Acquisition of Software-Defined Hardware-Based Adaptable Systems

Abstract

The increasing importance of software has created an opportunity for the Department of Defense (DoD) to harness innovation through the acquisition and modification of systems that are (1) inherently multifunctional and (2) designed for continuous modification. Examples of these types of systems include radars, electronic warfare pods, and electro-optical sensor suites and are referred to here as adaptable systems. Identifying an acquisition approach to these types of adaptable systems that are software-defined and hardware-intensive is particularly challenging from an acquisition perspective. The optimal timeline for these systems does not fall into typical acquisition phases that discretely differentiate between phases such as research and development and production. The study team at CSIS has examined how the DoD presently acquires these systems and identified potential solutions to overcome the barriers found when adopting adaptable systems, some of which include more agile acquisition processes, open systems architecture, DevOps, flexible funding, development sprints, increased user feedback, and prototyping.