Impact of the Hae Uav Actd’s Innovative Acquisition Strategy

Critics of the ACTD construct, particularly in Congress, note that ACTDs provide a mechanism for initiating system development without all the normal approvals usually applied to MDAPs. Critics of OTA use believe that government interests are not adequately protected under the more relaxed management processes inherent in OTA implementation, maintaining that such processes bypass many of the traditional checks and balances of the acquisition process. Additionally, if an ACTD were not a formal acquisition program but would eventually transition into one, questions remain regarding how issues of funding, requirements, and integration into operational use should be addressed. These issues persist seven years after the beginning of the HAE UAV ACTD. Two issues in particular have yet to be resolved: the relationship of an ACTD program to the traditional acquisition process, and the affordability and integration of Global Hawk into the force structure within the context of an existing U-2 force with known capabilities.