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Beyond the array of documentation is acquisition execution. For any major capability acquisition (Figure 1), the steps include multiple phases and milestones with varying levels of approval authority (DoD, 2021). According to DoD Instruction 5000.85, the process begins with the Materiel Solutions Analysis phase. In this initial phase, a systematic and thorough analysis is conducted to determine a viable concept for the product, capability gaps are translated into system- specific requirements, and a product’s acquisition strategy is planned (DoD, 2021). At the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction Phase, activities may include research and development, prototyping, trade studies, and the development of preliminary designs. A key outcome of this phase is to reach Milestone B, which authorizes entry into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase and formally initiates a program—indicating a significant investment commitment. The EMD phase aims to develop, build, test, and evaluate a materiel solution and verify that all requirements have been met to support production, deployment, and sustainment (DoD, 2021). Activities in the final phase, Production and Deployment, can include personnel training, low-rate initial production, operational test and evaluation, and a full-rate production decision (DoD, 2021). Depending on the size and complexity of the system, the major capability acquisition process can take several years. If an urgent need arises, pathways such as urgent capability acquisition or Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) are available to streamline the process. Both pathways are depicted in Appendix A. MTAs enable rapid development because they are exempt from JCIDS and the DoD 5000 processes and policies.
FIGURE 1. MAJOR CAPABILITY ACQUISITION
MDD
MS B
MS C
IOC FOC
MS A
Major Capability Acquisition
Materiel Solutions Analysis
Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction
Engineering and Manufacturing Development
Operations and Sustainment
Production and Deployment
Note. FOC = Full Operational Capability; IOC = Initial Operational Capability; MDD = Materiel Development Decision; MS = Milestone.
This brief overview sheds light on the fact that acquisition has thousands of simultaneously moving parts. Consequently, its processes, procedures, and policies can contribute to a culture that, in some circumstances, is ripe with inefficiencies or, worse, doomed to fail. The complexity is further exacerbated by incorporating the planning, programming,
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Defense ARJ, Summer 2025, Vol. 32 No. 2: 132—193
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