Using the Software Acquisition Pathway to develop a product suite for a Joint user base presents unique challenges. Developing a Joint product suite with a Capability Portfolio Management mindset adds an additional layer of complexity. Tackling this three-headed monster—software development + Joint user + portfolio mindset—presents challenges and opportunities. The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense’s (JPEO-CBRND) Joint Product Lead for CBRN Integrated Early Warning (CBRN IEW) is responsible for developing an overarching portfolio of software programs that enables interoperability and integration of CBRN and non-CBRN sensors. This integration is crucial for achieving comprehensive situational awareness and understanding of the battlefield and, ultimately, Integrated Early Warning (IEW) of CBRN threats. CBRN IEW applies an operational viewpoint to acquisition to better equip its teams for emerging challenges and opportunities. At its core, this approach means embedding acquisition professionals directly into the operational environment—where they can observe firsthand how users interact with the systems being delivered. This perspective shifts the focus from abstract requirements to real-world performance and user experience.
The operational viewpoint enables a continuous flow of performance data—including user feedback, CONOPs integration, platform-specific engineering inputs, and operational metrics. This data stream fuels iterative development, engineering refinement, and targeted modernization. This same operational data stream enables continuous DOTMLPF integration. By embedding feedback loops into every phase of capability delivery, CBRN IEW ensures that changes in doctrine, training, and organizational structure evolve alongside the technology. This holistic integration is essential for delivering capabilities that are not only technically sound but operationally executable across the Joint Force. To harness this data effectively, CBRN IEW leverages digital engineering practices to curate, manage, and analyze it. This ensures that every capability delivered remains aligned with operational needs and delivers measurable value to the Warfighter.
![]()Software Development Challenge Traditional acquisition follows a linear path—planning, development, and delivery often occur in rigid sequence. In contrast, the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) enables incremental delivery, allowing capability to evolve rapidly from one release to the next. Whether guided by a JCIDS document or a Capability Needs Statement (CNS), SWP requirements serve as boundary conditions—not fixed endpoints. They provide a framework that allows operational data to shape each successive capability drop. Once the acquisition team delivers the Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR), the acquisition process shifts. From that point forward, operational data becomes the primary driver. User feedback, performance metrics, and CONOPs alignment inform what features are added next—ensuring each increment is both relevant and valuable. To consistently deliver fast, iterative capability drops that build on prior success, CBRN IEW adopts the operational viewpoint. The acquisition team prioritizes how the system performs in the field over its original requirements. They focus on real-world outcomes—monitoring performance, gathering user insights, and assessing operational fit—to guide each new delivery.
Joint User Challenge CBRN IEW develops solutions for a Joint user base, meaning each program must meet the operational needs of multiple military Service branches. Traditionally, requirements from all Services are consolidated into a joint requirements document, and the acquisition team designs to that aggregate—aiming to deliver a solution that satisfies each Service’s needs. With the shift to software acquisition pathway and the operational viewpoint, CBRN IEW acquisition teams now ingest operational data from five distinct Services with dozens of unique missions. To ensure each capability release delivers maximum value to the Joint Force, the team must analyze this diverse data and determine how to increase operational impact with every iteration.
To manage this complexity, CBRN IEW employs a Data as a Product (DaaP) approach. The operational viewpoint compels the team to collect data from multiple touchpoints- performance logs, engineered datasets, and user interactions. Without a DaaP framework, the team risks being overwhelmed by raw data or defaulting to intuition based on limited anecdotes (e.g., “what the last soldier told me”). By treating data as a product and applying digital engineering tools to aggregate, curate, and analyze it, the acquisition team can take multiple streams of single-Service data and analytically determine the most valuable path forward. This enables continuous pursuit of Joint operational relevance.
A capability portfolio refers to a collection of related programs. The challenge of iterative software development for a broad, multi-functional user base is compounded by the need to also consider how the program being developed impacts—or is impacted by—other programs in the same portfolio. This challenge can be addressed using the same DaaP approach employed at the program level. A shared, scalable data management tool that analyzes data from multiple programs enables leaders to make informed decisions at the portfolio level. Each program's data can be segregated or tagged so it retains its usefulness at the program level; however, the overall data set can inform portfolio-level decisions, such as: · Improving the overall performance of the portfolio · Managing risk across programs in terms of operational impact to the user base · Communicating with the user base about resourcing decisions that affect them operationally. Ultimately, the application of the operational viewpoint and the DaaP approach informs not only CBRN Integrated Early Warning but can be expanded to inform CBRN Integrated Layered Defense, leveraging data from multiple programs across the JPEO-CBRND.
The shift from a linear, requirement-driven acquisition approach to a cyclical, operational data-driven model hinges on embracing the use of operational data to drive capability development, and the employment of data as a product and digital engineering tools to ensure this data is driving investments in capability that provide operational value across the Joint force. The goal is to move beyond simply delivering systems that "work" to providing capabilities that truly meet the evolving needs of the Warfighter. By embracing this operational viewpoint, CBRN IEW ensures the delivery of agile, operationally effective, and integrated solutions that enhance mission success in an increasingly complex threat landscape.