Acquisition Reform, Speed, and Scaling Innovation for Modern Warfare

As modern conflict continues to evolve at pace, the ability to rapidly develop, scale, and deploy capability has become a defining factor in operational success. Lessons emerging from the Russo-Ukrainian war - particularly around drones, electronic warfare, contested logistics, and decentralised decision-making - are forcing militaries to rethink not only how they fight, but how they acquire and integrate new technologies. At the centre of this transformation is a fundamental shift in acquisition philosophy: away from slow, bespoke, and risk-averse processes, and towards agile, iterative, and commercially aligned innovation models.

In this interview, Dr Matthew P. Willis, Director of Army FUZE at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)), outlines how the U.S. Army is operationalising this shift. From adopting a venture capital mindset to accelerating timelines from years to weeks, he explains how Army FUZE is reshaping the pathway from prototype to fielded capability. He also addresses the critical role of small businesses, the importance of scaling industrial capacity, and why collaboration with allies and commercial partners is essential to maintaining operational advantage in a multi-domain battlespace.