Future of US defense depends on culture shift prioritizing innovation

[rangerrebew]

Future of US defense depends on culture shift prioritizing innovation
 
To get our national security right and to ensure that we maintain a strong national defense, we must figure out how the Defense Department can innovate quickly enough to keep pace with potential adversaries. Though increasing authorities have been given to DOD, it continues to struggle to adapt and pivot at the same rate as some competitors.
 
As senior members of the House Armed Services Committee, we are concerned that unless we recalibrate our approach to defense technology acquisition, we will continue on the slow, costly and unsustainable path that threatens our national defense and the rules-based international order.

Over the last 10 years, through numerous National Defense Authorization Acts, Congress has passed a variety of authorities to help streamline research and development and acquisition. These include more flexible other transaction authorities, mid-tier acquisition authorities, the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program and protections for commercial technology to help better attract nontraditional companies to the defense sector.

Similarly, DOD has taken some steps of its own. The efforts of the late Defense Secretary Ash Carter, continued and expanded by leaders in subsequent administrations on a bipartisan basis, led to the creation of the Defense Innovation Unit, the Strategic Capabilities Office and the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. Current efforts - such as Replicator and the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve - show promise in accelerating acquisition and development for certain capabilities.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/future-of-us-defense-depends-on-culture-shift-prioritizing-innovation/ar-AA1swdPE?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=dcfdde1b7538497d9ed1e5d52f52b763&ei=105

[rangerrebew]

Innovative wokeness?

[Timber Rattler]

We're doomed.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Maybe instead of installing him as Government Waste Manager, Trump could appoint Musk to the DOD.

Musk is unquestionably the most innovative man on the planet.

Talk about an innovative US military sprouting out.

[Timber Rattler]

Maybe instead of installing him as Government Waste Manager, Trump could appoint Musk to the DOD.

Musk is unquestionably the most innovative man on the planet.

Talk about an innovative US military sprouting out.

Although the idea of appointing Musk to one of the biggest cabinet agencies to clean it up and cut costs and staff is very appealing, it wouldn't work, and would ultimately lead to Musk giving up, washing his hands of the whole thing, and walking away in disgust.  This is because Congress ultimately controls the funding of all agencies, and to a certain degree, how funds are spent or not spent (remember Nixon's battle over impoundment).  The procurement process is a total mess, exacerbated by a huge Gordon Knot of laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and various other Deep State nonsense that makes spending far to easy and cutting way too difficult.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impoundment_of_appropriated_funds

That's the problem with private sector vs public sector attempts at solutions...a man like Musk at the head of a company can wield enormous individual power and get things done by simple dictat, whereas in a cabinet department or agency role, he'd immediately get stuck in the swampy morass.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Although the idea of appointing Musk to one of the biggest cabinet agencies to clean it up and cut costs and staff is very appealing, it wouldn't work, and would ultimately lead to Musk giving up, washing his hands of the whole thing, and walking away in disgust.  This is because Congress ultimately controls the funding of all agencies, and to a certain degree, how funds are spent or not spent (remember Nixon's battle over impoundment).  The procurement process is a total mess, exacerbated by a huge Gordon Knot of laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and various other Deep State nonsense that makes spending far to easy and cutting way too difficult.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impoundment_of_appropriated_funds

That's the problem with private sector vs public sector attempts at solutions...a man like Musk at the head of a company can wield enormous individual power and get things done by simple dictat, whereas in a cabinet department or agency role, he'd immediately get stuck in the swampy morass.

The topic is making the military innovative, not cutting its costs.

Imagine the exponential increase in innovation if Elon had some control.