Pentagon gearing up to train personnel on new ‘default’ software buying approach

Pentagon leaders will soon supply training materials and resources designed for acquisition officials at every level to help guide their implementation of Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new direction to speed up and standardize how the department buys software, DefenseScoop has learned. 

Hegseth issued a memorandum last week mandating all Defense Department components to use the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) — initially rolled out under the first Trump administration — when purchasing software that supports business and weapon system programs. The new directive also calls on DOD personnel to prioritize commercial solutions opening and Other Transaction authority as the default solicitation and award options when procuring these types of technologies.

DefenseScoop viewed an internal unclassified email delivered to senior department and military leaders on Tuesday that further emphasized the strategic imperative of the new SWP instruction. 

“The operational landscape is changing rapidly. Our adversaries are leveraging technology to adapt at unprecedented speed. We must do the same,” wrote Robert Salesses, the official performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, who penned the email.

“To ensure success, we will provide the necessary training, resources, and guidance to acquisition professionals at all levels. I encourage active engagement between leadership and acquisition teams to understand how this shift affects your respective missions,” Salesses wrote. 

Detailed timelines for the delivery of those support materials were not shared in the correspondence. However, Hegseth stated in his March 6 memo that the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, in coordination with the Defense Innovation Unit chief, would develop and submit an implementation plan for his directive “within 30 calendar days.”

“By delivering secure, scalable software capabilities at the speed of relevance, we will enhance lethality, readiness, and adaptability across the force,” Salesses wrote in the email.