Solution vs Action: Transforming Defense Acquisition for Warfighters
By: Mike “Woody” Woodhouse
I have spent years in military operations and acquisition navigating the maze of Pentagon processes to equip warfighters. The word solution in defense acquisition carries a false promise, a perfect system born from capability based assessments that solves every problem. But perfection is a mirage. Chasing flawless solutions leads to billion dollar overruns, years long delays, and warfighters left with outdated tools. The term solution is outdated for complex challenges like these. We need continual action, delivering capability fast, assessing its impact, and adapting to evolving threats. With a strategists eye and a low tolerance for red tape, I am here to explain why defense acquisition must shift from chasing ideals to driving progress.
The Flaws of the Solution Mindset
Capability based assessments aim to define the ultimate system, every threat countered and every variable controlled. The intent is solid, give warfighters the best gear possible. But the reality is different. Overengineered systems bloated with redundancies falter when budgets, supply chains, or threats shift. A 2024 Pentagon report notes major defense programs average 25 percent cost overruns and 18 month delays. These setbacks do not just burn money, they leave warfighters vulnerable as adversaries adapt faster than our timelines.
Imagine a next generation radar designed to track hypersonic threats. The goal is a system that handles every scenario, low altitude intrusions, electronic jamming, even future tech. Years are spent refining specs, costs balloon, then a parts shortage stalls progress. By the time it is fielded the threat has evolved and the solution is a step behind. The solution mindset assumes you can predict and control chaos which is a fantasy in acquisition. It breeds complacency with stakeholders moving on once a system is delivered only for issues to demand costly fixes later.
Action: A Dynamic Way Forward
Complex challenges are not solved with a single stroke, they are addressed through sustained effort. Picture an aircrafts rivets and joints flexing under pressure to keep it aloft. In acquisition we need systems that adapt leveraging connections between technology, teams, and timelines as strengths not flaws to eliminate. Action means fielding capability quickly, learning from real world use, and iterating to stay ahead.
Consider a missile defense program tackling drone swarms. Instead of a years long quest for the perfect interceptor we deploy a modular system in two years covering 80 percent of the threat. Warfighters test it, identify gaps in high altitude performance, and upgrades are rolled out without starting over. That is action, deliver, assess, adapt. Or take a communication network for joint operations. Rather than waiting for a fully integrated platform we field a prototype with flexible software. Units test it in exercises, reveal latency issues, and updates fix them in months. Warfighters get tools that work now with enhancements built on feedback.
This approach mirrors how effective operations evolve, move with what you have, refine as you go, and keep the mission first. Acquisition should do the same prioritizing progress over perfection.
Why Action Outperforms Solutions
The word solution suggests a finish line, a problem fixed and a system delivered. In acquisition this mindset lets teams check out once a contract is signed leaving warfighters to handle systems that do not fully deliver. Action keeps everyone engaged monitoring performance and adapting to change. It encourages innovation turning setbacks into opportunities. When a recent logistics program faced supply chain delays the team used 3D printed parts transforming a hurdle into a step forward.
Modern threats, cyberattacks, autonomous drones, and global supply chain shifts, move too fast for static plans. Action aligns with this reality treating capability delivery as a journey not a destination. A once dominant tech company learned this the hard way clinging to old hardware as software reshaped the market. Acquisition risks a similar fate if it stays wedded to perfect solutions. As a leader who has seen plans unravel and rebuilt them I would bet on adaptability every time.
Making Action Work
Here is a practical roadmap to shift acquisition toward action:
1. Reframe the Goal: Ask What capability can we deliver now not What is the ideal system Focus on immediate impact with plans to evolve.
2. Design for Flexibility: Build modular systems with adaptable components like flexible software interfaces to enable upgrades without full redesigns.
3. Track Real World Impact: Use field tests and warfighter feedback to measure mission success not just spec compliance.
4. Plan for Iteration: Budget and schedule for regular updates treating each as a chance to align with new threats.
5. Collaborate Widely: Work with industry, allies, and warfighters to turn intersections into innovation hubs.
Delivering for Warfighters
Chasing solutions in defense acquisition too often means warfighters wait years for systems that arrive late and over budget. Continual action, delivering capability, assessing its value, and adapting to change, gets tools to the fight faster and keeps them relevant. The strength lies in flexibility embracing the imperfections of complex systems as opportunities to improve.
Let us move beyond solutions and commit to action. Our warfighters need acquisition strategies as dynamic as the battles they fight.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
