By Sam Mehta
President of the Space & Mission Systems and Communications & Spectrum Dominance segments
The momentum to fundamentally transform America’s defense acquisition system has never been stronger. Galvanized by growing threats from peer adversaries and the rapidly changing nature of modern warfare, House and Senate lawmakers spearheaded acquisition reform efforts in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed last December. The NDAA codified many bold and necessary changes proposed by Republican and Democratic leaders on the armed services committees and by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in his Acquisition Transformation Strategy.
The effort to implement these vital reforms has now entered a pivotal stage. To maintain the momentum built last year and reinvigorate the “Arsenal of Freedom” that made America a global superpower in the 20th century, our new 21st-century defense acquisition system must draw upon the strength of our nation’s entire industrial base. This includes commercial technology companies, startups and other “new entrants” – as well as established defense tech companies that bring vital expertise, ingenuity and scale. Every company in our highly interdependent ecosystem will play an essential role in delivering a military capable of deterring and defeating China and Russia.
A key element of recent reform proposals and legislation is to inject more “commerciality” into the system. The hallmark of the American commercial system is free and fair competition. When all companies in the market are allowed to compete under the same set of rules, innovation flourishes and our nation unleashes the full breadth of its technological strength.
