Defense Acquisition Policy and Key Development Updates: October 16 – November 15, 2025

Executive Summary

During the specified period, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) – now operating under the Department of War (DoW) nomenclature following recent administrative changes – announced sweeping acquisition reforms aimed at accelerating capability delivery, reducing bureaucracy, and revitalizing the defense industrial base (DIB). Key highlights include Secretary Pete Hegseth's November 7 memorandum and the subsequent Acquisition Transformation Strategy, released on November 10, which emphasizes streamlined processes and empowered program offices. Major contract awards totaled billions, with standout deals including RTX's $698.9 million NASAMS missile contract for Taiwan and General Dynamics Electric Boat's $2.28 billion submarine modification. Legislative activity focused on pending bills, such as the Warrior Right to Repair Act. At the same time, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) updates included inflation adjustments effective October 1 and a "Revolutionary FAR Overhaul" (RFO) scheduled to roll out in November. DIB investments included a $12.7 million Defense Production Act (DPA) award on October 30. Industry days proliferated on SAM.gov, particularly for naval and maintenance programs. Awards through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and AFWERX emphasized AI, quantum sensing, and advanced manufacturing, with limited consortium-specific announcements. Insights from specified sources underscore themes of speed, innovation, and industrial resilience amid a partial government shutdown.

1. Defense Acquisition Policy Memorandums

The period saw unprecedented focus on acquisition reform, driven by Secretary Hegseth's directives to "transform the Defense Acquisition System into the Warfighting Acquisition System." On November 7, Hegseth unveiled a memorandum and strategy to shorten timelines, expand the DIB, and boost competition through streamlined buying practices and greater program office flexibility. This was built on a November 4 draft memo previewing reforms, including a "calculated risk culture" for weapons buying. The full Acquisition Transformation Strategy, published on November 10, outlined near- and mid-term changes, including accelerated investment pathways and OTA consortium surveys. An Executive Order on Modernizing Defense Acquisitions further emphasized revitalizing the DIB for "peace through strength." These align with Army-specific guidance from April 30, 2025, but gained momentum in this window.

2. Major Defense Contract Awards

Contracts valued at $7.5 million or more were announced daily via DoW channels, with cumulative awards from October 1 to November 12 exceeding significant thresholds. Notable awards included:

• RTX (Raytheon): $698.9 million for NASAMS air-defense components to Taiwan, enhancing Indo-Pacific capabilities (announced November, work assigned to RTX Missile Systems).

• General Dynamics Electric Boat: $2.28 billion modification for Virginia-class submarine advance procurement (November).

• iGov Technologies: Position on U.S. Army's $10 billion ITES-4H contract for IT services (November 18 announcement, but positioning within period).

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): $652 million to Lockheed Martin, $9.8 million to Cummins Inc., $25.8 million to the University of Illinois, and $28.3 million to Palantir USG Inc. for various geospatial and tech support (recent, within period).

• BWXT: NNSA contract for defense-related uranium enrichment (November). A six-week partial shutdown delayed some announcements, but nearly $9 billion in contracts were revealed post-reopening, including $876 million for CH-47 Chinooks to Germany and AeroVironment drones. Top federal opportunities for November highlighted construction and sustainment deals.

3. Legislation Related to Defense Acquisition and Contracting

Activity centered on pending reforms amid the deal to end the shutdown, which allocated $19.7 billion for military construction, including carriers, submarines, and stealth bomber facilities. The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) advanced toward mid-December passage, reconciling House and Senate versions with emphasis on acquisition speed. Pending bills included the Warrior Right to Repair Act (introduced November 5), which enables service members to repair equipment, and the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act, which aims to speed delivery. A DoD final rule amended the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) in November, implementing procurement changes. No major bills passed in the window, but experts noted alignment with Hegseth's reforms.

4. Updates to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The RFO initiative dominated, aiming to "restore common sense" by eliminating one-third of commercial clauses, streamlining registration, and rewriting major rules under a presidential Executive Order. Inflation adjustments effective October 1 raised the micro-purchase threshold to $15,000 and simplified acquisition threshold accordingly. GSA's "Refresh #30" mass modification, announced November 5, overhauled schedules with RFO incorporation, effective mid-November. A FAR class deviation (RFO-2025-09) for Part 9 took effect on November 3. Open FAR cases as of October 24 included joint venture past performance considerations.

