Finding Opportunities in the Adaptive Acquisition Framework

Abstract

For over 4 decades, the Department of Defense (DoD) has pursued Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) reforms to counter rising threats, yet programs like the F-35 and Zumwalt-class destroyers suffer persistent cost overruns, delays, and performance shortfalls. This study analyzes DoD policies, Government Accountability Office and RAND Corporation critiques, and external scholarship to reveal why modularity goals, like the Modular Open Systems Approach, falter despite aims for innovative, adaptable systems with strong lifecycle outcomes. Three flaws persist: requirements obscuring utility across cost, schedule, performance, and lifecycle; centralized contractor structures embedding complexity; and contract scales eroding DoD control. With $183 billion in overruns across 36 programs (GAO, 2023), MCA’s misalignment—contractors favoring profit incentive over warfighter value—demands change. Historical successes inspire a solution: World War II’s (WWII’s) 18,000 firms delivered 297,000 aircraft, showcasing modularity and adaptability. To address MCA’s centralized failures, a distributed acquisition model is proposed, fractionating systems into small teams of up to 150 members. This approach fosters competition, simplicity, and responsiveness, leveraging organizational theory and analytical tools to meet DoD goals. While implementation awaits further study, this shift promises significant savings and operational agility, urging acquisitions professionals to move beyond reform tweaks and embrace a proven alternative rooted in history.