The Defense Department has “made some progress” in rebuilding the size and skills of its acquisition workforce, but still needs to identify a better way to “determine the effectiveness of its training ” in order to improve acquisition outcomes, according to Government Accountability Office auditors. Pentagon officials have “recognized that rebuilding its acquisition workforce is a strategic priority,” state the auditors in a new GAO report, issued Wednesday. They note that building workforce skills and expertise is just as important as increasing the acquisition workforce’s size. While defense officials have made progress in completing competency assessments, the auditors assert that additional metrics are needed to gauge the impact of training. The auditors do not make any new recommendations because defense officials, for the most part, already are implementing most of GAO’s suggestions from prior assessments, states the report.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has flown a second YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, stepping up the pace of testing for the new uncrewed fighter escort. The company also announced “Gambit 6,” a fresh variant in its CCA family meant for air-to-ground missions.
