DefenceTalkThe Defense Department relies on the entrepreneurial companies and their innovative, hard-working employees in the defense industrial base, or DIB, to create capabilities for warfighters. Through procurements from private-sector sources, the department leverages the best technologies and innovations to give service members the battlefield advantages they need to win decisively, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said. “DIB cybersecurity is and will remain an expanding […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-dod-focused-on-protecting-the-defense-industrial-base-from-cyber-threats-77841/

DefenceTalkThe threat of violent extremists attacking the United States or allies from Afghanistan has been greatly reduced over the past 20 years, and any remaining threat emanating from the country can be addressed without a persistent U.S. military presence there, DOD officials told the House Armed Services Committee today. President Joe Biden announced April 14 […]

DefenceTalkow is the time for decision makers, commanders and policymakers within the Defense Department to get on board with fully implementing artificial intelligence, the director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center said. Right now, said Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen, AI is being used in many places across the department — but not at […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe U.S. Air Force has added Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) to Platform One, an advanced software development program that aims to accelerate the development and deployment of new software applications for defense missions. Platform One is a standardized and widely-mandated Department of Defense (DoD) DevSecOps Infrastructure program used for future software development. It enables faster software […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lockheed-joins-us-dods-platform-one-devsecops-software-initiative-76743/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkA Ghost Fleet Overlord unmanned surface vessel, part of a partnership between the Defense Department’s Strategic Capabilities Office and the Navy, recently traveled a distance of more than 4,700 nautical miles, almost entirely autonomously. Afterward, it participated in exercise Dawn Blitz where it again spent nearly all of its underway time operating autonomously. “This is […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dods-autonomous-vessel-sails-through-transit-test-participates-in-exercise-dawn-blitz-76673/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkUS Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit India next week to strengthen the two countries’ alliance in the face of China’s strategic challenge. “India will well be the most consequential partner for us, in the IndoPacific for us for sure, in this century,” Esper said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-defense-diplomacy-chiefs-to-visit-india-for-talks-76494/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkBased on the current conditions in Afghanistan, the Defense Department expects there will be fewer than 5,000 U.S. military service members in that country by the end of November, said David F. Helvey, who is currently performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. “We’ve long maintained that our force presence […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-dod-anticipates-significant-troop-reduction-in-afghanistan-76380/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe US Department of Defense said Friday it is sticking with its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, despite Amazon’s claims that President Donald Trump improperly influenced the process. After a second look at proposals for the “JEDI” cloud computing contract, the Pentagon concluded anew that Microsoft is the preferred […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-military-sticks-with-microsoft-for-10-bn-cloud-contract-76272/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe Defense Department is developing directed energy weapons – high-powered lasers and microwaves – in concert with industry in a way designed to achieve optimal outcomes. Two DOD officials discussed the importance of developing an efficient and effective modular open system architecture, or MOSA, at the Booz Allen Hamilton-sponsored Directed Energy Series today: Chris Behre, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-defense-officials-discuss-framework-for-advancing-directed-energy-weapons-76165/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkOne of the Defense Department’s top priorities is developing hypersonic weapons capability, a particularly important goal, considering recent developments in this area by near-peer competitors China and Russia, the assistant director for hypersonics from the office of the undersecretary for research and engineering said. Mike White, who spoke at the Institute for Defense and Government […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-dod-on-aggressive-track-with-hypersonic-weapons-development-76000/