From the Editor-in-Chief I
t is a mainstay, a bromide of science fiction and movies: the lone inventor. Take one of the most recent solo scientists of sci-fi fame, Tony Stark, better known as “Iron Man.” Sure, he has a giant defense firm in the background making
something, but the endless power supply, the super suit, flying … Tony is the sole inventor, he does that all alone. It’s common in the movies, but not reality. A better analogy from moviedom for how things really work is the current blockbuster “Oppenheimer” (no, sorry, not Barbie). In Oppenheimer, a huge team of scien- tists work around the country, on different projects, toward the creation of an atomic bomb, culminating in the first nuclear deto- nation in history, known as the Trinity test, on July 16, 1945. It showed the innovation of America’s industrial base in creating the products, the vast cooperation between industry and government needed to make it possible and the Army overseeing the opera- tion to make it happen.
Te effects of this single event on acquisition principles, and World War II overall, can be seen in today’s U.S. national security enter- prise and the symbiotic relationship between the Army and the nation’s industrial base. Te Army of today, as well as the Army of 2030 and beyond, all depend upon the quality, strength and speed of the industrial base to produce and collaborate. Productive partnerships between industry (large and small), the Army staff, other services, academia, allies and partners must be cultivated. Te most recent example of the effectiveness and importance of a robust relationship between all parties is the continuing support that America is able to provide to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, as featured in our summer special edition, “Army Acqui- sition Support to Ukraine.” Army acquisition, at the direction of the Honorable Douglas R. Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)), is not only able to supply Ukraine with additional artillery, munitions, body armor, night vision devices, tanks (coming soon) and thousands of wheeled and tracked vehicles, but can do so while simultane- ously accelerating arms production output, restocking supplies and staying on track across more than 500 acquisition programs, with 30 programs in the middle tier of acquisition (to rapidly develop fieldable prototypes), 24 in the rapid prototyping phase, six rapid fielding initiatives and several new software acquisition programs in planning and execution phase. Phew!
It’s a massive effort with extraordinary results. How is this possible? By keeping the industrial base “warm,” fostering partnerships with academia and industry, the use of congressionally approved
acquisition “pathways” (middle tier of acquisition, software, etc.) to rapidly develop fieldable proto- types, xTech competitions to connect small businesses with the U.S. Army to spur innovation— essentially, by collaborating with an innovative industrial base, the theme of this issue.
Read all about great examples of collaboration and innovation in the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense’s “Fail Forward and Pivot” story, Page 68. Tis program involves private industry, DOD, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Army Corps of Engineers, just to name a few! Learn how the Vaccine Acceleration by Modular Progression program was designed to accelerate the delivery of interim and full capabilities against priority “viral” threats and enhance the warfighter’s biological body armor.
Email Nelson McCouch III @
armyalt@army.mil
Next, many ideas die on the vine due to administrative obstacles, often referred to as the valley of death. Learn how ASA(ALT)’s own Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) CATALYST program incentivizes collaboration with industry to overcome transition barriers and build the Army of 2030 in “Overcoming the Valley of Death,” Page 20.
And finally, almost everything nowadays has a cyber component. But what does the future hold? As the risk of cyberattacks increases and other capabilities come online, the Army is working with academia to address these and other emerging technology threats through the Army’s Pathfinder Program. Te Army is encouraging college students to pursue federal careers in cyberse- curity and emerging technology fields, as examined in “Defeating the Online Enemy,” Page 52. It’s worth a read.
Tese and many other interesting articles await you in this issue, as well as extended content on our website and social media sites. I encourage you to explore them all at
www.asc.army.mil. As always, if you have an idea for a story, have written one yourself or just want to comment, I encourage you to contact us at
armyalt@army.mil. We look forward to hearing from you.
Nelson McCouch III Editor-in-Chief
https://
asc.ar my.mil 3
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