Commercial Economic Analysis

The Commercial Economic Analysis program, as outlined in Program Element (PE) 0304310F, is an Air Force initiative under the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation, specifically within Budget Activity 7: Operational Systems Development. The primary goal of this program is to preserve the Department of the Air Force and Department of Defense (DoD) military advantage by identifying and mitigating commercial and economic risks, while also uncovering opportunities to develop asymmetric advantages. The Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA) leads these efforts, producing in-depth analytical assessments and advanced risk mitigation strategies using commercially available industry, market, and economic information.

A key objective of the program is to support the protection of the National Security Innovation Base, Defense Industrial Base, and the overall industrial competitiveness of the United States. OCEA collaborates with the Headquarters Air Force (HAF), the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF), and other components to establish market-based capabilities. These capabilities are designed to provide aggregate risk insights, develop mitigation strategies, and deliver impact analytic products that inform decision-makers across the Air Force and broader DoD enterprise.

The program funds the continuous assessment of commercially available information to ensure its accuracy, currency, and relevance. This includes the research, development, testing, and evaluation of commercial economic analysis capabilities, systems, tools, data, products, and services. The approach is both disciplined and agile, enabling the development of commercial economic modeling pilots, risk management constructs, decision support tools, and continuous monitoring capabilities. These efforts are tailored to support Air Force sectors and segments of the National Security Innovation Base.

Funding is allocated for data integration and data applications through contracts with commercial vendors. These contracts support the development and integration of modular data architecture and risk management tools. Additionally, hosting services are procured to ensure secure and scalable cloud connectivity for analytic applications.

The acquisition strategy for the program emphasizes competitively awarded contracts, including Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task orders focused on system integration and data architecture. The program leverages Commercial Solutions Openings (CSO) purchase orders to enable rapid procurement of innovative solutions from non-traditional vendors. This approach is intended to maintain flexibility and responsiveness to emerging threats and opportunities in the commercial and economic domains.

Planned activities for upcoming fiscal years include the continuation of existing contracts and purchase orders for modular components and data architecture supporting risk management, risk migration, and non-traditional support capabilities. The program also incorporates cost-saving measures in line with the President's Department of Government Efficiency initiatives, resulting in reduced funding for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, service contracts, and travel. These adjustments reflect a commitment to workforce optimization and cost efficiency while maintaining core program objectives.