House Lawmakers Propose Renaming, Expanding DoDs Top Tech Officer Role
Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Technology Heidi Shue speaks at a news conference announcing an initiative to establish an on-campus research center at historically black colleges and universities at the Pentagon, Washington, DC, June 27, 2022. (Photo by US Department of Defense Lisa Ferdinand)
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon's chief technology officer's duties could be expanded to include increased oversight of trade defense technology under a new role and title proposed in a key House subcommittee draft of the FY 2024 defense policy bill while i lawmakers push for a Department of Defense. the field is faster they gave us new equipment.
Upon the recommendation of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Cyber Security, Information Technology, and Innovation (CITI), the undersecretary of defense for research and technology will be reappointed undersecretary of defense for integration and technological innovation.
Under the bill released Monday, the position will be responsible for what it already does, including setting policies related to commercial technology and serving as chief adviser to the secretary of defense on commercial innovation. But the new assignment also requires the under secretary of state to " find an alternative path for integrating commercial technology into the agency that does not involve a collaborative process of integrating capabilities and systems development to acquire available technology for the commercial sector." ", even if that is not the case. This is true. clearly indicate what the alternative route should be.
The position of undersecretary of defense for research and technology is currently held by Heidi Shu, who leads all efforts and investments for the development of science and technology in the ministry. The bill states that the dog will have a new role and the proposed changes will go into effect within a year of the bill going into effect.
The expanded name will likely reflect what Shiu was already trying to do in his first two years on the job, when he led efforts to rapidly develop technologies and roll them out across the division. Last February, Shu listed 14 technology areas important to the Pentagon, including artificial intelligence, microelectronics and space technology, in a memo obtained by Breaking Defense.
Under another initiative beginning in 2021 to support future joint Department of Defense requirements called the Experimental Rapid Defense Reserve, Shu performs two "sprints" each year, considering 32 proposed areas. The first trial phase, which began this year, was dedicated to long-range shooting and included a joint project with the United Kingdom and Australia.
In May, the Department of Defense released its science and technology strategy, which echoes themes outlined in the article Shu has outlined in the past: “Work, develop and improve physical and digital infrastructure;
The subcommittee tasked Shiu with developing a strategy for how the Department of Defense can use intellectual property (IP) to "enhance" new technologies and capabilities to outwit adversaries. Lawmakers are asking Shaw to coordinate with the secretary of defense on how to use intellectual property in the department's research and engineering programs, as well as provide guidance "in the context of strategic competition, including hybrid warfare and deterrence."
The plan should also include how the Department of Defense plans to defend against intellectual property theft and "methods for encouraging innovation, scalable solutions, and the use of patents within the Department of Defense by creating a coordinated and interacting to identify, prioritize, develop and expand new capabilities." : and technology.
The bill also includes several non-mandatory elements of an IP strategy, such as developing an innovation warfare strategy that would "improve the DoD's technology base and develop tools to protect intellectual property" from adversaries, as well as recommendations for the policy change. .
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Technology position has historically overseen other Department of Defense agencies, including the Department of Defense Innovation. In April, the MoD announced that the DIU would leave this organizational structure and would now report directly to the MoD.
The HASC CITI Subcommittee bill also includes a provision codifying the Department of Defense's DIU reorganization, prompting lawmakers to agree on the importance of modern technology organizations to national defense. Lawmakers are asking DIU to submit a report on the agency's staffing table to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The report should also include a plan to "correct any staffing shortages identified during the evaluation" and "fund the actions needed to address those shortages".
