Navy official: Pentagon innovation post should have line item focused on rapid acquisition

The new Pentagon post focusing on innovation has the opportunity to oversee rapid acquisition programs for the joint force and should have its own line item in the budget to execute those efforts, according to a Navy official.

Allison Stiller, who is performing the duties of the Navy acquisition executive, said during a Feb. 23 Navy League breakfast in Arlington, VA that the new under secretary of defense for research and engineering position could be an integrator for rapid prototyping and experimentation across the services. The R&E post is one of two new positions created by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act to oversee Pentagon procurement. The act disestablished the position of under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

The new research and development line item may not be reflected in the fiscal year 2018 budget request but it is "vitally important" there is funding for the effort at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level and is not just service specific, Stiller said.

"In the meantime, AT&L is still all together, we're still working with them on programs but nothing has changed at this point," she said. "I guess there could be flexibility if the department decides to go to the new construct before February of 2018."