5. Rebuilding and Investing in the U.S. Defense Industrial Base

Efforts emphasized surge capacity and workforce development. On October 30, DoD awarded $12.7 million in DPA Title III funding to IperionX for scaling titanium production. Analyses highlighted capital markets' role in revival, with U.S. spending at €864 billion in 2024 dwarfing EU levels. NDIA's Vital Signs 2025 report (released during the period) urged DPA investments and the involvement of trusted partners. Articles stressed the need for skilled labor and multi-year demand signals to counter "shrinking" DIB risks. Competition remained healthy, with fewer firms exiting. Hegseth's strategy tied DIB expansion to acquisition speed.

6. Industry Day Announcements on SAM.gov

SAM.gov hosted numerous events, focusing on maintenance, missiles, and prototyping. Key announcements:

• DoD Maintenance Symposium Industry Day (deadline extended to December 14, 2025).

• Navy Modular Missile Industry Day (October 21-22 at Johns Hopkins APL; rescheduled post-shutdown).

• James River IDIQ Dredging (November 18 virtual).

• Albeni Falls Dam Grounds Maintenance (November 18).

• AN/SPY-6(V) Spares and Repairs (November 18 at West Gate Academy).

• USACE Middle East District (October 23, in-person/virtual).

• TSMO Rapid Advanced Prototyping (November 19 at Redstone Arsenal).

• Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) Quarterly (October 16-17 at Charleston Marriott). These events gauged market interest in OTAs and IDIQs, with many tied to consortia such as IWRP.

7. Awards Through DIU, AFWERX, and Consortia

DIU: Focused on AI and contested environments. Obviant received up to $99 million for an AI-powered acquisition platform (November 10). Elsight's Halo platform advanced in Project G.I. for resilient connectivity (November 18). SandboxAQ partnered for quantum magnetic navigation under the Quantum Sensing program (November). Rocket Lab's HASTE launch supported missile defense (November 18). DIU sought manufacturing tech for space supply chains.

AFWERX: SBIR/STTR paused post-October 1 expiration, but ongoing Phase II awards proceeded. Highlights: NKA Bio ($1.25 million for bio tech, November 18); Interlune ($1.25 million for lunar resource tech); ARRIS Composites (thermoplastic manufacturing); Nano Nuclear (advanced nuclear, November); GrayMatter Robotics (robotic finishing, November 1); Ombra (AI-driven SMART system, November 13). SpaceWERX Hyperspace Challenge webinars ran in October.

Consortia: Limited specific awards; focus on OTAs via groups like National Armaments Consortium (NAC), Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC), and System of Systems Consortium (SOSSEC). IWRP (a consortium) hosted its quarterly industry day on October 16-17. NSTXL managed OTAs for innovation, with no new awards detailed. Hegseth's strategy called for OTA consortium surveys. GAO noted tracking gaps in consortia OTAs (September report, but relevant).

8. Insights from Specified Websites

• GovCon Wire: Emphasized CMMC 2.0 enforcement starting November 10, urging compliance for DoD contracts; highlighted RETS IDIQ RFI (November 11) and Air Force's $400 million Morón AB construction RFP (October 29).

• Modern War Institute: October 28 article advocated embedding industry in Army units for rapid iteration, aligning with software acquisition memos.

• War on the Rocks: November pieces critiqued reform sustainability (November 11), urged true industrial enterprise (November 5), and called for autonomy standards (November 10) and warfighter-led AI trust (November 4). Warned of marketing data leaks by new firms (November 13).

• The National Interest: Stressed military dominance for prosperity (November), $19.7 billion construction funding, and DIB integration with commercial tech; noted missile gaps and ICBM modernization debates.

• Defense News: Covered Hegseth's red-tape slashing (November 7), Boeing defense workers' contract ratification ending strike (November 13), and Army's 1 million-drone goal via SkyFoundry (November 7); noted F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia (November 17 announcement).

• Maginative: No relevant defense content identified in searches.

• Breaking Defense: Exclusive on draft memo reforms (November), Army's new Portfolio Acquisition Executives, $9 billion post-shutdown contracts, and Hegseth's speed push (October 31 speech); NDAA reconciliation on track.

• The Free Press: October profiles of Palantir's dual-use tech (chicken nuggets to bin Laden) and Palmer Luckey's AI defense vision; broader debt critiques tied to DoD spending (November 11).