Overview
Not all Program Executive Offices (PEOs) reside within the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force. Several DoD-wide agencies and combatant commands manage their own acquisition portfolios to meet joint or specialized missions.
Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
- Oversees development and procurement of ballistic missile defense systems, including interceptors, sensors and command‑and‑control networks.
- Manages programs such as the Ground‑based Midcourse Defense system, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
Defense Health Agency (DHA)
- Responsible for acquisition of military health systems, medical devices and related IT services.
- Includes the Program Executive Office for Medical Systems/Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO‑CBRND) which oversees medical countermeasures and vaccine development.
U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
- Maintains multiple PEOs to equip special operations forces with unique aircraft, weapons and equipment.
- PEO Fixed Wing manages specialized aircraft like the AC‑130 gunship and MC‑130 transport.
- PEO Rotary Wing oversees helicopters and tilt‑rotor platforms.
- PEO SOF Support Activity procures combat support equipment, training systems and sustainment.
U.S. Space Force / Space Development Agency
- Manages acquisition of space systems to provide launch, satellite communications, navigation, surveillance and missile warning.
- PEO for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power oversees sensors and defensive/offensive capabilities.
- Space Development Agency and Space Systems Command deliver proliferated low‑Earth orbit constellations like the National Defense Space Architecture.
Conclusion
These department‑wide PEOs ensure critical defense capabilities—from missile defense and medical readiness to special operations and space systems—are acquired efficiently across the DoD.