“Mod Squads” Report in March

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A group of technology “squads” exploring off-the-beaten-path approaches to keep the US military’s technology edge—the Long-Range Research and Development Program Plan of the Pentagon’s “third offset” strategy—will report in March, and their findings will inform the Fiscal 2017 defense R&D budget, Pentagon systems engineering chief Stephen Welby said Friday. Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon, Welby said a series of “five-to-six person squads” are reviewing a small mountain of suggestions that have come in from industry regarding novel technologies and operational concepts. Many of the ideas offered in response to a request for information issued a few months ago “are what you’d expect,” but a few have created some real excitement, Welby said, declining to discuss them. Those having singular merit will be pursued with a streamlined approach, aimed at putting new “tools” in the hands of combat forces in five to seven years and be available military-wide in 15 years, Welby said. Among the investigative areas are space, undersea, air dominance, strike, air and missile defense, and “other technology-driven” concepts. One key area where DOD needs help is “how we live in a world where others have precision-guided munitions” that can threaten the US and its allies at range, Welby noted. Machine autonomy and “big data” are key interest areas, he added.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org