Bridging the Valley of Death: Using Experimentation to Solve Operational Problems

The Pentagon has struggled for decades to get new technologies out of the lab and into the hands of operators. But the Department of Defense is now using experimentation to more rapidly assess new capabilities and integrate them into the force, efforts that accelerated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the department’s launch of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative. Congress wants to supercharge this Pentagon experimentation. The proposed SPEED Act aims to use the DoD’s experimentation- and integration-focused organizations and processes—rather than legacy capability-development programs—as the primary path for identifying and fielding solutions to commanders’ operational needs.

Please join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Bryan Clark, US defense officials, and industry leaders for an event highlighting the DoD’s recent accomplishments in translating concept to capability through experimentation in support of the nation’s most urgent military challenges.

Agenda

1:00 p.m. | Panel 1: Current Experimentation

• Joy Shanaberger, Chief Technology Officer, CENTCOM
• Dan Ermer, Director for Rapid Prototyping and Experimentation, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
• Capt. Raymond G. Stromberger, Joint Fires Division Chief, US Indo-Pacific Command
• Gary Western, Director of Engineering, Motorola Solutions
• David Schmolke, Vice President, Government Systems Networking Business, Viasat Inc.
• Yi Chao, Founder and CEO, Seatrec

Moderator

• Dan Lamothe, Journalist, Washington Post

2:30 p.m. | Panel 2: Future Role of Experimentation

• Rick Berger, Policy/Budget Director, Senate Armed Services Committee
• Gina Pizziconi, Professional Staff Member, House Appropriations Committee
• Alex Lovett, Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
• Dan Edwards, Chief Technology Officer, Platform Aerospace

Moderator

• Bryan Clark, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute