RNDF 2025 — The Pentagon’s top acquisition official recently contended that newly established “program czars” within the Defense Department won’t exacerbate problems with bureaucracy, but have the opposite effect.
“I don’t necessarily see it as layering; I actually think we’re removing layers,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey told reporters on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday.
Over the past few months, details have emerged about Pentagon plans to create several new Director for Major Weapons Program (DPRM) posts to oversee high-profile efforts like Golden Dome, submarines, and one focused on next-gen bomber, fighter and Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems.
The general officers serving in these new roles report directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Steven Feinberg instead of the service leadership of the Air Force and Navy. Though the move created new offices, Duffey argued it actually streamlines the process because each DPRM has a “direct” line up to Feinberg and down to the respective program executive officer and/or program manager.
Take the development of the Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet, he explained. Lt. Gen. Dale White has been tapped to be the DPRM and will report to Feinberg on a day-to-day basis, while also working with the officials leading the program inside the Air Force and the rest of the “governance board” that includes Duffey and the Air Force secretary.
“Anytime we’re meeting on a significant program, the deputy convenes a meeting, and the Secretary of the Air Force is there, and I’m there, and what used to be the program manager, now the DPRM will be there,” Duffey added, while noting that a program manager may also join the meeting sometimes to “review an issue that may be emerging.”
However, when it comes to the Golden Dome DPRM — currently Air Force Gen. Michael Guetlein — that’s an entirely different beast since the initiative is netting together an array of different sensors, launchers and other weapons from across the services to provide a homeland air defense system.
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“Golden Dome, in and of itself, is just a unique animal in terms of the fact that it’s more of an architecture that’s taking constituent systems that already have program managers in the munitions and the space-based capabilities and integrating things,” Duffey added.
Acquisition Reform As ‘A Journey’
Those new DPRM posts are just one part of an evolving plan inside the Pentagon to accelerate weapon development, and it’s now been nearly five weeks since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to a stage officially announcing a comprehensive acquisition overhaul.
“This is definitely going to be a journey of … working across all levels of the department to ensure that we get the right ideas injected, and we provide kind of guidance, training and support to the workforce to ensure they understand how to move forward,” Duffey told reporters.
From his vantage point, he said he’s been “pleasantly surprised” by the support and momentum for the strategy, and the department is moving forward.
For example, he said last week he signed out implementing guidance for the initial framework going forward and building teams around 38 initiatives outlined in the strategy.
Shoring up the munitions base is one task Pentagon leaders are continuing to explore, in part, by inking new multi-year deals designed to help companies justify internal investments in production facility explanation.
“We’ve been paying attention to munitions. I’m optimistic that’ll be an early win for us,” he said. However, he said the department needs continued congressional support for the authorities to ink those deals.
Munitions aside, though, Duffey anticipated finding ways to scale other weapon lines may be a sticking point.
“I’m committed to engaging with the workforce, making sure the message is known that we are going to be establishing new rule sets, or, most likely, peeling that rule sets that we may no longer think are applicable,” he added. “But driving that kind of culture change, of if you see a good idea… don’t ask for permission, just go do it.”
As to how well it’s going, Duffey may be getting a preview today as what was scheduled to be the first acquisition acceleration review. Duffey said he anticipates this to turn into a monthly occurrence where stakeholders identify ways to speed up the delivery of weapons and new tech.