Dan Patt

Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology

National Security and Defense Defense Strategy
dan_patt

At A Glance:

Dan Patt is a senior fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology. His work at Hudson focuses on the role of information and innovation in national security.

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Biography

Dan Patt is a senior fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology. His experience is at the intersection of technology, business, and national security strategy. His work at Hudson focuses on the role of information and innovation in national security.

Dr. Patt supports strategy at the artificial intelligence company STR and supports Thomas H. Lee Partners’ automation and technology investment practice. He has more than 15 years of experience operationalizing emerging technology, including artificial intelligence, networked information systems, robotics, supply chain automation, and enterprise information technology. He holds advisory board roles at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Andrew W. Marshall Foundation.

Previously, Dr. Patt co-founded and was CEO of Vecna Robotics, a commercial venture-backed warehouse robotics and workflow orchestration company. Dr. Patt also served as deputy director for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO), managing more than $400 million in annual technology investments in robust distributed systems architectures in a technology portfolio including battle management, command and control; communications and networking; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and electronic warfare. At DARPA he launched the Mosaic Warfare initiative. In 2017, Dr. Patt supported the deputy secretary of defense in leading an effort to define a new modernization initiative for the Department of Defense as part of the 2018 National Defense Strategy effort.

Dr. Patt previously held technical and leadership positions in the automotive and aerospace industries, focusing on emerging technology, including automation and human-machine integration. He was a MassTechnology Council CEO of the year honoree for emerging technology companies, is a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Honoree, and is the recipient of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Achievement Award in recognition of his work developing and fielding advanced situational awareness software and networking tools in support of combat operations.

Dr. Patt received his BA, MS, and PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.

Events
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22
November 2022
Past Event
Exploiting Commercial Innovation to Regain Military Advantage: A Conversation with Congressman Seth Moulton
Featured Speakers:
Representative Seth Moulton
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
F35
22
November 2022
Past Event
Exploiting Commercial Innovation to Regain Military Advantage: A Conversation with Congressman Seth Moulton

Please join Hudson Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Dan Patt for a conversation with Representative Seth Moulton regarding the challenges and opportunities facing the US Department of Defense.

Tuesday 12:00 - 1:00PM
F35
Featured Speakers:
Representative Seth Moulton
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
Learn More
13
October 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | Exploiting a Hidden Window of Opportunity to Deter a Conflict over Taiwan
Featured Speakers:
Dan Patt
Michael Brown
Michele Flournoy
taiwan taipei beijing china helicopter
13
October 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | Exploiting a Hidden Window of Opportunity to Deter a Conflict over Taiwan

While the 2018 National Defense Strategy and the updated 2022 National Defense Strategy emphasize the urgent need to deter a conflict in the Pacific, most plans involve shoring up military capacity immediately or waiting for new, modernized weapons.

Thursday 10:00 - 11:00AM
taiwan taipei beijing china helicopter
Featured Speakers:
Dan Patt
Michael Brown
Michele Flournoy
Learn More
07
October 2022
Past Event
Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
Featured Speakers:
Bryan Clark
Chris Miller
Dan Patt
An employee works on the production line of LED epitaxial wafer on March 25, 2022, in Jiangsu Province, China. (Zhao Qirui/VCG via Getty Images)
07
October 2022
Past Event
Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology

With more than half of all semiconductors and nearly all high-end chips coming from Taiwan or South Korea, disruptions are likely and can have devastating economic consequences.

Friday 11:30 - 1:00PM
An employee works on the production line of LED epitaxial wafer on March 25, 2022, in Jiangsu Province, China. (Zhao Qirui/VCG via Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Bryan Clark
Chris Miller
Dan Patt
Learn More
21
September 2022
Past Event
Gaining Decision Advantage: Modernizing Air Force Command and Control for Deterrence and Combat
Featured Speakers:
Brigadier General Jeffrey Valenzia
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
US Air Force Capt. Ross Kohler closes the canopy of an F-15 before take-off during Exercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, on August 24, 2022. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters)
21
September 2022
Past Event
Gaining Decision Advantage: Modernizing Air Force Command and Control for Deterrence and Combat

The US military faces an adversary in China with the geographic, technological, and industrial strength to meet and potentially exceed the capability

Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00AM
US Air Force Capt. Ross Kohler closes the canopy of an F-15 before take-off during Exercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, on August 24, 2022. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters)
Featured Speakers:
Brigadier General Jeffrey Valenzia
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
Learn More
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5g
An UH-60 Blackhawk flies over the runway during a series of 5G avionics tests on March 2,
2022, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (US Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs)
Reports
Exploiting the Fast-Follower Advantage: Making 5G the Ultimate Parts Bin and Adopting a Commercial-First Approach to Military Acquisition
bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark & Dan Patt
Reports
11 Min Read
drone software military technology
Personnel from a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare command operate an R80D SkyRaider drone during a training exercise on Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska, on September 13, 2022. (US Navy Photo by Alex Smedegard)
Commentary
Software Engineers Could Show the Pentagon How to End ‘Innovation Theater’
bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark & Dan Patt
Commentary
4 Min Read
Kessel Run shares its "Mad Hatter" software with the "Green Mountain Boys" of the Vermont National Guard in South Burlington on February 12, 2020. (US Air National Guard photo by Miss Julie M. Shea)
Kessel Run shares its "Mad Hatter" software with the "Green Mountain Boys" of the Vermont National Guard in South Burlington on February 12, 2020. (US Air National Guard photo by Miss Julie M. Shea)
Commentary
Kessel Run Shows How to Bridge the Gap between Development and Operations
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Default Expert Image
Brian Beachkofski
Former Commander, Kessel Run
Dan Patt & Brian Beachkofski
Commentary
11 Min Read
A F-22 Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing flies alongside a F-35 Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing over the Emerald Coast. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt Savanah Bray)
A F-22 Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing flies alongside a F-35 Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing over the Emerald Coast. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt Savanah Bray)
Reports
Building a Team for Next Generation Air Dominance
bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark & Dan Patt
Reports
7 Min Read
A Marine simulates providing security for an amphibious landing in Appari, Philippines, March 28, 2022, during Balikatan, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Philippines. (Photo by United States Marine Corps)
A Marine simulates providing security for an amphibious landing in Appari, Philippines, March 28, 2022, during Balikatan, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Philippines. (Photo by United States Marine Corps)
Commentary
The Pentagon Must ‘Campaign’ Against China, Not Hope for a Goal-Line Stand
bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark & Dan Patt
Commentary
4 Min Read
A member of the 321st Contingency Response Squadron security team stands next to a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype during the Advanced Battle Management System exercise on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Sept. 1, 2020. (US Air Force)
A member of the 321st Contingency Response Squadron security team stands next to a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype during the Advanced Battle Management System exercise on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Sept. 1, 2020. (US Air Force)
Reports
One-Size-Fits-None: Overhauling JADC2 to Prioritize the Warfighter and Exploit Adversaries’ Weaknesses
bryan_clark
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
dan_patt
dan_patt
Dan Patt
Senior Fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology
Bryan Clark & Dan Patt
Reports
4 Min Read