Nearly five years ago, the Defense Department created six acquisition pathways, including the software acquisition pathway designed to streamline and accelerate the development and delivery of software.

The implementation of the policy has been slow, with only around 50 programs across the DoD utilizing the software pathway. The Army, for instance, has only used the pathway for 19 out of its nearly 537 programs.

Despite the slow start, Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the service is already exploring the idea of creating a separate path or a sub-path within the software pathway specifically for artificial intelligence.

“Let’s figure it out. Let’s be creative. Let’s put things together. Let’s put a [Middle Tier of Acquisition pathway] with a software pathway and work with [the Office of the Secretary of Defense]  to get to something faster for AI because as fast as the software pathway is, we need a faster path for algorithms,” said Bang.

“We’re experimenting and feeding and working with them to figure out a subpath that will be the only one right now. Previously, it was the only one with two pathways. This potentially may be three or will inform the subpath, but that’s important.”

The software pathway currently requires programs to reach a minimum viable capability release (MVCR) — or the first version of a functional capability delivered to personnel — within one year.  While the Army aims to release software updates faster—quarterly or even monthly— one year is considered the minimum time for achieving an MVCR.

“If you think about what a minimal viable capability release is, it takes a year to get there. I can train algorithms literally overnight,” said Bang.

“What we’re saying is there’s great utility in a software pathway, but if we use a software pathway for algorithms — overnight is a good example, but some of these can actually take a little bit longer, but still a week. And if we think about that, a week versus an MVCR in a year — the timelines don’t align.”

Bang said the Army is currently working with the office of the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment on whether there should be a subpath within the software pathway specifically for AI. That would allow the Army —and the entire department — to iterate more rapidly and accommodate the faster cycles of development that AI requires.

“Once you make the algorithms, you can extend and retrain them at the edge. You can do inverse learning, and you can do that quickly. And if we’re governed by a year-long MVRC process, we don’t think that’s fast enough to get capabilities out to our soldiers,” said Bang.

Deborah Rosenblum, the acting deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said the software pathway will be the most likely option since it already supports rapid development.

“I do believe it’s likely to be through the software pathway, if only because we’re trying to expedite and move things quickly. And we feel that the way in which the pathway is designed has enough flexibility and agility,” said Rosenblum.

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