The reform marks a fundamental shift away from compliance-driven processes towards a warfighter-first model that prioritises speed, mission outcomes and credible combat power.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the changes amounted to a once-in-a-generation overhaul of how the department develops and fields capability.
“This reform allows us to reshape the entire enterprise – from requirements through acquisition and testing – so we can get operators what they need, when they need it,” Secretary Meink said.
A central feature of the overhaul is the replacement of traditional program executive officers with portfolio acquisition executives, pushing authority and accountability down to the mission level. Oversight structures are also being streamlined, while barriers to industry participation are being lowered to drive speed and innovation.
Secretary Meink said portfolio acquisition executives would be given clear authority, sufficient resources and the right talent to execute their missions, with the explicit mandate to make informed trade-offs between cost, schedule and performance in favour of urgent warfighter needs.
The Air Force has already named the first tranche of portfolio acquisition executives, covering command, control, communications and battle management; fighters and advanced aircraft; nuclear command, control and communications; propulsion and weapons.
William Bailey, performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, said the reform was as much cultural as structural.
“This is not just about buying things faster,” Bailey said. “It’s about empowering airmen, cutting through bureaucracy and delivering capability before it becomes obsolete.”
The Space Force is implementing the same framework, placing acquisition firmly in the warfighting domain and leaning heavily on commercial innovation to maintain its edge. Its first portfolio acquisition executive mission areas will cover space access and space-based sensing and targeting.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration, Major General Stephen Purdy, said long development cycles were no longer acceptable.
“Acquisition is now a warfighting function,” Purdy said. “A commercial-first approach lets us move at the speed of industry, not bureaucracy, while managing risk through rapid, iterative delivery.”
The department said the reforms signal a sustained commitment to building a faster, more lethal and more agile force – ensuring airmen and guardians are equipped for modern conflict and strengthening deterrence in an increasingly contested strategic environment.