The United States needs a technically cutting-edge Navy and Ma- rine Corps to defend our country, remain the most lethal force in the world, and reestablish deterrence.
Integrated logistics operations are necessary to accelerate and ensure ready and reliable weapons systems can operate in dynamic and increas - ingly contested environments. Es - tablishing a bedrock of sustainment during acquisition and procurement is critical to delivering a reliable and maintainable weapon system that meets key performance parameters (KPPs). Sustainment requirements that support enduring weapon sys - tems must become the foundation of Department of the Navy (DoN) standard operations. The Warfighting Acquisition Sys - tem and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework emphasize sustainment and product support. The focus on supportability of weapons systems and platforms has never been greater in our military’s history. Readiness and availability are the subject of nu - merous studies, audits, and reviews. The Warfighting Acquisition Univer - sity has provided the Integrated Product Support Elements Guidebook as a valuable tool, and the Department of War’s Product Support Manager Guidebook assists program managers (PMs), product support managers (PSMs), sustain - ment engineers, and logisticians in effectively developing an affordable product support strategy that meets the Warfighter’s requirements. Each program’s Life Cycle Sus - tainment Plan documents the plan for integrating the product support elements as the program advances
through its life cycle. The DoN utilizes these and other department-specific plans, tools, and guidebooks to build its sustainment strategies aligned to meet Warfighter requirements de - fined in KPPs. The DoN has no short - age of documentation and planning for successful development, test, and fielding of our programs. The Life Cycle Logistics (LCL) warfighting acquisition workforce is critical to im - plementing and sustaining our Navy and Marine Corps’ ships, aircraft, and ground and support systems. After the DoN LCL Acquisition Work- force Career Guidebook was updated in June 2024, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Sustainment (DASN-S) released the DoN Sustainment Performance Guide and organized the LCL leadership and sustainment technology enterprise approach. These actions baselined our LCL community, established the leadership group among the Navy and Marine Corps acquisition orga - nizations and key stakeholders, and focused attention on meeting sustain - ment performance requirements. The LCL Career Guidebook pres - ents a Career Navigator Framework and Career Development tools that aid and support a successful career path with recommendations for pro - fessional development and career planning. Acknowledging that the LCL workforce experiences varied starting points or career objectives, the LCL Career Guidebook helps
develop and manage knowledge, skills, abilities, attributes, behaviors, and experiences. The LCL Career Guidebook also as - sists supervisors and reporting se - niors with managing, mentoring, and coaching their assigned LCL civilian employees and military members. The Integrated Product Support (IPS) Ele - ments are outlined from a skills and experience vantage point. The 12 IPS Elements can be organized into three logical management groups: Life Cycle Sustainment Manage - ment, Technical Management, and Infrastructure Management. • Life Cycle Sustainment includes Product Support Management; Maintenance Planning and Man - agement; Supply Support; and Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation. • Technical Management includes Design Interface, Sustaining Engi - neering, Technical Data, and Infor - mation Technology Systems Con - tinuous Support. • Infrastructure Management en- compasses Facilities and Infra - U.S. Army High-Altitude Platoon, Extended-Range Sensing and Effects Company, 3rd Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, conducts a joint four high-altitude balloon launch off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, April 22, 2026. Source: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devin Davis
The focus on supportability of weapons systems and platforms has never been greater in our military’s history. Readiness and availability are the subject of numerous studies, audits, and reviews.
MAY – JUNE 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 11
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