{"id":82088,"date":"2026-07-08T15:48:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T15:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:16:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:16:55","slug":"the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon leaders increasingly argue that future wars will be won by the force that can sense, decide and act faster than its enemy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lessons from Ukraine and growing concerns about potential conflict with China have intensified the Defense Department\u2019s focus on what officials call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/information-warfare\/2023\/11\/21\/pentagon-seeks-to-rapidly-build-up-information-warfare-force\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/information-warfare\/2023\/11\/21\/pentagon-seeks-to-rapidly-build-up-information-warfare-force\/\">\u201cinformation and decision advantage\u201d<\/a> \u2014 the ability to make informed decisions quicker and more accurately than an adversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through its Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative, known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ai.mil\/Initiatives\/CJADC2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">CJADC2<\/a>, the Pentagon is dedicating billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, advanced battlefield networks, data integration and autonomous systems designed to accelerate commanders\u2019 decision cycles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the department\u2019s goal is to \u201cput the best systems in the hands of warfighters\u201d so leaders have \u201cthe systems that support what you need for maximum lethality.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, future battles are expected to be rife with degraded communications, disrupted networks and information overload. The war in Ukraine highlights those challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military analysts studying the conflict have documented instances in which Ukrainian units have been forced to adapt after Russia\u2018s <a href=\"https:\/\/icds.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/ICDS_Report_Russias_Electronic_Warfare_to_2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/icds.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/ICDS_Report_Russias_Electronic_Warfare_to_2025.pdf\">electronic warfare disrupted communications<\/a> and drones altered battlefield visibility. Rapidly changing conditions pushed <a href=\"https:\/\/cepa.org\/article\/junior-officers-on-the-battlefields-of-ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/cepa.org\/article\/junior-officers-on-the-battlefields-of-ukraine\/\">small-unit leaders to make consequential decisions<\/a> with incomplete information and limited guidance. In those moments, information was plentiful, but certainty was elusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the U.S. military modernizes for large-scale combat against technologically sophisticated adversaries, experts are asking one fundamental question: Is the Pentagon investing as heavily in honing human instincts as it is in developing the technologies to support them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No \u2018perfect\u2019 information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retired Army officer John Spencer, executive director of the nonprofit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbanwarfareinstitute.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.urbanwarfareinstitute.com\/\">Urban Warfare Institute<\/a>, believes the U.S. military has significant advantages to address the challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI travel the world and observe militaries all around the world, and there is nothing like the American soldier and the American system,\u201d Spencer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Spencer said, none of the U.S. military\u2019s technological advances changes a basic truth: \u201cWhen you strip away everything, it comes down to those base characters of selfless service, duty, honor to the country,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the character, you don\u2019t have anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent wars in Ukraine and elsewhere have reinforced another enduring lesson, Spencer said. Battlefield effectiveness depends on the unit of the teams making decisions, not simply the speed of at which those decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cohesion, Spencer said is the most important factor and \u201cthe glue that holds it all together.\u201d Speed alone is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Pentagon pursues <a href=\"https:\/\/owlcyberdefense.com\/blog\/the-strategic-imperative-of-decision-advantage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">increasingly sophisticated tools<\/a> to improve battlefield awareness, he cautioned against assuming leaders will ever possess perfect information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe all-seeing eye is a myth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A screen can never give the whole battlefield picture, said Jon Macaskill, a retired Navy SEAL commander who saw two decades of war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe picture from above is never the whole picture,\u201d Macaskill said, adding \u201cthe guy on the ground who actually understands the terrain and the people on it is worth more than any feed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Macaskill cautioned that as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/24\/can-the-us-military-preserve-decades-of-wartime-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/24\/can-the-us-military-preserve-decades-of-wartime-experience\/\">post-9\/11 generation retires<\/a> from the military, it risks losing experience that cannot be fully captured in doctrine, after-action reports or lessons-learned databases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That instinct includes understanding \u201chow fast a situation can come apart, how communications degrade under stress, how the picture you think you have and the real picture can drift apart in minutes,\u201d Macaskill said. \u201cWhen the people with that kind of knowledge and experience hang it up and walk away, that judgment leaves with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning under pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question now is whether military institutions can intentionally develop those instincts before the next war demands them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On that point, Macaskill is not sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He and other experts question whether institutional training alone can fully replicate the intuition forged through years of combat experience. Macaskill argues that some of the most important aspects of combat leadership resist codification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"8256\" height=\"5504\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg 8256w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1433634937.