The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken the first steps toward launching the Software Fast Track (SWFT) initiative, a new program that will overhaul how the Pentagon buys software and prioritize speed, agility, and security in the process.
The SWFT initiative, announced last month by acting DoD Chief Information Officer Katie Arrington, seeks to streamline the software approval process and accelerate the deployment of secure applications across the department.
To establish SWFT, the DoD Office of the CIO is leading a 90-day sprint to develop a comprehensive framework for secure software delivery.
As part of this effort, DoD is seeking industry insights through three requests for information (RFIs) focusing on cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, security verification, and secure information-sharing.
These RFIs focus on key areas, including tools to implement SWFT, external assessment methodologies for software security, and the use of automation and AI to streamline operations.
The deadline for responses to the three RFIs is May 20.
This new software approval framework is a key part of the Pentagon’s broader push to modernize its technology acquisition processes.
Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo directing military services and defense agency acquisition leaders to leverage existing authorities to expedite software procurement for warfighters.
According to Arrington, SWFT will provide military services and defense agencies with greater confidence that applications are secure, without delays of traditional approval processes.
“We need more innovation. The [secretary of defense] has told us, bring software, bring [commercial-off-the-shelf] into the building faster, at a more rapid rate,” Arrington stated during her keynote at the UiPath on Tour Public Sector event on April 29, where she also announced the upcoming launch of SWFT.
“Our job is to ensure that we are doing the best to ensure that we have lethality, that we’re ready and that we’re efficient,” she said. “We need to change our thought process, because having software in an [authority to operate] that is a static environment doesn’t help the warfighter.”