Which decision support system focuses on materiel development and acquisition?

• A. Program Evaluation Groups (PEGS)
• B. Defense Acquisition System (DAS)
• C. Planning, Programming, Budgeting & Execution (PPBE)
• D. Operating Force (OF)

Answer: (B)

The Defense Acquisition System is the framework used to manage the lifecycle of defense materiel—from identifying a need and refining concepts through development, testing, production, deployment, and sustainment. It provides the structured decision points, reviews, and management processes that ensure programs deliver the right capabilities on time and within budget. This focus on turning requirements into fielded systems and keeping them supported over their life is what makes it the decision support system for materiel development and acquisition.

Program Evaluation Groups are reviews that assess program performance within the acquisition process, but they aren’t the overall system that manages materiel development. The Planning, Programming, Budgeting & Execution process handles resource allocation across programs, not specifically the acquisition lifecycle. The Operating Force refers to the units that will use the equipment, not the decision framework for acquiring it.