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CHAPTER VI: MILESTONE REVIEW/APPROVAL PROCESS
PART A: ACQUISITION CATEGORIES & ABBREVIATED ACQUISITION PROGRAMS
Purpose: Navy acquisition programs (excluding highly sensitive classified programs) are categorized as either one
of four acquisition categories (ACATs) or as an Abbreviated Acquisition Program at the time of program initiation.
Also, upgrades to programs out of production are processed as either new start ACAT programs or Abbreviated
Acquisition Programs. These ACAT categories, besides establishing the overall visibility of a given program, are
used to determine the level of a program's milestone decision authority and, to some extent, the documentation/
information requirements associated with the program.
Source Documents: DoD Regulation 5000.2-R, Part 1
SECNAVINST 5000.2B, Parts 1 and 7
Definition: The defining criteria and associated milestone decision authority
(MDA) for weapon systems ACAT levels are shown below. A different set of defining criteria and associated
MDA levels for information technology programs can be found in Part 1 of SECNAVINST 5000.2B.
ACAT Definition * Milestone Decision Authority (MDA)
I(D/C) >$355M RDT&E, or USD(A&T)for ACAT ID
>$2.135B Procurement
ASN(RD&A) for ACAT IC
II >$140M RDT&E, or ASN(RD&A)
>$645 Procurement
III Programs not meeting the dollar SYSCOM/PEO/DRPM
criteria for ACAT I & II but which
the military characteristics
of aircraft or ships, or involve
affect combat capability.
IV ** Programs not meeting the criteria SYSCOM/PEO/DRPM
for ACAT I, II, or III or
(may be redelegated to
Abbreviated Acquisition Programs
the program manager)
(see below)
* Dollars shown are FY 1996 constant dollars, and are cumulative for the entire life, or anticipated life, of the
program.
** ACAT IV programs are divided between ACAT IVT programs, which require
operational test and evaluation performed by the Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force
(COMOPTEVFOR), and ACAT IVM programs, which do not require COMOPTEVFOR involvement.
Abbreviated Acquisition Programs: Part 1 of SECNAVINST 5000.2B provides for a new category of acquisition
programs that are not within the ACAT system. These programs, called Abbreviated Acquisition Programs, must
meet all of the following criteria:
1) have total development costs of less than $5 million (FY 1996 constant dollars) for the life of the program;
2) have total procurement/services costs of less than $30 million (FY 1996 dollars) for the life of the program;
3) have total procurement/services costs of less than $15 million (FY 1996 dollars) for each year of the
program;
4) do not affect the military characteristics of a major platform or involve combat capability; and
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