House Defense Modernization Caucus FY27 NDAA Legislative Provisions

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House Defense Modernization Caucus FY27 NDAA Legislative Provisions

Date: June 5, 2026
Legislative Vehicle: National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027
Primary Sponsors: Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Representative Pat Ryan (D-NY)
Caucus: House Defense Modernization Caucus (HDMC)

Legislative Background

On June 5, 2026, Representative Rob Wittman and Representative Pat Ryan, founding co-chairs of the House Defense Modernization Caucus (HDMC), announced the inclusion of several key policy provisions in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) mark of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Ryan, 2026, June 5). The HDMC was established to accelerate the adoption of commercial technologies and reform Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition processes.

Key Policy Provisions in FY27 NDAA

The Wittman-Ryan provisions focus on removing bureaucratic barriers to innovation, strengthening competition, and accelerating the deployment of emerging technologies.

Provision Description
Rapid Transition of OTA Prototypes Grants Program Executive Officers (PEOs) the authority to transfer research and development funds to procurement accounts to scale the production of successful Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototypes (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
DIU and PEO Coordination Codifies a formal coordination requirement between the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and PEOs to identify and transfer commercial platforms and solutions that address specific capability gaps (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) Expands the requirement for MOSA during the design and development phases of defense programs to ensure interoperability and enable iterative system updates (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Autonomous Systems Doctrine Requires the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) to develop formal U.S. military doctrine for the employment of unmanned autonomous systems and autonomous formations (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Low-Cost Munitions Mandates that the DoD consider alternative, lower-cost munitions designs to complement existing major weapons programs and improve munitions depth (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Quantum Acquisition Strategy Requires the DoD to utilize DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative to inform the acquisition of quantum computing systems (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Software Accountability Integrates software sustainment frameworks into product support manager responsibilities and incentivizes the use of software-enabled solutions for long-term sustainment (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Contractor Performance Grants PEOs additional authorities to address underperforming contractors and requires the DoD to establish formal contractor performance metrics (Ryan, 2026, June 5).
Pre-Award Guidance Requires the DoD to establish guidance for small businesses and non-traditional defense companies to facilitate communication and protect sensitive information during the pre-award phase (Ryan, 2026, June 5).

House Defense Modernization Caucus (HDMC) Strategic Goals

The HDMC focuses on four primary pillars for defense reform:

  1. Software-Centric Pentagon: Transitioning the DoD from hardware-defined to software-defined capabilities.
  2. Private Capital Leverage: Utilizing private investment to accelerate technology adoption.
  3. Commercial Buyer Role: Strengthening the DoD’s position as a partner for commercial industry.
  4. Acquisition Reform: Overhauling the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process.

References

Source: LinkedIn post by Olivia Mullaney, National Security Advisor to Rep. Pat Ryan, June 8, 2026. Original LinkedIn URL: Proud to have supported Rep. Ryan's efforts to secure major defense innovation and acquisition reform wins in the FY27 NDAA for the House Defense Modernization Caucus. A lot of conversations with… | Olivia Mullaney