Weapon Systems Annual Assessment

GAO’s latest assessment finds the Department of Defense continues to fall short on delivering advanced weapon systems quickly and cost-effectively. Many programs using acquisition pathways designed for speed instead suffered delays and rising costs—often due to immature technologies and poor planning. Future programs also risk repeating these mistakes by not adopting leading product development practices like modular designs, digital twins, and iterative development. GAO urges DOD leaders to embed these best practices early to unlock innovation and efficiency across the acquisition lifecycle.