Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform of 2009 - Analysis and Recommendations

Abstract : Acquisition reform efforts to improve how we procure weapon systems have been ongoing since the establishment of large standing defense forces in the United States. These efforts are usually focused on reducing cost, increasing efficiency, and preventing the failure of major programs. For a number of reasons these efforts have generally been met with mixed levels of success. In 2009, Congress once again decided to take action to modify how we develop and procure weapon systems in the Department of Defense (DOD) by passing the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act (WSARA) of 2009. This paper includes an analysis of each section of WSARA and its expected impact on major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs). It also includes an explanation of how future reform efforts should be initiated by each of the services, focusing on the requirements generation process, which is consistently the source of problems in major development programs.