tech
Inside the Army's breakneck rush to get tech to the frontlines
Dan Driscoll, the former venture capitalist who is serving as Army secretary, is overseeing a massive effort to get the newest and latest technology into the hands of soldiers, shredding the bureaucracies that have long extended and complicated the process.
TL;DR
- The Army is significantly accelerating the process of getting new technology to soldiers by dismantling bureaucratic obstacles.
- Defense companies can now request access to one of five Army ranges for testing, with guaranteed access within 30 days, a reduction from the previous 12-18 month wait.
- Initiatives like Project Jailbreak (Right to Integrate Hackathon) aim to ensure seamless integration of weapon systems from different manufacturers.
- A new venture-capital-style acquisition program, FUZE, will invest $750 million annually in emerging technologies.
- An Amazon-style drone marketplace allows military units to order specific parts from approved companies, with over 20 countries participating.
- The effort is driven by the need to keep pace with AI and autonomous technology revolutions and address current stockpile and readiness issues.