Defense Acquisition System (DAS)
Governed by DoDI 5000.02, the DAS is how DoD develops and acquires weapon systems and capabilities.
Traditional Milestone Framework
graph LR MSA[MS A<br>Material Solution Analysis] --> MSB[MS B<br>Engineering & Manufacturing Dev] MSB --> MSC[MS C<br>Production & Deployment] MSC --> FRP[Full Rate Production] FRP --> OS[Operations & Sustainment]
Acquisition Categories (ACATs)
| ACAT | Decision Authority | Dollar Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| ACAT I (MDAP) | USD(A&S) or Service Acq Exec | >525M RDT&E or >3.065B Procurement |
| ACAT II | Component Acquisition Executive | Below ACAT I thresholds |
| ACAT III | Program Executive Officer | Below ACAT II |
Key Roles
- MDA (Milestone Decision Authority) — approves milestone transitions
- PEO (Program Executive Officer) — manages portfolio of programs
- PM (Program Manager) — manages individual program execution
- CAE (Component Acquisition Executive) — Service-level oversight
SOCOM Acquisition
USSOCOM has its own acquisition authority under SOF_AT_L (SOF Acquisition, Technology & Logistics). Key PEOs:
- PEO_SOF_Warrior — Ground systems, warrior equipment
- PEO_Fixed_Wing — Aircraft programs
- PEO_Maritime — Maritime systems
- PEO_ISR_SOF — ISR and intelligence
- PEO_C3BM — C3 and battle management
- PEO_Enterprise — Enterprise IT