DOD to Expand Software Appropriation Pilot in 2022

The Department of Defense plans to expand its software appropriation pilot in 2022 to include a $955 million information technology project by the Navy.

The Software and Digital Technology Pilot Program was launched to test a funding structure specifically designed to facilitate agile software development, allowing the DOD to break free from a military hardware-centric funding construct.

As part of its 2022 budget proposal, the DOD wants to use the new appropriation for the Navy’s Next Generation Enterprise Network, Federal News Network reported. NGEN is being developed to consolidate the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet with its overseas counterpart, ONENet.

Jane Rathbun, the Navy’s chief technology officer, said at a recent IT conference that her service planned on including more of its programs in the 2022 pilot but ultimately decided against it due to the sheer cost of NGEN alone. 

The Navy defended the high cost associated with the enterprise network, most of which extends outside of software development work, which the appropriation pilot covers.

According to the Navy, the entire NGEN program demands a flexible and agile funding approach, hence the $995 million budget. 

A total of $439 million will be used for financing the day-to-day management of the network. In addition, $244 million will be earmarked for purchases and management of software licenses. 

NGEN is one of two additions to the software appropriation pilot, alongside the DOD’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center.

Eight existing programs will continue under the pilot, including the Navy’s risk management information initiative, the Space Force’s Kobayashi Maru program and the DOD’s Project Maven.