{"id":18150,"date":"2020-01-09T15:30:53","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T15:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/09\/the-need-for-competitive-innovation-in-national-security\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:03:45","slug":"the-need-for-competitive-innovation-in-national-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/opinion\/2020\/01\/09\/the-need-for-competitive-innovation-in-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"The need for competitive innovation in national security"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The United States government is clamoring for commercial companies to engage in the effort to out-innovate global competitors. When the most innovative companies compete to deliver the best technology, the government is empowered to serve the public with excellence and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowhere is the need for commercial innovation more compelling than in the Department of Defense. In its 2019 Digital Modernization Strategy<\/a>, DoD was emphatic that \u201cInnovation is a key element of future readiness.\u201d It follows that anything that would discourage innovation poses a serious risk to national security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Innovation] is essential to preserving and expanding U.S. military competitive advantage in the face of near-peer competition and asymmetric threats,\u201d DoD acknowledged. \u201c[P]reserving and expanding our military advantage depends on our ability to deliver technology faster than our adversaries and the agility of our enterprise to adapt our way of fighting to the potential advantages of innovative technology.\u201d These truisms should be guiding principles for DoD\u2019s acquisition of commercial capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investment and opportunity<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vast vendor ecosystem able to deliver a variety of foundational, innovative commercial technologies to the war fighter is clearly essential to DoD\u2019s mission. Private-sector innovation, driven by investments in research and development, far outstrips governments\u2019 ability to match. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robust competition is paramount to maintaining the aggressive R&D spending necessary to deliver innovative solutions to real-world challenges. Companies risk such rich R&D investment for the promise of a fair shot at financial return. Absent opportunity in the federal market, innovative companies have no choice but to seek greener fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enhancing collaboration between DoD and Industry<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the recently signed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2020<\/a>, both the White House and Congress clearly signaled their support for greater partnership between DoD and commercial enterprises. In their joint statement on the final NDAA conference report, the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees indicated that one of the primary purposes of the NDAA, after protecting our national defense and caring for our military and their families, is to reform and improve \u201cthe business side of the Pentagon.\u201d Some noteworthy provisions that address that priority include requirements for DoD to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n