WASHINGTON \u2014 The Pentagon\u2019s research and engineering chief is crafting a new strategy for investment in 14 critical technology areas, writing in a new memo that \u201ccreative application\u201d of emerging concepts is key to maintaining an edge over adversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Feb. 1 memo, first reported by Inside Defense<\/i>, does not lay out a timeline for when the strategy will be complete, but notes the work will be informed by the 2022 National Defense Strategy and structured around three pillars: Mission focus, foundation building and succeeding through teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSuccessful competition requires imagining our military capability as an ever-evolving collective, not a static inventory of weapons in development or sustainment,\u201d Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu wrote in the memo, obtained by C4ISRNET. \u201cIn many cases, effective competition benefits from sidestepping symmetric arms races and instead comes from the creative application of new concepts with emerging science and technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The technologies identified in the memo ranges from \u201cseed areas\u201d \u2014 like quantum science, biotechnology, advanced materials and future-generation wireless technology \u2014 to commercially available capabilities such as artificial intelligence, space, microelectronics, integrated networks, renewable energy, human-machine interfaces and advanced computing and software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The memo also highlights technology needs that are specific to the Defense Department, including hypersonic weapons, directed energy, cyber and integrated sensing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy focusing efforts and investments into these 14 critical technology areas, the department will accelerate transitioning key capabilities to the military services and combatant commands,\u201d Shyu writes. \u201cAs the department\u2019s strategy evolves and technologies change, the department will update its critical technology priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Shyu\u2019s office shapes its S&T strategy, it will aim to balance demand for \u201cmission-aligned\u201d technology \u2014 or the needs of today \u2014 with the imperative to invest in the emerging sciences. The team will work closely with combatant commands, the military services, industry and academia to make sure its strategy is responsive to current threats and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The memo also stresses the importance of transitioning technology from \u201cinvention to successful fielding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis era of strategic competition demands collective cooperation,\u201d Shyu writes. \u201cEffective competition requires agility \u2014 in initiating new technology development, rapid experimentation in relevant mission environments and transition to the users.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The strategy will target 14 critical technologies ranging from emerging sciences to commercially available capability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":72020,"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":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,33,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3468],"class_list":["post-37715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"2P2DUN3Q3ZHXRN2QDUXSC6ZEJA","arc_canonical_url":"\/battlefield-tech\/2022\/02\/02\/new-strategy-will-harness-emerging-tech-to-beat-adversaries\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n