David Cadman

Mr. David S. Cadman serves as the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Acquisition. In this role, he advises the Assistant Secretary of War for Acquisition on matters related to the Department of War’s Acquisition System, while championing innovative, data-driven strategies across the acquisition enterprise.

He previously held leadership roles within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, including Director of Acquisition Policy and Innovation and Director for Acquisition Data and Analytics. In these roles, he spearheaded portfolio-based analytical methods using advanced techniques like data mining, simulation, machine learning, statistical modeling, optimization, and data visualization.

Before the reorganization of Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), Mr. Cadman served as Director for Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses and Deputy Director for Root Cause Analyses. In these roles, he conducted in-depth investigations into Major Acquisition Programs experiencing critical Nunn-McCurdy cost breaches or those referred by the Secretary of Defense, identifying systemic issues and recommending corrective actions.

Previous assignments within the Office of the Secretary of Defense include serving as Deputy Director for the Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure Office within the Defense Technology Security Administration; and the aviation sector lead in the Office of Industrial Policy. In this role, he oversaw industrial base health assessments critical to sustaining current and future warfighting capabilities.

Mr. Cadman also held key positions within the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program Office, including Deputy Director for Air Vehicle. He managed government and contractor efforts related to the F35’s vehicle systems, mission systems, airframe structures, materials, and manufacturing risk reduction. He served as the JSF X-program Science and Technology Coordinator, where he developed requirements, analyzed technology trends, and identified potential capability gaps.

Mr. Cadman began his career as a structural engineer on the F-14 and F/A-18 E/F programs and later worked at Boeing Helicopter on dynamic analysis for vertical lift aircraft.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Mr. Cadman is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University’s Advanced Program Managers Course and maintains Level III Acquisition Workforce certifications in Program Management; Systems Planning, Research, and Engineering; and Production, Quality, and Manufacturing.