To counter fast-evolving threats in modern warfare, U.S. military officials stress the need for close collaboration between industry and troops. Drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, they advocate for integrating companies directly with soldiers, enabling immediate feedback on issues they face. This model allows for swift adaptations of weapons and tactics, significantly shortening response times. Defense Innovation Unit's Trent Emeneker highlighted that such collaboration and trust can lead to revolutionary changes in warfare, exemplified by the rapid evolution and deployment of uncrewed systems in the battlefield context.
When they run into a problem, the soldiers can relay their concerns and experiences to industry partners, which must react quickly to introduce new solutions. Sometimes, the cycle takes only a matter of weeks.
Emeneker suggested a rather untraditional government contracting approach with more trust in the defense industry and constant, close work on adapting systems.
The model for that is having companies on the front line getting feedback, DIU's program manager said. He called Silicon Valley a 'secret weapon.'
Uncrewed systems had changed warfare like nothing since the introduction of the machine gun during World War I, and the war in Ukraine is showing constant iterative adaptation in both technology and tactics.
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