The concept of integrated deterrence is a call to action

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 – In a speech earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III called deterrence a cornerstone of defense to ensure American adversaries know the risk of aggression is not is not in line with any conceivable benefit, a key Defense Department official said today.

Gregory M. Kausner, serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, was the keynote speaker at the Common Defense 2021 exhibit this morning.

“By describing a new vision of ‘integrated deterrence’, he [Austin] stated that although it still relies on the same logic, it now covers several areas, ”Kausner said. “The right mix of technology, operational concepts and capabilities – all woven together and networked in a way that is believable, flexible and so formidable that it will give any opponent a break. “

This approach is multi-domain, covers many geographic areas of responsibility, is united with allies and partners and is reinforced by all instruments of national power, he said.

“For those of us in the acquisition and sustainment business, the concept of integrated deterrence is a call to action,” Kausner said.

The DOD must continue to evolve its policies, processes – and, most importantly, its culture – to ensure that the United States and its network of allies and partners remain dominant in the 21st century battlespace, a- he declared.

The goal of DOD acquisition and sustainment is to enable the delivery and maintenance of secure, resilient and preeminent capabilities to the combatant and international partners, Kausner said.

As defense procurement has evolved, today’s geopolitical landscape requires an integrated suite of capabilities to deploy a lethal, resilient, and rapidly adapting joint force, he said.

“The development of such capabilities should be guided by mission engineering – a means of achieving the desired combat effects through defined requirements, guided development and informed investments – to directly link programs to the missions they must accomplish, ”he explained.

“Simply put, the mission architecture is the business model for conducting operations,” he noted. Kausner also added that as the overall mission architecture is informed, the DOD is able to identify critical mission threads and end-to-end tasks needed.

Kausner said the acquisition company must focus the strength of its considerable resources, ingenuity and expertise on the critical links that allow fighters to complete the kill chain.

In recent years, the DOD has started this process with a complete overhaul of its acquisition policies. The result was the Adaptive Acquisition Framework – one of the most transformational changes to defense acquisition in years, he said.

With six distinct pathways, Kausner said the framework allows program teams to tailor their approaches to a specific capacity, making DOD more agile and disciplined to tackle acquisition challenges at the program level.

Kausner said that to ensure a ready workforce, DOD puts in place a comprehensive talent management framework focused on streamlining certification requirements, expanding accreditation opportunities relevant to employment and providing a lifelong learning model. It also means adopting best practices to optimize our performance.

Kausner said DOD is also evolving into a data-centric business, one that uses data at high speed and at scale for operational advantage and increased efficiency.

And while DOD is only scratching the surface, advancing defense acquisition at the enterprise level is imperative, he said. A holistic approach to business acquisition is needed – one that integrates policies and processes at the micro level, but also aligns other key aspects of defense acquisition at the macro level, he said. Explain.

Kausner said that to identify and address interdependencies and critical risks, DOD needs to expand its assessments to include a portfolio of systems. The department adopts integrated acquisitions portfolio reviews to strengthen the synchronization of concepts, requirements, technologies and execution of war programs.

“We are in the midst of a rebalancing from a program-centric approach to a portfolio-based perspective,” he said. “For example, instead of looking at just a specific ammunition, we are focusing more on how this system fits into the larger portfolio of integrated air and missile defense capabilities,” he explained.

Such a perspective allows the DOD not only to see all the dots, but to connect them to directly align decision making with operational needs, Kausner said.

“We can expect adversaries to question our logistical dominance of the homeland at the edge of the battlespace,” he said, adding that the cross-sectional portfolio reviews will highlight the impact of challenged logistics by assessing material shortages, ammunition levels and fuel supply chains. across a range of systems.

“Climate change will also continue to alter our operating environment,” he said. “Going forward, portfolio reviews will assess the effectiveness of our emerging programs and support infrastructure in the face of changing environments. “

Adopting a portfolio perspective will also help create a healthy, vibrant and, most importantly, viable defense industrial base, now and in the future, Kausner said.

BY TERRI MOON CRONK, DOD NEWS