# DoW Seeks to Accelerate Defense Acquisition

The Department of War issued memoranda on August 18 and September 14, 2026, directing an effort to accelerate defense acquisition, reduce government-specific compliance burdens, and attract commercial suppliers. The memos call for full supply-chain cost transparency on acquisitions of $10 million or more and signal potential changes to Cost Accounting Standards, business-system reviews, and profit policy; they are policy direction, not implemented regulatory changes.

- Contractors should continue meeting current contract requirements and avoid treating potential CAS, business-system, or profit-policy revisions as effective rules.
- For acquisitions of $10 million or more, companies should assess their ability to provide full supply-chain cost transparency, as called for in the memoranda.
- The focus on reducing compliance burdens and attracting commercial suppliers may affect future defense acquisition approaches; contractors should evaluate how their cost-accounting and business-system practices align with the stated direction.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of War (DoW)
- Cost Accounting Standards Board (CAS Board)
- Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)
- Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation Councils (FAR Councils)

### Sources
- [DoW Acquisition Reform Memos: Five Key Takeaways | Forvis Mazars US](https://www.forvismazars.us/forsights/2026/10/dow-acquisition-reform-memos-five-key-takeaways) - Forvis Mazars US