Defense Acquisition Trends 2021 is the latest in an annual series of CSIS reports examining trends in what the DoD is buying, how the DoD is buying it, and from whom the DoD is buying using data from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This report analyzes the current state of affairs in defense acquisition by combining detailed policy and data analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of the current and future outlook for defense acquisition. It provides critical insights into understanding the current trends in the defense-industrial base and the implications of those trends on acquisition policy.

Gregory Sanders is deputy director for research and fellow with the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he manages a research team that analyzes data on U.S. government contract spending and other budget and acquisition issues.

Won Joon Jang was a visiting fellow with the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group. He is also a research fellow with the Defense & Airspace Industry Research Center at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET).

Alexander Holderness is a research assistant with the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group.