- DOW has released an updated policy governing the survivability of mission-critical defense systems operating in CBRN environments
- The new instruction replaces the 2015 guidance and was approved by Michael Duffey, acquisition and sustainment under secretary
- It requires mission-critical systems expected to face CBRN conditions to bake survivability into capability documents, engineering plans and testing strategies
The Department of War has issued updated policy governing the survivability of mission-critical defense systems operating in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, or CBRN, environments, replacing guidance that had been in place since 2015. The new instruction, published Wednesday, was approved by Michael Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment and a 2026 Wash100 Award winner.
What Does the Updated CBRN Survivability Policy Require?
DOW Instruction 3150.09 establishes department-wide policy, responsibilities and procedures for integrating CBRN survivability throughout the acquisition lifecycle. The directive requires mission-critical systems expected to operate in CBRN environments to incorporate survivability requirements into capability documents, systems engineering plans and testing strategies regardless of the acquisition pathway used. It also calls for continuous assessment and remediation of survivability vulnerabilities throughout a system’s lifecycle.
The updated instruction reissues and replaces DOD Instruction 3150.09 issued in April 2015 and applies across the Office of the Secretary of War, military departments, combatant commands, defense agencies and other department components.
Under the policy, DOW components must identify mission-critical systems and determine which require the ability to survive and operate in CBRN environments. Systems designated as “CBRN mission critical” must include survivability requirements in acquisition documentation and demonstrate compliance through testing, evaluation, assessments and modeling.
How Does the Policy Affect Defense Acquisition?
The instruction assigns acquisition oversight responsibilities to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, which is tasked with ensuring CBRN survivability is integrated into the Defense Acquisition System and coordinating lifecycle management of mission-critical systems and associated test facilities with the under secretary for research and engineering.
The policy also directs program managers to document how system designs address CBRN survivability requirements, incorporate those requirements into systems engineering plans and track progress throughout acquisition. Mission-critical systems must report their survivability status in biennial CBRN mission-critical reports to support department-wide oversight and operational planning.
