Government contractors that invest across the entire portfolio of government security needs — and build purposefully to address those diverse fields — will be more competitive for the growing number of multibillion-dollar contracts because they will be able to provide more comprehensive and integrated solutions.
It’s time for us in industry to innovate once again by focusing on sustainability and viewing the decarbonization agenda not as a threat, but as an opportunity.
AFWERX and Agility Prime are shining examples of a new approach to innovation the DoD has undertaken in the past couple of years. The new mantra is “dual use” — identifying promising new tech that could have both commercial and military use, and leaning in to support startups, sometimes even before specific military missions and use cases are identified. Research and development funding is often matched by venture capital, significantly reducing risk.
Making innovation second nature is likely to become a key determinant between nation-states that progress and thrive into the future and those that face significant challenges in their efforts to self-actualize.
We must openly and honestly discuss novel and creative ideas to leverage America’s strength and compete against our adversaries’ coercion, theft and authoritarianism.
This critical industrial base is now being tested in a way not experienced in our lifetime — not from an adversary, but from a virus. The industrial base is becoming our own worst adversary by delaying the research and production of systems vital to our national security due to employees delaying or objecting to protecting themselves and their fellow workers from COVID-19, an enemy that has already claimed more than 775,000 American lives.
If unable to procure defensive arms from the United States, Saudi Arabia will not simply shrug and leave itself defenseless. Riyadh would likely turn toward Russia to procure additional air defense systems.
China has been a regional power for far longer than we give it due credit for, and it is now elevating itself to a global power — one that is looking to usurp U.S. primacy.
