US on How to Accelerate IT Modernization and Technology Innovation in Defense
While the roller coaster of Congressional budget negotiations in recent months has created uncertainty in Defense Department, one thing seems to remain steady: the emphasis on improving the department’s Information Technology. As part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, the Modernizing Government Technology Act became law late last year, just one of the signs that the federal government is putting its money where its mouth is. Americans know how dependent upon technology their daily lives have become. Military needs to be using the most advanced technology available.
Two recent defense technology-focused events—the Charleston Defense Contractor Association Defense Summit and the West 2018 Conference—brought together thousands from Industry, Government and Academia to discuss topics such as technology innovation and IT modernization. Both conferences carried an undertone of needing warfighting technology, innovation and IT acquisition to go faster. Rear Admiral Christian “Boris” Becker, commander of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command spoke at both conferences, stating, “Our adversaries are diverse and rapidly evolving new capabilities. We need to be moving at the same speed to be able to address real-time threats” and “Strategic competition is driving the urgency for us to find our way to deliver, to modernize, to enable the joint force with a more lethal force.”
In keeping with the drive for technology innovation and IT Modernization, Defense Secretary, Mr. Jim Mattis recently announced the new national defense strategy. The plans include investing in “new high-end capabilities” and emerging technologies for potential high-end warfare. He summarized his report by saying that “a rapid, iterative approach to capability development will reduce costs, technological obsolescence, and acquisition risk.” Additionally, he emphasized that the future of National Security Innovation must include traditional and nontraditional defense partners.
The SPAWAR Systems Centre Atlantic recently announced its plans to stand up the Information Warfare Research Project, under an other transaction authority. Mr. Scott Heller, commanding officer of SSC Atlantic said it best, “Our industry partners give us a strategic advantage as we develop and field Information Warfare solutions. We need each other, and we need the great competition of ideas our partnership brings.”