Data Decrees

In May 2021, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued a set of five "DOW Data Decrees" to create a data advantage across the force, directing all DOW leaders to ensure that DOW data is visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable and secure.

Responsible AI Memo

In May 2021, the deputy defense secretary issued the Responsible AI Memo, which established and directed the DOW's holistic, integrated and disciplined approach to RAI.

Responsible AI (RAI) Strategy and Implementation (S&I) Pathway

In June 2022, the deputy defense secretary announced the RAI Strategy and Implementation Pathway, the DOW’s strategic approach for advancing RAI and operationalizing the DOW AI Ethical Principles.

DOW Directive 3000.09

In January 2023, the department updated DOW Directive 3000.09, Autonomy in Weapon Systems, originally published in 2012, signaling DOW’s continuing commitment to safe and responsible leadership when it comes to the development and fielding of AI and autonomous systems.

Innovation Steering Group

In March 2021, the deputy defense secretary established the Innovation Steering Group to advise department leadership on science, technology, technology transition and related matters. Since then, the ISG mapped the sprawling defense innovation ecosystem to understand the DOW’s innovation capabilities and gaps, launched the DOW’s front door website for new companies and talent to easily discover DOW innovation opportunities, stood up the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve program and built the foundation of the 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy. The ISG also spurred new commitments by the services to reinvest in their research, test and lab infrastructure and increased coordination on technology protection programs, particularly in support of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

AI and Data Acceleration Initiative

In June 2021, the deputy defense secretary created the DOW AI and Data Acceleration initiative to dispatch operational data teams to all 11 combatant commands to decrease the barrier to entry for data projects at combatant commands and to deliver data-centric capability to the warfighter. Since then, ADA teams have supported efforts across the global enterprise. For example:

• The U.S. European Command ADA team supported the creation of an Airlift Mission Tracker which allowed EUCOM, NATO and other partner organizations to have common situational awareness on orders and missions in transit, in near real-time, in support of the EUCOM Control Center-Ukraine/International Donor Coordination Centre.
• The U.S. Transportation Command ADA team supported the creation of an app using advanced analytics and effective data ingestion and management to create a common operating picture of vessels carrying equipment, supplies or personnel.

Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office

In February 2022, the DOW consolidated the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Project Maven, the Chief Data Officer, Defense Digital Services and the enterprise data analytics platform Advana to create the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office as a principal staff assistant to the secretary of defense and deputy defense secretary on all matters related to data and AI. CDAO leads and oversees the DOW’s progress on AI and data-modernization as well as delivers data-centric capabilities and support to the Joint Force. For example:

• CDAO has since established the framework and roadmap necessary to achieve an AI-enabled military, as well as the AI hierarchy of needs, defining the incremental steps to success.
• CDAO has established industry-leading guidelines for the development of RAI and led the deputy defense secretary’s adoption of the RAI S&I pathway.
• CDAO continues to work closely with our allies and partners to ensure a coordinated approach to AI development, sponsoring the 16-nation Partnership for Defense and continuously engaging with our NATO and Five Eyes Alliance partners.

Innovation Ecosystem

In November 2022, the deputy defense secretary launched the Innovation Ecosystem initiative to focus the DOW’s innovation leaders on the task of removing systemic barriers that prohibit a healthy, competitive, innovation ecosystem. This effort identified nearly 50 of the most critical pain points that companies, universities and innovators are experiencing — each one representing a variety of individual obstructions to innovation. For instance, in order to better-align science and technology and acquisitions processes the Innovation Ecosystem initiative launched a Transition Tracking Action Group to understand which technologies transition from research, development and acquisitions into the hands of the warfighter.

Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability

In December 2022, the DOW stood up the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, a multiple-award contract vehicle that will provide the DOW the opportunity to acquire commercial cloud capabilities and services directly from the commercial cloud service providers at the speed of mission, at all classification levels, from headquarters to the tactical edge.

• The DOW has awarded 13 cloud task orders with an updated total lifecycle amount now over $200 million with 57 other packages in the process for award. The CIO has nine Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control packages in processing.

