April 21, 2020
The Defense Department Needs a Real Technology Strategy
Defense Department leaders agree the U.S. military must reinvigorate its technological edge. They just can’t agree on which technologies matter. Nor do they appear to be laying out arguments that would help the rest of the Pentagon, lawmakers, and industry understand which technologies will matter most in tomorrow’s wars, and therefore which should receive top priority in terms of effort and funding. In short, DOD needs a technology strategy.
Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work made artificial intelligence and autonomy the centerpiece of his “Third Offset Strategy.” Current Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin has called hypersonics his top priority, with directed energy a close second. That would seem to be at odds with his boss, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has declared AI his “number one.” Yet the past two years have seen Griffin issue formal guidance about 10 to 13 “priority” technologies, with AI, hypersonics, and nuclear modernization occupying the top spot, depending on the list. But they can’t all be number one, and conflicting guidance from senior DoD leaders isn’t helpful for establishing real priorities in defense spending.
Read the full article in Defense One.
More from CNAS
-
Video
Defense / Energy, Economics & Security / Technology & National Security
The Outlook CEO Perspectives on Risk, Resilience and ReturnsJoin David Schwimmer and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, as they explore the current national security landscape and its impacts on global econo...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Trump-Xi Truce Shows Who Really Holds the LeverageThis article was originally published in The Australian Financial Review. Since President Trump returned to office, the U.S.-China relationship has lurched between confrontat...
By Ruby Scanlon
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
NOTUS Perspectives: AI Requires Massive Allocations of Energy. Will Other Sectors Suffer?On the current trajectory, the government may need to prioritize energy for AI over other uses to ensure the United States remains the global leader in advanced AI....
By Janet Egan
-
Reports
Technology & National Security
Countering the Digital Silk RoadThe year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Digital Silk Road (DSR), China’s effort to strengthen its global ties and influence through technology. In the decade since the...
By Vivek Chilukuri & Ruby Scanlon
