WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Congressman Pat Ryan (D-NY), founding co-chairs of the House Defense Modernization Caucus, announced several key wins they secured to bolster the defense innovation ecosystem in the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2024. Wittman and Ryan led efforts to streamline and accelerate the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Authority to Operate (ATO) process, expand rapid hire authority for DoD innovation engines, and increase access to classified space for startup and scaleup companies. The next meeting of the House Defense Modernization Caucus is planned for February 2025, in concert with Silicon Valley Defense Group.
“The Department of Defense must become a software-centric organization. Our industry counterparts need a demand signal – the Pentagon is open for business,” said Congressman Wittman. “We want new ideas, we want disruptive technologies, and we want to expand our defense industrial base. We need to take smart risks and smart bets to make this happen. I’m proud of everything the House Defense Modernization Caucus achieved in its first year in pursuit of this goal, but we know the work is far from over. To our partners, I offer this: bring us your ideas, tell us about your challenges, work with us to accelerate innovation across the DoD. We do not have any time to waste.”
“We founded the House Defense Modernization Caucus to push the DoD to do more and do better at working with innovative companies to partner, develop, and deploy technologies that will change the game. From bolstering the DoD’s innovation engines to providing flexibility in contracting to driving the adoption of COTS solutions, we did just that in this year’s NDAA,” said Congressman Ryan. “But we cannot take our foot off the gas. We’re at an inflection point, and our adversaries are watching closely. The investments we make and the policies we enact will determine where we win or lose on the future battlefield. We’re going to hit the ground running in 2025 to make next year’s NDAA the most innovative and disruptive in history.
Co-chairs Wittman and Ryan successfully fought for initiatives that will:
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Improve and streamline DoD’s processes for the Authority to Operate (ATO) to reduce deployment time for key technologies
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Increase the ability of DoD to attract, employ, and retain top talent and expertise in technology innovation
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Establish a pilot program for access to shared classified commercial infrastructure
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Improve training of the DoD’s acquisition workforce to increase efficiency and drive commercial off-the shelf (COTS) solutions
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Require procurement for unmanned aircraft systems use separate, parallel acquisition pathways for hardware and software
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Allow the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) to conduct competitive demonstrations of large and extra-large unmanned underwater vehicles
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Mitigate risk and protect from cyber attacks on mobile devices used by the DoD
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Streamline approval processes for major defense acquisition programs and ensure appropriate market research of commercial products and solutions
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Require development of a strategic plan for the growth of quantum information sciences (QIS) technologies within DoD
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Establish a National Security Capital Forum to better leverage private capital to improve national defense capabilities and outcomes
The co-chairs also secured directive report language requiring feedback from the DoD on the following:
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How DoD plans to scale Combined Joint All Domain Command & Control (CJADC2) mission applications
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How the Navy plans to incorporate commercially available unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), including UUVs validated during the DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) prototyping
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How DoD’s chief innovation officer (CIO) plans to embed cloud security solutions into the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (JWCC)
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How military departments plan to resource, transition, and scale advanced, AI-enabled, combat-validated unmanned air system (UAS) defeat capabilities to the conventional force
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DIU and Defense Acquisition University (DAU)’s immersive commercial acquisition program and opportunities for expansion
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DoD’s ability to work in partnership with the service academies, especially in terms of research and innovation entities
Reps. Wittman and Ryan founded the Defense Modernization Caucus earlier this year to advance the national security ecosystem through the integration and adoption of emergent technologies. Wittman serves as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and as chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee. Ryan serves as vice-ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.
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