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 8256px) 100vw, 8256px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Soldiers of the 101st US Airborne Division encourage an exhausted member climbing a slope during the Recon Clash-22 Military Drill on October 15, 2022, in Solina, Poland. (Omar Marques\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDoctrine can\u2019t tell you how to keep a 19-year-old calm enough to do his job when the rounds are coming in,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can\u2019t tell you how to make a call with half the information you\u2019d want, knowing people will live or die based on whether you got it right. A manual can teach you a procedure but it can\u2019t teach you humility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For decades, military educators have attempted to build strong judgement through demanding training designed to stress leaders long before they encounter combat, a method with which Spencer agrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army veteran argues that sound decision-making cannot be meaningfully developed without placing leaders under pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you want to test character and judgment, you have to put people under stress,\u201d Spencer said. \u201cThe worst thing you ever want to hear is somebody to say, \u2018This is the first time I\u2019ve had to do this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stresses of future wars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense leaders and military strategists expect future conflicts against peer adversaries to involve long operations and sustained cognitive demands on leaders at every level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bailey Weis, a former Marine who completed Infantry Training Battalion and later participated in Marine Special Operations Command assessment, said demanding military environments reveal that effective decision-making depends less on motivation than on stability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> \u201cCan you perform when you are uncomfortable for long periods, when no one is adjusting anything for you, and when feedback is minimal?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weis said one of the biggest misconceptions about high-performance military environments is that aptitude is revealed during a single event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is cumulative fatigue, load carriage, sleep deprivation, and repetition. That is where separation really happens,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"8192\" height=\"5464\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg 8192w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2273233181.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 8192px) 100vw, 8192px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A U.S. soldier pilots a drone at the Hohenfels Training Area in Hohenfels, Germany, on April 30, 2026. (Alex Kraus\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drones, artificial intelligence and advanced battlefield networks may transform the mechanics of war, but according to Spencer, Macaskill and Weis, future battlefields will still demand leaders capable of making sound decisions when communications fail, plans unravel and information is incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou either meet the standard under load, under fatigue, over time, or you do not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the post-9\/11 generation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/10\/iraq-and-afghanistan-veterans-are-retiring-how-will-new-leaders-inherit-their-lessons-learned\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/10\/iraq-and-afghanistan-veterans-are-retiring-how-will-new-leaders-inherit-their-lessons-learned\/\">leaves the force<\/a>, the military\u2019s challenge will likely not be teaching leaders how to use new technologies, but rather ensuring they develop the instincts, character and judgment future wars will still require.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite rapid advances in technology, Spencer said one military advantage has endured across centuries of warfare: cohesive teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHistory shows that small-group togetherness is our strength,\u201d he said. \u201cWe still need groups of men and women who are cohesive and care about each other, and that\u2019s not a given on the modern battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":111827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-featured-layout","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,12,26,62,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3614],"class_list":["post-82088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"5G5RBFOVV5AJFD26BB36H3KW4I","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"featured-layout","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough? - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Natalie Oliverio\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Natalie Oliverio\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1122,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                \"Your Navy\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough? - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Navy\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-navy\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough? - Navy Times","description":"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?","og_description":"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00","author":"Natalie Oliverio","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Natalie Oliverio","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?","datePublished":"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/"},"wordCount":1122,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress","Your Navy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/","name":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough? - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-08T15:48:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T17:16:55+00:00","description":"As the Pentagon modernizes for combat against technologically savvy adversaries, a question remains: Is it investing as heavily in honing human instincts?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/08\/the-pentagon-wants-decision-advantage-is-that-enough\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Navy","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/","ad_zone":"your-navy"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The Pentagon wants \u2018decision advantage.\u2019 Is that enough?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-05T002017Z_482818368_RC257MA7CWTN_RTRMADP_3_USA-2501.JPG.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82088"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82100,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82088\/revisions\/82100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82088"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=82088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}