ACQUISITION NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
War Department Boards Merge to Form New Science, Technology and Innovation Board PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has approved a major over- haul of the War Department’s legacy advisory boards, di- recting the merger of the Defense Innovation Board and the Defense Science Board into the new Science and Technol- ogy Innovation Board (STIB), pending formal establishment by the Federal Register. This move continues the transition of the department away from the alphabet‑soup era of inde- cisive overlapping groups that delay results to the American Warfighter. The STIB is built on speed and clarity for rapid resolution to complex national security problems. (Read more) DoW-Funded Manufacturing Skills Training Hits 1,000th Graduate Milestone PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE The DoW has announced its Accelerated Training in De- fense Manufacturing (ATDM) project in Danville, Virginia, recently graduated its 1,000th student on July 31, 2025. This announcement was delayed due to the government shut- down. The ATDM project, funded with $104 million through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment pro- gram, prepares adult learners for defense manufacturing careers in just four months. (Read more) Department of War Announces $1 Billion Direct-to-Supplier Investment to Secure the U.S. Solid Rocket Motor Supply Chain PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE The DoW, working in partnership with L3Harris Technolo- gies, has announced the signing of a letter of intent out- lining agreed-upon investment terms pivotal to expanding the production capacity of U.S. solid rocket motors. The announcement marks the first direct-to-supplier partner - ship of this kind, with the DoW committing to a $1 billion convertible preferred equity investment in L3Harris’ Missile Solutions business, which will become a separate company
The War Department Overhauls Innovation Ecosystem to Accelerate Technology to the American Warfighter PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE The DoW has announced a transformative realignment of its innovation ecosystem under the leadership of Un- der Secretary of War for Research and Engineering/Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael. This overhaul replaces a historically fragmented system with a more unified and fast- paced innovation enterprise built to deliver technology to the Warfighter with greater urgency. Commercial innova - tion demands clarity and speed, not long delays or uncer- tainty. This realignment is designed to push technology to the Warfighter through faster decisions and a more focused innovation enterprise. (Read more) The War Department Strengthens Measures to Protect DoW‑Funded Research PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael has announced new actions to protect DoW-funded research from malign foreign influence, intellectual prop - erty theft, and other forms of exploitation that threaten the security and economic interests of the United States. The Fundamental Research Security Initiatives and Implemen- tation memorandum reflects the department’s commit - ment to strong research security and close alignment with congressional oversight efforts, including the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, House and Senate Ap- propriations Committees, and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. (Read more) DoW Establishes New Acquisition Model to More than Triple PAC-3 MSE Production in Partnership With Lockheed Martin PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE The DoW, working in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has announced the signing of a landmark framework agree- ment that establishes a transformative new acquisition model to expand munitions production and procurement— one that delivers long-term demand certainty, incentiviz- ing industrial investment to increase production, cut lead times, drive supply chain management efficiencies, while reducing upfront government facilitization and capacity investments. (Read more)
as part of this transaction. (Read more) War Department Launches AI Acceleration Strategy to Secure American Military AI Dominance PENTAGON NEWS RELEASE
The DoW has launched a transformative Artificial Intel- ligence Acceleration Strategy that will extend our lead in military AI deployment and establish the United States as the world’s undisputed AI-enabled fighting force. Mandated by President Trump, this acceleration strategy will unleash experimentation, eliminate legacy bureaucratic blockers, and integrate the bleeding edge of frontier AI capabilities across every mission area to usher in an unprecedented era of American military AI dominance. (Read more)
64 DEFENSE ACQUISITION ONLINE | MARCH – APRIL 2026
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