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USSOCOM and its acquisition executive

Validate SOF requirements, propose resources and develop/acquire special-operations-peculiar equipment, materiel, supplies and services; coordinate supporting military departments.

USSOCOM has a distinctive service-like acquisition role for special-operations-peculiar equipment, alongside its combatant-command mission. SOF Acquisition, Technology and Logistics connects special-operations needs to development, procurement and sustainment.

Budget & program scale

Public funding documented

FY2027 O&M request: $10.891 billion, plus separately budgeted acquisition accounts

Budget requestFY2027
The O&M justification requests $10.891050B discretionary and no mandatory O&M funding for FY2027. This is operations and maintenance, not the entire command resource total.
Source: USSOCOM FY2027 O&M budget justification, pages 1–4
Enacted budget and spend planFY2026
The same book shows FY2026 enacted O&M of $9.670540B discretionary plus $1.078680B in mandatory spend-plan funding, $10.749220B combined.
Source: USSOCOM FY2027 O&M budget justification, pages 1–4
Funding scopeProgram structure
Major Force Program 11 resources support SOF-peculiar development, acquisition and sustainment. Procurement, RDT&E and military-construction accounts are separate from the O&M amount above.
Source: USSOCOM — Acquisition Authority

How to engage

Capability submission
Submit an unclassified capability through Engage SOF
USSOCOM's digital front door routes SOF-relevant ideas through a Vulcan Scout Card and tiered assessment. It is not an award, guaranteed meeting or classified-submission channel.
Source: USSOCOM — Engage SOF on Vulcan
Research opportunities
USSOCOM science-and-technology business guidance
Review research, experimentation and SBIR/STTR pathways for SOF needs; follow the specific BAA, topic or other opportunity instructions.
Source: USSOCOM Science and Technology — Doing Business 101

Mission & responsibilities

USSOCOM develops and employs special operations forces and coordinates specified counterterrorism, counter-WMD and psychological-operations activities with the joint force and partners.
Source: USSOCOM FY2027 O&M budget justification, pages 1–4
The Commander delegates the command's special-operations acquisition authorities to the USSOCOM Acquisition Executive, who leads SOF AT&L.
Source: USSOCOM — Acquisition Authority

Authority & organization

10 U.S.C. §167 gives USSOCOM special-operations-peculiar development and acquisition responsibilities. The command publicly identifies its delegated Acquisition Executive, not merely a generic department authority holder.
Source: 10 U.S.C. §167 — Unified combatant command for special operations forces
USSOCOM's official acquisition page records the Commander-to-Acquisition-Executive delegation; an individual contract officer's warrant is still transaction-specific.
Source: USSOCOM — Acquisition Authority

Institutional limits

Not a general model granting identical acquisition powers to every combatant command; scope remains SOF-peculiar and subject to statutory supervision.

Institutional sources

10 U.S.C. § 167

USSOCOM and its acquisition executive

FY2027 O&M request: $10.891 billion, plus separately budgeted acquisition accounts

How to engage

Submit an unclassified capability through Engage SOF ↗

USSOCOM science-and-technology business guidance ↗

Mission & responsibilities

Authority & organization

Related instruments by family

Pay for combined training and exercises and partner incremental expenses

Support partners facilitating ongoing authorized U.S. counterterrorism operations

Institutional sources

Submit an unclassified capability through Engage SOF

USSOCOM science-and-technology business guidance