The Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Strategy sets out three main themes, according to Heidi Shyu, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (R&E).
The first point to consider is integrated deterrence. The R&E is trying to ensure that the joint force can operate smoothly across all domains, including air, land, sea, cyber, and space, as well as in collaboration with allies and partners. The R&E is also advancing several international partnerships, including those with Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, and NATO.
“Our foreign comparative test programme also promotes coalition interoperability and strengthens our shared defence industrial base. Our mission engineering division is using modelling and simulation to assess joint capability gaps, and how we’re integrating critical enabling technologies into mission architectures,” Shyu said.
The second theme is campaigning. This is dependent on R&E’s efforts to collaborate with interagency partners such as the Departments of Treasury and Commerce, the State Department, and the Small Business Administration.
The Rapid Defense Experimental Reserve programme has launched a continual joint experimentation effort to close gaps in joint warfighting capability. These collaborative experiments will be scenario-based and run in six-month cycles beginning next year.
This experimentation will encompass 14 essential warfighter technological areas. Biotechnology, quantum sciences, advanced materials, and future G, which are beyond 5G technologies, are among the technology fields under research.
Microelectronics, space technology, renewable energy, integrated network, systems of systems, advanced computers and software, human-machine interfaces, hypersonics, direct energy, and integrated sensing and cyber are all included.
The third topic is creating long-term benefits, as R&E works to find changes to speed the development and purchase of vital technologies, as well as to make significant labour investments.
The nation is bolstering the future defence innovation base by encouraging small enterprises, startups, and other atypical companies to collaborate with the department. Undersecretary Shyu also stressed the three main goals of the R&E:
First, the DOD is harnessing the outstanding scientific and technology innovation community in the United States to solve the department’s biggest operational and engineering difficulties via cross-service solutions.
Second, R&E is laying the groundwork for attracting and constructing a strong and capable future technical workforce that will work in modernised laboratories and testing facilities.
University-affiliated research centres financed by R&E and nationally-funded research and development centres focus on cutting-edge technologies such as space dynamics, system engineering, applied physics, software engineering, and geophysical detection.
Shyu said that the department also collaborates with colleges and universities and other minority institutions to recruit underrepresented talent.
The department is committed to developing a risk-taking and innovative culture. They feel that the future depends on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals, hence they must invest in different talent streams for the defence innovation base.
Success via teamwork is the third main point. To improve its foundation, the Defense Department collaborates with partners across the technological ecosystem. The work performed by the basic research office and by all of them is fundamental to the United States sustained technological dominance.
Fundamental research is a major component of R&E. Collaboration is a fundamental component of every system that they employ; hence, it is essential for the development of original and innovative ideas.
The United States Department of Defense is an executive branch department charged with organising and directing all government departments and services directly linked to national security and the United States Armed Forces.
As of 2021, the Department of Defense is the largest employer in the world, with over 1,4 million active-duty service members, including soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and guards.