Rapid Acquisition of Cyber Tools

Pentagon plans for priority weapons to be financed through the use of operational funds over a period of days or months.

The process "leverages previously developed and acquired capabilities as well as nearly mature capabilities that emerge from industry and the S&T community," the report states, noting that this process has limited time for testing execution.

Under this process, the operational community tends to have the development lead, and the funding source will often come from operational funds. "DOD is exploring the use of department-wide program elements to provide funding for rapid development and acquisition of time-critical cyberspace operational capabilities," the report states.

To meet short operational time lines, some management tools or product features, such as planning documents or certain test activities, can be eliminated or held off until after the program is fielded. Efforts may be intended for single use or limited deployment.