Office of Strategic Capital

In December 2022, the secretary of defense established the Office of Strategic Capital to develop, integrate and implement proven partnered capital strategies to align and scale investment in critical technologies for national security.

• In December 2022, the secretary of defense and SBA Administrator launched the Small Business Investment Company- Critical Technologies initiative via a letter of intent.
• In August 2023, the deputy defense secretary hosted the SBA administrator to highlight President Joe Biden’s AM Forward Initiative, as well as discuss collectively advancing critical technology and manufacturing priorities vital to national security and the potential of the SBA’s SBIC program to help entrepreneurs overcome any barriers to access.

Task Force Lima

In August 2023, the deputy defense secretary directed the organization of Task Force Lima in analyze and integrate generative AI tools, such as large language models across the DOW, while helping to minimize risk and redundancy.

Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve

In October 2021, the secretary of defense established the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve initiative to expand multi-DOW component experimentation in a structured, multi-year campaign of learning to accelerate new capabilities to fill critical joint warfighting capability gaps.

• In 2023, RDER prototypes participated in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Northern Edge 23. In collaboration with the services and the Indo-Pacific Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense validated many promising prototypes and will begin scaling systems for full adoption across the department. Approximately 70% of RDER 23-1 projects are highly likely to transition with three projects exceeding performance expectations at Northern Edge.
• For battle management, the RDER program has evaluated systems with the services that fuse sensor data across the battlespace. This enables, for example, Marines performing Pacific Island maneuvers to exploit long range Army or Air Force fires. For command and control and resilient communications, the RDER program has successfully evaluated the capabilities to execute command and control in contested radio frequency environments.

Program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies

In December 2021, Congress established and funded the pilot Program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies in the FY22 NDAA to expeditiously transition technologies from development into production, and to accelerate the fielding of those technologies to the warfighter. In FY22, APFIT awarded $100 million across 10 DOW programs, followed by $150 million across 11 DOW programs in FY23. This funding is helping to deliver war-winning capability 1-2 years earlier than scheduled while contributing to the health of the US Industrial base through investments in small business and nontraditional defense developed capabilities.

• Using APFIT funding, the Marine Corps is establishing a fully automated production line and will begin initial procurement of communication terminals capable of integrating with the latest Low Earth Orbit and Mid Earth Orbit satellite constellations.
• U.S. Special Operations Command successfully used APFIT funding to accelerate the procurement of fixed-wing small unmanned aerial systems with integrated vertical take-off and landing capabilities.
• The Air Force utilized APFIT funding to procure upgraded electro optical/infrared cameras for improved airspace awareness. After successful development through the Defense Innovation Unit, APFIT funding was used to ensure transition into a DOW program of record.

Global Information Dominance Experiments

In January 2023, CDAO relaunched the Global Information Dominance Experiments expanding collaboration across combatant commands and international partners to iteratively test, measure, optimize and field CJADC2 solutions.

• Through experimentation, CDAO and GIDE established a base line of current CDADC2 capabilities at the combatant command and Joint Staff levels. It was discovered that a rapid experimentation approach for capability development is not only possible, but it allows quick learning, immediate warfighter feedback and tangible advancements in CJADC2.
• For the first time, GIDE enabled software-based collaboration among the combatant commands, Joint Staff and a FVEY partner from that partner’s sovereign networks connected with our own.
• GIDE connected J2 intelligence data and workflows to J3 operations and J4 logistics information for better and faster decisions, and connected existing software and data programs of record to new and emerging software for experimentation with initial CJADC2 capabilities.

Middle Tier of Acquisition and Software Acquisition Pathway

Following the publishing of initial policy guidance in October 2020, the DOW has continued to prioritize modernizing the acquisition system by developing new pathways for Middle Tier Acquisition and Software Acquisition.

