Samuel Press
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An Analytical Dispatch from Samuel Press – Washington, D.C.
In a narrowly divided 51–46 vote, the United States Senate this week confirmed Michael Duffey as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)). This decision—while framed as a procedural milestone—marks a deeper inflection point in the strategic architecture of U.S. defense procurement, capability development, and industrial base policy. With this confirmation, Washington sends a clear signal: the United States intends to realign its acquisition priorities around resilience, speed, and strategic competition.
Duffey, a seasoned insider with roles in the Office of Management and Budget and the Pentagon’s research and engineering enterprise during the Trump administration, enters the post at a time when the Department of Defense faces simultaneous pressures: geopolitical instability, aging force structures, emergent threats from AI and cyber warfare, and increasing demands for fiscal accountability.
Duffey’s stated priorities during his confirmation process were not subtle. He outlined an intent to:
These are not simply managerial goals—they reflect a policy doctrine that recognizes acquisition and sustainment as force multipliers in long-term strategic competition with adversaries like China and Russia. In essence, Duffey is poised to treat acquisition reform not as bureaucratic housekeeping but as a tool of strategic deterrence.
His emphasis on accelerating modular open system architectures, leveraging Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), and scaling public-private investment flows into defense R&D all point to a Pentagon posture that is moving away from legacy platforms toward adaptable, software-intensive, and rapidly scalable capabilities.
For the United States, this confirmation reinforces a bipartisan consensus—albeit fragile—around the urgent need to reconfigure defense industrial policy for the 21st century. Under Duffey’s watch, expect a renewed push to:
These shifts come as the Defense Innovation Unit, National Security Innovation Capital, and other Pentagon-adjacent entities seek to close the gap between Silicon Valley and Arlington. Duffey’s proximity to Emil Michael—now serving as USD(R&E)—will be key in achieving the necessary cultural shift inside the Pentagon to embrace entrepreneurial agility without compromising security and accountability.
The implications extend beyond U.S. borders. For allied nations, especially Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and members of NATO’s industrial base, Duffey’s confirmation is a clear invitation to synchronize acquisition and sustainment practices with U.S. modernization priorities.
Canada, in particular, should take note. The emphasis on modular systems, cybersecurity compliance, and industrial repatriation dovetails with Canada’s ongoing defense procurement reform agenda. For Canadian firms supplying high-tech components, dual-use software, or secure platforms, alignment with Duffey’s direction could open new corridors into U.S. defense markets—provided they navigate the emerging regulatory and security thresholds.
At the same time, Duffey’s agenda poses challenges. Allies with deep trade integration into the U.S. defense ecosystem will be under increased pressure to demonstrate their own supply chain security, invest in CMMC-aligned cybersecurity, and adopt MOSA/AAF frameworks to remain interoperable with U.S. forces and programs.
The return of Duffey to a senior Pentagon role underscores Washington’s strategic recalibration of defense acquisition as both a domestic reform priority and a cornerstone of alliance management. His background in budget policy and engineering coordination uniquely positions him to drive both fiscal discipline and technical ambition across the Department.
More broadly, this week’s confirmation represents a moment of clarity amid growing global uncertainty: America is no longer content with Cold War-era procurement models. In today’s environment, acquisition reform is national security strategy. And those who can adapt—both at home and among allies—will find themselves shaping the next generation of defense readiness.
From Pennsylvania Avenue, we will continue to monitor this unfolding agenda closely.
