“Incorporating these technologies in military systems that collaborate with warfighters will facilitate better decisions in complex, time-critical, battlefield environments; enable a shared understanding of massive, incomplete, and contradictory information; and empower unmanned systems to perform critical missions safely and with high degrees of autonomy.” (DARPA)
Session Category: AIAA DEFENSE Forum 2020
OUSD R&E Enterprise
In 2018 and 2019, DEFENSE Forum attendees heard Mike Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, describe his top modernization priorities, the critical areas identified in the National Defense Strategy the R&E enterprise is built around. In the past two years, he has brought in Assistant Directors for each priority, serving as Department-wide “portfolio managers.” They are charged with establishing and advising Department leadership on budgetary and programmatic priorities, to ensure the Department is focused on fostering technological dominance, securing the unquestioned superiority of the American joint force. The R&E ADs will provide an update on their respective technology development and the critical roles government, industry, and academia play in getting these technologies to the warfighter.
Operational Needs and Military Requirements
The 2018 National Defense Strategy is clear that a more lethal force and technological innovation are key to generating a decisive and sustained advantage. What do our warfighters need from the aerospace community in order to become a “more lethal, resilient, and rapidly innovating Joint Force” in an era of multi-domain warfare?