Pentagon's acquisition czars aim to fix, not replace, the system

The Pentagon has quietly introduced a new layer of acquisition oversight—senior four-star officers called Direct Reporting Program Managers, or DRPMs—to shepherd some of the military's most critical and at-risk weapons programs. Not to quietly to be picked up by Air & Space Forces Magazine, however.[https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-acquisition-czars-drpms-not-permanent/] Note the generals holding those roles say the arrangement is temporary, not a structural overhaul.

Space Force Gen. Michael A. Guetlein was the first DRPM, tapped to integrate the sprawling Golden Dome missile defense initiative across multiple services and agencies, reporting directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. The Air Force followed with Gen. Dale R. White, who oversees four of its highest-risk programs: the F-47 fighter, B-21 bomber, VC-25B Air Force One replacement, and Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. The Navy has since added Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher to supervise submarine production.

Both Guetlein and White told the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in mid-March 2026 that the DRPM concept is designed to be disbanded once momentum is established. "Everything for Golden Dome is temporary," Guetlein said. White called the ideal state one in which "you don't need a DRPM."

Analysts draw a private equity analogy. Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute said Feinberg's business background is reflected in the model—identify underperforming assets, apply intensive management attention, and hand them back to the service once stabilized.

Critics, including former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, warn the structure creates a double chain of command that may conflict with statutory requirements for acquisition reporting. With no confirmed assistant secretaries in key Air Force acquisition roles, the concern over diluted service authority is more than theoretical.

White argues he operates in close partnership with the Air Force, keeping his office lean at 24 personnel, and uses his elevated authority sparingly. "The majority of the time, I have found the system is willing to bend and work with me," he said.

Whether the DRPM concept proves temporary or becomes institutionalized may ultimately depend less on the generals' intentions than on who occupies the deputy secretary's office next.