logistics capabilities and the associ- ated sustaining workloads required to support such requirements.” Core Logistics Assessments (CLAs), once required via 10 U.S.C. § 4251 for Milestone A approval and still identi- fied in DoDI 4151.18, are the analyti - cal studies that identify and quantify the core logistics capabilities and associated workloads necessary to support a system over its life cycle. These assessments determine the optimal mix of public (organic de- pot) and private sector (commercial/ industry depot) support to ensure that the government retains “core competencies”—the capabilities re - quired for weapon system mainte- nance and a “backstop” of ready and controlled resources to respond to mobilization, contingency scenarios, and other emergency requirements. Examples include specialized main- tenance skills in complex avionics or nuclear propulsion, sustaining engi- neering, and supply chain manage- ment. These early-stage analyses provide the crucial data foundation upon which all subsequent sustain-
ment planning is built. They inform determinations of technical data re- quirements, maintenance planning, infrastructure requirements, etc., and are designed to prevent overre- liance on a single contractor for the long-term sustainment of a critical platform—a reliance that can lead to spiraling costs and a loss of control over a system’s maintenance and up- grade path. The Gate 7 Sustainment Review serves as the necessary en- forcement mechanism to ensure this “backstop” was programmed, bud- geted and established. As discussed earlier, the follow-on Gate 7 Sustainment Reviews focus primarily on how a program’s LCSP works to meet program materiel and operational availability goals. To sup- port this, the Navy’s April 2022 issu- ance of SECNAVINST 5000.02 includes a comprehensive Enclosure 11 “Life- Cycle Sustainment.” This enclosure moves beyond the traditional gate review by establishing a more holistic and continuous approach to develop- ing and implementing a sustainment strategy throughout a program’s life.
not later than IOC plus four years per Department of Defense Instruction [DoDI] 4151.18), and the level of over - sight on these reviews (SECNAV, OSW, and Congress) is weighty. Both create a firm requirement for program man - agers to consider how they establish the sustainment enterprise that they promise and promote accountability throughout the program’s life cycle, all the way through disposal. The initial Gate 7 Sustainment Re- view highlights where program man- agers have made acquisition and sustainment trade-offs during initial production and fielding. It identi- fies whether a program manager has delivered the mix of organic and contractor support identified at Mile - stone B. Importantly, 10 U.S.C. § 4252 requires that, to achieve Milestone B approval, MDAPs “must have an es- timate of the requirements for core Vistors from the Okinawa Defense Bureau observe a P-8 Poseidon, attached to the “Golden Eagles” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 9, during a brief by Capt. Joseph Parsons, Commander, Fleet Activities Oki- nawa (CFAO), while touring U.S. Navy assets on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 4, 2025. Source: Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Guth
38 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MARCH – APRIL 2026
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