The research laboratories of each service branch are working toward bringing new and innovative solutions in line with the Department of Defense’s so-called third offset strategy. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work, who is spearheading the third offset initiative, has described the third offset as hypothesizing “that the advances in artificial intelligence and autonomy\u00a0\u2014\u00a0autonomous systems\u00a0\u2014\u00a0is going to\u00a0lead\u00a0to a new era of human-machine collaboration and combat teaming.”
Great power competitors have achieved rough, guided munitions parity\u00a0\u2014\u00a0something the U.S. has not had to deal with for some time, he said\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and, knowing how critical central networks are to U.S. war fighting, adversaries have invested in counter-network technologies such as electronic warfare, cyber and counter-space. “We call all of these things, shorthand, A2\/AD, but those are what we\u2019re trying to offset,” Work said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To this end, McMurry noted in his written testimony that his office has emphasized research in hypersonic, low-cost cruise missile technology, advanced air combat missiles, and position, navigation and timing technologies as to highlight capabilities focused on A2\/AD operations\u00a0\u2014\u00a0all of which, he said, support the third offset construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The director of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, Jeffery Holland, said in prepared testimony for the hearing that he is involved in collaboration across the services to identify significant challenges and solutions for planners, analysts and operators that might impede successful operations in A2\/AD environments. Technologies he included as part of this effort were rapid airfield repair kits for early-entry airborne engineer units; terrain surfacing kits for unmanned aircraft systems landing strips; helicopter landing zones and logistics over-the-shore operations; remote monitoring of critical infrastructure using infrasound; battlefield sensors for operational engineer reconnaissance, assessment and planning; and decision support tools to capture subject matter expert processes for remote infrastructure assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these significant investments across DoD in technologies in line with the third offset, Work noted that technology is not at the heart of this or similar efforts in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Offset strategies,” he said, “are about technologically enabled operational and organizational constructs that provide the joint force with an advantage \u2026 [in] strengthening conventional deterrence.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Heads of service research labs explained to Congress how their efforts are contributing to the third offset strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":62303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":59,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[59,29,15,41,42,25,21],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3268],"class_list":["post-22875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ausa","category-home","category-intel-geoint","category-isr","category-sensors","category-show-reporter","category-unmanned"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"PVYEOEZPTNA77HSY7DDTT63M5I","arc_canonical_url":"\/show-reporter\/ausa\/2016\/09\/29\/third-offset-front-and-center-at-dod-research-labs\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n