DOD's acquisition, technology and logistics office to get a makeover

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Wednesday it is reorganizing its acquisition, technology and logistics office.

The reorganization, effective February 1, is designed for the acquisition of new weapons and systems more efficiently, encourage partnerships within the Pentagon and with allied nations, and to ensure acquisition processes fulfill the needs of service members now and in the future, Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan told reporters.

A report on the progress of reorganization was submitted to Congress on Tuesday.

The reorganization breaks the office into two entities, each headed by an undersecretary. "One is the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and the other is the undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment," the Pentagon said.

Another major portion of the report upgrades the Pentagon's chief management officer.

"The Department of Defense research, engineering, acquisition and sustainment organizations and processes must be sources of competitive advantage that ensure the warfighting superiority of U.S. forces around the globe," the report said.

According to Shanahan, speed is a key element in research and development. "The way I think about speed is like baseball in the farm system," he said. "You take a certain talent and [see] how quickly can you get it to the big leagues. Our whole system has to be about the same thing."

Baseball doesn't get a phenomenal 17-year-old player and finally get him to the major leagues when he is 45, and neither should the Pentagon, he said.

The acquisition process involves making it easier for companies to do business with the Pentagon, as well as how to help contractors and suppliers do more for less.