Top Defense Officials Testify Before Senate Armed Services Committee On Afghanistan And Counterterrorism
By Jaspreet Gill
DoD should become a “fast follower” to gain rapid access to technologies and maintain technological parity with adversaries, Brown told lawmakers. That would require rethinking the three elements of how capabilities are brought to DoD: requirements, acquisition and budgeting.
Brown said DoD should more broadly adopt Other Transaction Authorities and establish dedicated organizations, or “homes,” for commercial technologies that can focus its expertise and which are not service-specific.
“Paired with a stable budget, this becomes a capability of record, not a program of record, where the need for the capability is ongoing,” he said. “DoD can then assess vendors on a more continuous basis and refresh with a frequency that matches commercial cycles. In doing so, DoD can furnish these capabilities to warfighters in a year rather than a decade.”
In terms of budget reform, Brown said Congress should allow for more flexibility in the appropriations process beyond programmes to budget for capabilities, including small drones and satellite imagery, “which we know we’ll need for decades to come.”
The requirements process for commercial technologies should also be eliminated and replaced with “a rapid validation of needs.” Brown argued detailed requirements limit the creative problem solving of companies and limits the number of competitors. The US should also source commercial technology from allies and sell proven solutions to allied militaries, he added.
“Maintaining our military’s technological superiority requires us not only to develop defense technologies like hypersonics, but of equal importance fast follow the innovations of our vibrant commercial technology sector,” Brown said. “There’s a reason the US innovation ecosystem is the envy of the world and we need to make this the envy of the military.”
