Acquisition
An unmanned aerial vehicle delivers a payload to the ballistic missile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson around the Hawaiian Islands, Oct. 19, 2020, during an event designed to test and evaluate the tactics, techniques and procedures of U.S. Strategic Command's expeditionary logistics and enhance the readiness of strategic forces. (Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Devin M. Langer)
Drones Are IEDs That Fly
Pete Newell, Uncommon Leadership
The United States military is currently failing to address the drone threat because it treats the challenge as a technical engineering puzzle rather than a cycle-time gap. Drawing parallels to the counter-IED efforts in Afghanistan, the author argues that while acquisition processes have been reformed to field technology faster, the Pentagon still lacks the "front end" and "back end" ownership necessary to detect and define evolving problems from the tactical edge or assess and distribute lessons at operational speed.
Fabrication at the Tactical Edge
Aubry J. Eaton and Dustin T. Thomas, Joint Force Quarterly
Fabrication at the Tactical Edge (FATE) is a strategic shift toward decentralized battlefield manufacturing using 3D printing and artificial intelligence. By moving production directly to the front lines, the military can bypass slow, centralized acquisition cycles to design and deploy mission-specific equipment, such as drones, in under 24 hours. This approach aims to neutralize the technological advantages of adversaries like the People's Republic of China by making U.S. forces more unpredictable and resilient against anti-access threats.
Innovation
A Mobile User Object System antenna replacement mast created by Lance Cpl. Eirick Schule. (Staff Sgt. Makayla Elizalde/Marine Corps)
Marine lance corporal develops $10 solution to $5,600 antenna problem
Daniel Terrill, Navy Times
A junior Marine leveraged 3D-printing technology to develop a $10 replacement for a fragile $5,600 antenna component, drastically reducing costs and logistics delays across the fleet. This success highlights the Marine Corps' strategic pivot toward decentralized, in-house innovation to solve persistent maintenance and supply chain challenges.
- Slashing Supply Delays: The innovation eliminates a staggering 220-day wait time for replacement parts, allowing units to restore critical communications capabilities immediately rather than waiting months for traditional logistics.
- Tapping Hidden Talent: Despite his initial assignment as an armory custodian, Schule’s background as a CNC machine operator was identified by his superiors, leading to his enrollment in additive manufacturing courses at the II MEF Innovation Campus.
- Proven Durability: The replacement mast underwent rigorous refinement and successfully survived a month-long field exercise, proving that low-cost, 3D-printed parts can meet military performance standards.
- Fleet-Wide Impact: With over 100 masts already produced by the II MEF Innovation Campus, the initiative has already saved an estimated $600,000 and addressed a systemic issue that previously accounted for over $1 million in damaged equipment.
Defense & Strategy
U.S. Air Force illustrative photo by Staff Sgt. Solomon Cook via DVIDs
Your Defense Code Is Already AI-Generated. Now What?
Markus Sandelin, War on the Rocks
National security organizations must stop debating whether to permit AI-assisted programming and instead focus on managing the AI-generated code already embedded throughout their software supply chains. Tools like GitHub, Copilot and Claude Code have created an untraceable algorithmic monoculture, where a single vulnerability in a foundational model can propagate risks across millions of systems simultaneously. Because banning these tools is functionally unenforceable and often drives usage underground, the text emphasizes that traditional human oversight is failing. Institutional honesty and a robust verification infrastructure are the only way to maintaining structural defensibility.
Government Reports
An Iowa Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter picks up a historic F-80 fighter jet from the Air National Guard paint facility in Sioux City, Iowa, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot)
Future Vertical Lift: Senior Leaders Restructured the Army Aviation Portfolio to Reduce Costs
Government Accountability Office
Audit of Navy Defective Parts and Contractor Restitution
Inspector General of the US Department of Defense
Financial Audit: FY 2025 and FY 2024 Consolidated Financial Statements of the U.S. Government
Government Accountability Office
U.S. Military Operations Against Iran: Munitions and Missile Defense
Congressional Research Service
Research
U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft crewmen assigned to Special Boat Team 22 conduct live-fire drills on the riverine training range at John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss., March 4, 2009.
