Abstract: Adopting an open systems approach (OSA) during the requirements definition phase of Australian Defence Force (ADF) procurement programs will help break the stove-pipe stranglehold on communication and information system capability. The resulting return on investment will be the delivery of a set of agile capability solutions that are easily enhanced to meet future requirements while at the same time reducing vendor lock-in, risk and support costs. A snapshot of ADF projects are reviewed and we discuss potential strangulation issues regarding ambiguous boundaries and associated risks that could be addressed by an OSA. A brief overview is provided on the OSA initiatives underway by other country’s defence agencies including; UK MOD, US DoD and NATO. We introduce a high level platform concept that could be used as a framework when defining project requirements with an OSA discuss the short and long term benefits that could be achieved. We conclude that an OSA is a future-proofing acquisition strategy that can yield important benefits such as capability gain, more open competition, ability to re-use rather than replace, ultimately reducing waste and lowering costs.