Critical Update: Bridging the Defense Department’s Valley of Death
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By
Frank Konkel
The future of warfare could be determined by the Defense Department’s ability—or lack thereof—to quickly adopt emerging technologies.
Decades ago, the federal government and U.S. military drove nationwide technology advancements, funding countless cutting-edge initiatives that resulted in technologies like GPS and the internet.
Today, technology research and development funding is led by private sector companies, with federal agencies and the Defense Department serving as customers for—and not necessarily leaders in—cutting-edge technologies.
However, accessing, acquiring and employing new technologies spearheaded by startups and innovative technology firms has become increasingly problematic for a host of reasons for the Defense Department and government broadly, resulting in what’s been termed the “valley of death.”
To begin Season 13 of Critical Update, Nextgov spoke with Pete Modigliani, Software Acquisition Lead for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment at MITRE, about how the Defense Department can bridge the valley of death and ensure warfighters today won’t miss out on technologies of the future.
You can listen to the full episode below or download and subscribe to Critical Update in Apple Podcasts or Google Play.