The U.S. Army is on the brink of a significant transformation in its acquisition processes, according to Secretary Dan Driscoll. Speaking at the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, Driscoll emphasized that the changes, expected to be unveiled in just weeks, aim to ‘completely disrupt’ the existing bureaucratic framework.
Driscoll criticized the current system, asserting that it has failed for decades to provide soldiers with the necessary tools and capabilities. He highlighted the slow and costly nature of the existing structure, which relies on program executive officers to manage portfolios of equipment and capabilities.
‘Our acquisitions enterprise is more complicated than it should be,’ he stated. ‘That’s getting in the way of empowering soldiers. So we will combine it all under a single organization that reports directly to senior Army leadership.’
The approach, according to Driscoll, is aimed at achieving a faster and more efficient process to equip soldiers without the prolonged waiting periods that have become the norm. He expressed intentions to redefine acquisition metrics from years and billions of dollars to months and thousands of dollars, focused on cutting red tape.
‘We want to ensure the capabilities you use at work are equal or better than the ones you use at home,’ Driscoll added.
In a bid to achieve this transformation, Driscoll is looking to model the Army’s acquisition reforms after successful practices employed by Silicon Valley tech firms. He termed this business model as ‘absolutely ideal’ for the military.
This new initiative is being partially demonstrated through xTechDisrupt, a competition introduced at the AUSA conference. The competition allows small and medium-sized businesses to showcase their technology proposals and compete for prizes of $62,500, which will help them implement their ideas within a remarkably short timeframe of just 30 days.
During the conference, the Army plans to select eight winners, who will then be given the opportunity to test and refine their products in collaboration with soldiers over the following month.
The Secretary revealed that for companies entirely new to working with the Army, the aim is to move from proposal to contract in only 60 to 70 days, while established partners should expect contracts finalized in as little as 10 days, followed by iterative soldier feedback processes within 30 to 45 days.
‘We train like we fight. Acquisition should be no different. We wouldn’t take 10 to 12 months to sign a contract while in a fight,’ Driscoll emphasized, suggesting that the Army’s procurement system must adapt to provide rapid support analogous to battlefield conditions.
The xTechDisrupt competition is part of a broader initiative named Fuze, launched by the Army in September. This initiative aims to consolidate existing innovation programs and make these resources more accessible to small businesses, creating a streamlined connection to funding through mechanisms inspired by private venture capital.
Fuze is designed to identify promising startups, quickly fund them, and deliver minimally viable products to soldiers within an accelerated timeframe of weeks. Driscoll noted that $750 million has been allocated to support this model, with plans to increase the budget to $765 million the following year—marking an impressive increase of over 150% toward funding emerging technology and innovation.
Overall, Driscoll characterized the current moment as an ‘inflection point’ for the Army. He expressed gratitude for the support received from President Donald Trump’s administration, which he claimed provided ‘unprecedented top cover’ to enable necessary reforms.
Directly addressing soldiers, Driscoll acknowledged their sacrifices and frustrations due to past leadership failures. ‘You have been let down,’ he remarked, asserting that the bureaucracy has historically placed soldiers last in priorities for decades.
‘That stops now,’ he affirmed. ‘Everything we’re doing is to empower you, make you more lethal, and give you the tools to dominate battlefields and win wars.’
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