Rebooting Defense Procurement: Executive Order Aims to Accelerate Innovation and Reform the Industrial Base
On April 9, 2025, the White House issued a sweeping Executive Order aimed at spurring innovation in the defense industrial base and accelerating the Department of Defense’s (DoD) acquisition processes. The order reflects a growing urgency to ensure that the United States military can outpace adversaries through rapid, flexible, and commercially driven procurement models. Framed as a response to years of stagnation and bureaucratic inefficiencies, the order signals a top-down mandate for transformative reform.
At the heart of the directive is a clear policy pivot toward “peace through strength,” underpinned by revitalizing how defense capabilities are sourced, developed, and delivered. The President has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the acquisition system within 60 days, emphasizing the use of existing authorities such as Other Transactions Authority (OTA), commercial item procurement, and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework to streamline the delivery of warfighting capabilities. These tools, already authorized by statute but often underused, are being elevated as preferred mechanisms for current and future acquisitions.
The Executive Order also targets the defense acquisition workforce as a critical pillar of reform. Within 120 days, the Secretary of Defense is tasked with producing a plan to restructure workforce training, performance metrics, and staffing levels. The aim is to reward risk-taking, enable commercial solution adoption, and deliver iterative capabilities responsive to end-user needs. In a notable shift, field training teams will be deployed across the services, modeled after congressional directives, to support real-time adoption of innovative procurement strategies.
Moreover, the order mandates a comprehensive review of all Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs). Programs that are over-budget, behind schedule, or misaligned with national priorities may face cancellation. This reinforces the administration’s resolve to scrutinize costly legacy programs in favor of agile and responsive systems that align with national defense strategies. The results of this review, including performance data and potential cancellations, will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget to guide future budget decisions.
Additionally, the order requires the streamlining of internal DoD regulations that hinder acquisition speed. Under the “ten-for-one” rule—borrowed from a January 2025 deregulation order—any new regulation must be offset by the elimination of ten others. This deregulatory stance is intended to slash red tape and promote the lean governance necessary for rapid innovation.
In concert with a 180-day review of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, this Executive Order underscores a commitment to re-engineer not only the tools and policies of acquisition but also the cultural and institutional practices that have impeded modernization. If implemented as envisioned, these changes could significantly strengthen America’s defense readiness and global technological leadership.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or represent an official interpretation of the Executive Order. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, readers should consult official sources and legal counsel for specific guidance.
