26
January 2023
Past Event
Software Defines Tactics: Fielding Transformational Capability without Transforming Acquisition

Event will air on this page.

Software Defines Tactics: Fielding Transformational Capability without Transforming Acquisition

Past Event
Hudson Institute
January 26, 2023
Software Defines Tactics
Caption
An employee of the company EnterVR uses the training simulator VR Shield by the company on the first day of the ITEC fair for military and weapons technology in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 15, 2018.
26
January 2023
Past Event

Event will air on this page.

Speakers:
James Geurts

Executive Vice Chairman, Sarcos Technology and Robotics and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition

dan_patt
Dan Patt

Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology

bryan_clark
Bryan Clark

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology

Key Takeaways

 

1. Currently, military-technical competitive advantage is driven more by software, data, and artificial intelligence and the new tactics they enable than by bent metal and physics. Software is the glue that binds our military professionals and systems together, and digital data increasingly defines the loop between development and operations.

2. The Department of Defense needs to allocate resources and manage programs in ways that recognize the central role of software—not legacy ships, aircraft, and vehicles—in controlling the speed and efficacy of modern kill chains and imposing military dilemmas.

3. Acquisition leaders can lead this change without overhauling law or regulation by building organizations and pipelines that can change code change quickly and securely, dividing complex software development efforts into manageable chunks that remain interoperable, and infusing projects with digital talent, security practices, ongoing learning and improvement, and user feedback.

 

 

View Transcript

A decade ago venture capitalist Marc Andreessen argued that software was eating the world. Today the US military is wrestling with that reality as defense systems, like consumer electronics, increasingly derive their capability from algorithms and digital data. But exploiting the opportunities in software-derived capabilities will require the Pentagon to move beyond its industrial model of acquisition to embrace new approaches that enable integrating development and operations through a program’s lifetime.

Please join Hudson Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Dan Patt for a discussion on the new Hudson report Software Defines Tactics and how the Pentagon can field software-defined capabilities without waiting for acquisition reform. The panel will include former DoD Chief Software Officer Jason Weiss and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy James “Hondo” Geurts.

Related Events
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
Getty Images
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet

A panel of experts will discuss how the Japanese government should approach domestic political questions, its partnership with America, and Japan’s role in the world.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young

Hudson will welcome Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) to discuss their proposal to restore America’s shipping and shipbuilding industries to help deter Chinese aggression.

Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Strategy in Motion: The Policies and Tactics of Modern Warfare | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Garrett Exner
Rachel Mackey
Brendan McBreen
SIM
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Strategy in Motion: The Policies and Tactics of Modern Warfare | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program

The Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program gathers talented early career professionals for advanced study of American foreign and domestic policy and national security, led by policy experts and experienced government officials.

SIM
Featured Speakers:
Garrett Exner
Rachel Mackey
Brendan McBreen
01
May 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba’s Kleptocracy: How It Works and Why It Matters for US Policy
Featured Speakers:
John Suarez
Nora Gámez Torres
Daniel Batlle
Moderator:
Nate Sibley
Getty Images
01
May 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba’s Kleptocracy: How It Works and Why It Matters for US Policy

As the Trump administration indicates a “tough” new approach toward Havana, join Hudson for an expert discussion on how kleptocracy operates in Cuba and its implications for American policy.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
John Suarez
Nora Gámez Torres
Daniel Batlle
Moderator:
Nate Sibley