
To speed the fielding of new technology, the U.S. Department of Defense has set a goal of cutting in half the time it takes to award contracts, the Pentagon's acquisition chief said Oct. 11.The 50-percent reduction, which DoD endorsed about a month ago, applies to the period that begins when the department issues an acquisition-related document to industry, such as a request for information, said Ellen Lord, undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L).The current process is widely considered to…