needed skills to meet today’s demands while optimizing the mix of formal and practical training. This issue of Defense Acquisition magazine includes articles from se - nior leaders and subject matter ex - perts addressing challenges and responses across the sustainment domain. Articles are included on the needs of the Warfighter from the Joint Chiefs of Staff/J4 perspective and the Services’ approach to meeting these needs. One article discusses the PSM’s ap - proach to Product Support solutions and another provides an engineer - ing view of the importance of PSM and engineering collaboration on laying the foundations for battlefield readiness. Other articles from senior leaders and subject matter experts in - clude Readiness by Design; Sustain - ment Health Metrics; Digital Product Support; and PSM and logistics work - force. These provide a wealth of infor - mation, and the reader is encouraged to diligently read them all. Product Support planning and ex - ecution are vital to the overall health of the DoW’s systems, subsystems, and components supporting War- fighter readiness! SMITH is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Product Support and Principal Advi- sor to the Office of the Secretary of War leadership on readiness and sustainability of major weapon systems. She is responsible for developing and implementing acquisition and sustainment strategies and processes that provide Warfighters with cost-effective weapon systems readiness across the life cycle. Smith also coordinates and synchro- nizes the international and partner engage- ments of the Assistant Secretary of War for Sustainment and manages the DoW life cycle logistics and logistics workforce. She assumed her current position in April 2021 and has more than 40 years of logistics, acquisition, and supply chain experience in the department. The author can be contacted at Lisa.p.smith14.civ@mail.mil . R eproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
- - Eliminating failed or non value added requirements, redundancies, and inefciencies in Product Support strategies has been a noteworthy and ongoing efort, with the results refected in new or updated statute and policy.
Since publication of the earlier Product Support-focused issue of this magazine, increasingly complex chal -
JANUARY FEBRUARY 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 9 –
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