Top Former Defense Officials Release New Report on Accelerating DoD Innovation

Washington, September 25, 2024 – Today, the Center for a New American Security released a new report, Integration for Innovation: A Report of the CNAS Defense Technology Task Force, by Michael Brown, former director of the Defense Innovation Unit; the Honorable Ellen Lord, former under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Andrew Metrick, former CNAS defense fellow; and the Honorable Robert O. Work, former deputy secretary of defense. The authors collectively chair the CNAS Defense Technology Task Force.

The report identifies key factors that have enabled the Department of Defense (DoD) to rapidly innovate and deliver new technologies to U.S. warfighters when there is an urgent need, and explores why the department fails to do so on a regular basis.

Amid the climate of renewed great power competition, the CNAS Defense Technology Task Force focused on practical, near-term solutions to help the DoD use existing authorities to deliver relevant, urgent capabilities to U.S. warfighters at speed and scale. Both established defense companies and new, agile innovators are critical to achieving this goal.

Seven essential factors enable defense innovation, including strong leadership, empowered teams, iteration, acquisition tradecraft, transition partners, and reliable funding. Cross-functional expertise and flexible use of existing contracting processes are critical for faster, more responsive development of new capabilities.

The report concludes with targeted policy recommendations, stressing that faster innovation, strategic risk-taking, and talent development are essential for delivering new capabilities. It further emphasizes that congressional support and funding are critical to accelerating these efforts.