Defense Technology Task Force

The CNAS Defense Technology Task Force addresses how the Department of Defense and wider national security community can best leverage the defense innovation ecosystem and the role of both traditional and non-traditional industry in this vital pursuit. By bringing together experts from across the broad defense landscape to include government, industry, academia, and the investment community, the task force will explore the changes needed for the DoD acquisition system to realize the value within the innovation ecosystem, how new entrants can best communicate their value at different levels, and what lessons from the broader national security enterprise can be applied to DoD efforts in this arena.

This task force aims to deepen the conversation around this vital topic by focusing on near-to-mid-term solutions that allow the department to cross the valley of death between prototype and production. Furthermore, the task force will explore approaches that appropriately separate the technologies of the defense innovation ecosystem to stress the unique requirements of a diverse set of solutions ranging from rocket engines to software.

Additionally, the task force will consider both how the department must adjust to deliver new capabilities at the speed and scale required and how legacy industry can better integrate new sources of technology into their offerings. The team will regularly provide insights and recommendations that are designed to achieve maximize impact with the authorities and organizations available today.

The CNAS Defense Technology Task Force is chaired by the Honorable Robert O. Work, former Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Honorable Ellen Lord, former Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; and Michael Brown, former Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.

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