Challenges to Innovation at the Naval Surface Warfare Centers
William "Billy" Carver, Naval Postgraduate School
The Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Centers are slated for providing innovative, cost-effective solutions for the Warfighter, but how innovative are the Centers compared to industry and commercial, and how can the Centers be improved? This study explored the topic with a mixed qualitative and quantitative analysis focused on a scoped definition of innovation and successful innovation practices with source material solely from publicly available sources, and ties together a comparative picture of government versus successful commercial entities. The study groups and categorizes observations into a scoring table revealing the Warfare Centers are deeply constrained, and provides a basis of measure for the current state and future measures that could be used to understand the innovation potential of the Centers or other entities. Additional recommendations are provided to enable realignment of the Warfare Centers and other government research entities to successful innovative organizations.
Bridging Academia, Industry, and the DOW: Developing an Innovation Accelerator at NPS
Kristofer T. DeVault, Naval Postgraduate School
Defense innovation in the United States remains constrained by slow acquisition cycles, fragmented programs, and underused human capital. The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) hosts a unique population of operationally experienced officers whose potential contributions to innovation are under-utilized. This thesis explored how an independent, third-party startup accelerator adjacent to NPS could bridge that gap. Using qualitative research and stakeholder interviews across defense, academia, and industry, it evaluates the feasibility and potential impact of such an accelerator. Findings indicate that a legally separate but closely affiliated accelerator could serve as a critical bridge across the “valley of death,” linking early-stage concepts to fielded capabilities.
Integrating Innovation into U.S. Department of War Requirements Reform
Jim Mignano, Ryan Consaul, et al, RAND
This RAND research report investigates how the Pentagon can modernize its outdated requirements system by successfully absorbing modern technological advancements. The authors argue that while the military currently possesses a vibrant ecosystem of inventors, these efforts often suffer from fragmented governance and a lack of clear pathways toward long-term implementation. To bridge the gap between creative experimentation and actual battlefield deployment, the authors propose a separate-but-connected model that preserves the speed of innovators while enforcing the structural oversight necessary for national security.
Events
Defense Manufacturing Conference
30 March - 2 April 2026
Orlando, Florida
Sea-Air-Space
Navy League of the United States
19-22 April 2026
National Harbor, Maryland
Xponential USA
11-14 May 2026
Detroit, MI
Converge @ NPS
Naval Postgraduate School Foundation
22-24 July 2026
2026 Air and Space Summit
Potomac Officers Club
30 July 2026
One more thing...
"Billie's Morning Bath." Sailors washing a goat mascot on board a U.S. Navy battleship, circa 1907-1908. Note Marines looking in the left-center background, one armed with a Krag-Jorgensen rifle. This view may have been taken during the Great White Fleet world cruise. Collection of Chief Quartermaster John Harold (NH 101549).
Goats and the U.S. Navy
Naval History and Heritage Command
Goats have evolved from essential, sea-hardy livestock into iconic mascots that define the traditions and leadership culture of the U.S. Navy. This enduring relationship spans centuries, influencing everything from athletic rivalries to the specialized terminology used for Chief Petty Officer quarters.
- Fresh Shipboard Sustenance: During the 18th and 19th centuries, goats provided a reliable source of meat and milk.
- Superior Sea Legs: While other livestock like oxen and sheep struggled with scurvy and the physical rigors of maritime life, goats were the only animals capable of maintaining their health and balance aboard ships in all weather conditions.
- Iconic Mascots: By the 20th century, the role of goats shifted from the galley to the heart of naval tradition, where they served as pets and morale boosters for crews on long deployments. The Navy's first goat mascot, El Cid, was the pet aboard the cruiser New York.
- Gridiron Good Luck: The U.S. Naval Academy's goat mascot originated in 1893 when New York crew members brought the goat El Cid to Annapolis for the Army-Navy game. The Navy won, and midshipmen attributed the victory to El Cid's presence at the game.
- Livestock Oversight: When the rank of Chief Petty Officer was established in 1893, these senior leaders were officially charged with overseeing the ship’s livestock, which were often housed in pens located directly within the chiefs' quarters
- The Goat Locker: Today the Chief Petty Officers' mess and berthing are still nicknamed the "Goat Locker."
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