Acquisition and Management Support

PE 0702806F: Acquisition and Management Support is a newly initiated Air Force program element under Budget Activity 6 (RDT&E Management Support), designed to strengthen the Air Force's acquisition infrastructure and technical workforce. The primary goal of this program is to meet requirements set forth by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), as well as mandates from Congress, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), and the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF). The program funds efforts to provide program management execution tools, systems integration, architectural analysis, information technology infrastructure development, and technical workforce management. These activities are essential for modernizing and stabilizing Air Force acquisition processes.

Acquisition Mandates funding supports compliance with Congressional, SECDEF, and SECAF directives. This includes providing the framework for Air Force business and acquisition transformation, developing capabilities-based architectures, re-engineering and enabling technologies, and integrating robust systems engineering into early acquisition processes. The objective is to improve acquisition process analysis, develop and manage a technical workforce, and uniformly implement Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Air Force engineering guidance and policies. These efforts are intended to reverse trends of unpredictable program cost, schedule, and performance. This enables rapid response to urgent operational needs across the spectrum of potential conflicts.

Acquisition Management in Support of PEO Business Enterprise Systems funds network operations and IT services at key Air Force locations and supports enterprise-level help desks and advisory services. These activities are aligned with the SECAF and SAF/AQ vision within the Program Executive Office for Business Enterprise Systems (PEO BES). The objective is to ensure reliable IT infrastructure and operational support for acquisition management, thereby facilitating efficient execution of business enterprise systems and supporting the broader acquisition mission.

Technical and Analytical Support focuses on integrating acquisition business systems, services, data, and processes at the enterprise level through Acquisition Domain Capabilities Integration (ADCI) activities. The program aims to architect an integrated environment across multiple hosting platforms, reduce system redundancy, improve operations, and enhance data management for greater transparency and efficiency. This line also supports standards for data management, service-oriented design, and business intelligence services. Additionally, it funds pilot projects and experimentation in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), business analytics, performance measures, and predictive analytics to support acquisition decision-making and workforce training.

Project Management Resource Tools (PMRT) provides upgrades to enterprise tools that support program and project resource management for the acquisition community. Objectives include enhancing visibility into programmatic and financial information for all Air Force acquisition investment programs, expanding PMRT interfaces via the Acquisition Data Service Broker (ADSB), and incorporating AI, ML, and predictive analysis capabilities. The program transitions PMRT into sustainment, reflecting a decrease in funding as major development activities conclude.

USAF Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at MIT is a research initiative aimed at establishing an end-to-end, sustainable ecosystem for AI technology development, from basic research to operational prototypes. The program supports integrated teams of MIT researchers and Air Force personnel in tackling specific AI challenge problems, inviting academic and commercial solutions. Key activities include research in autonomy, rapid disaster response, language learning, synthetic aperture radar, training optimization, navigation, spectral awareness, enterprise optimization, AI education, and space domain awareness. The objective is to accelerate delivery of AI warfighting capabilities and strengthen the Air Force's AI ecosystem in alignment with national defense strategies and DoD directives.

Great Power Competition funding supports the establishment of an enterprise decision-making forum to optimize product support and resource allocation for the warfighter. The program designates the Enterprise Product Support Center of Excellence as the leader for sustainment and modernization at the system and product support manager level. Objectives include continuous enterprise planning for sustainment, elevating technical data rights strategy decisions, providing policy guidance, and training program managers and support managers in sustainment metrics. The program also expands workforce development initiatives, including partnerships with the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC), to enhance sustainment and modernization capabilities in response to strategic competition.