• Since the initial policy guidance was published in October 2020, DOW accelerated 37 programs under the Software Acquisition Pathway, spending $3.3 billion through the end of FY22. This includes nine in the Navy, 11 in the Air Force, five in the Army and 12 in other DOW components. Adoption of the SWP is fostering active and early user-stakeholder collaboration, as well as driving continuous process improvement to lean processes and accelerate delivery cadence. 75% of SWP programs are delivering on cadences less than six months.
• With more than 130 active programs across DOW and a total spend of more than $76 billion to date, components are using the MTA pathway to responsibly accelerate technology maturation and transition to the field. Larger programs, such as the Army’s M10 Booker Combat Vehicle (formerly known as Mobile Protected Firepower), are using a hybrid approach to prototype and refine requirements, leveraging MTAs, before transitioning to another pathway.

CDAO Tradewinds Acquisition Ecosystem

CDAO developed the Tradewinds Acquisition Ecosystem, which currently houses six contract vehicles:

• The CDAO Tradewinds OT
• Data for AI Development BOA
• Test & Evaluation BPA
• AI Talent Management BOA
• TryAI CSO
• Solutions Marketplace

Of note, the OSD IP Cadre recommended the Tradewinds OT as a case study for the NDAA 2023 section 801 IP pilot program. The CDAO Tradewinds OT provides an end-to-end acquisition solution that is tailored to meet the AI needs of DOW components focused on rapid contracting processes.

Other Transactions and Commercial Solutions Openings

In July 2023, the department published an update to the DOW Other OT Guide. In August 2023, the department published a final rule, Defense Commercial Solutions Opening (DFARS Case 2022-D006), amending the DFARS to implement FY22 NDAA section 803 and FY23 NDAA section 814. The department leverages innovative contracting techniques such as Other Transactions and Commercial Solutions Openings to access innovative companies and technologies. CSOs are a merit-based bid selection strategy for acquiring late-stage research and development or other innovative technologies by providing a means to reduce the burden for commercial companies to compete, as well as for the department to rapidly move to award of either FAR-based contracts or OTs.

• In FY22, 92% of OT prototype project obligations went to non-traditional defense contractors. The vast majority (80%) of FY 2022 OT obligations were under the Research and Development category.

Competitive Advantage Pathfinders

In April 2022, the DOW stood up the Competitive Advantage Pathfinders to overcome bureaucratic and cultural barriers to delivering capabilities at scale to the warfighter.

• The first six pathfinder programs have highlighted innovative approaches across the department, yielding a set of actionable recommendations aimed at institutionalizing lessons-learned and enduring policy reforms, while also accelerating the capability deliveries by an average of two to four years. In most cases, these programs are executing without any additional funding, instead focusing on modular, open systems approaches to enable acceleration through streamlined development and cross-Service integration.
• As one example, the Navy and Air Force are developing a capability that will miniaturize the ship-based electronic attack module called Medusa, for use in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The new capability, aptly called Pegasus, compacts the ship-based system into a size, weight and power that is suitable for aviation platforms. Leveraging the CAPs approach, the time from funding availability through development completion is estimated to be three years ahead of schedule.

Defense Innovation Unit 3.0

In April 2023, the secretary of defense elevated the Defense Innovation Unit to be a direct report, kicking off the third iteration of the department’s flagship innovation cell. DIU continues to demonstrate that the DOW is capable of sourcing and scaling cutting-edge commercial technologies to solve the most critical operational problems.

• In fiscal year 2022, DIU turned 17 prototype contracts into products ordered by other DOW agencies to the tune of $1.3 billion. That doubled its 2021 effort and brought DIU’s total to 52 follow-on contracts to 48 companies worth a total of $4.9 billion. Sixteen of those technologies have become programs of record. DIU awarded 81 new prototype contracts worth about $205 million in FY22. In fiscal year 2023, DIU has continued to accelerate with an additional 323 contractual actions that have totaled $261 million in obligated funding ($27 million from DIU and $234 million from DOW partners).
• In 2022, DIU also launched several initiatives to expand the adoption of flexible contracting tools and acumen across the DOW, namely with (1) Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program, (2) pilot project with the Air Force’s Program Executive Office Digital, and (3) new acquisition pathways for government entities to buy commercial solutions with General Services Administration.