The U.S. Army is undergoing a generational transformation of its innovation enterprise to dominate in an era of unprecedented technological disruption and Great Power competition.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology, Chris Manning, detailed the Army's strategy to optimize its innovation by balancing traditional Science and Technology (S&T) pipelines with agile, venture-capital-inspired models. This includes realigning funding in FY25-FY27, organizing innovation into Technology, Product, and Operational Capability Innovation, and establishing Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) with System Centers to eliminate the "Valley of Death" between research and acquisition. The Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT), operating with a venture capitalist mindset through Army FUZE, rapidly fields prototypes by engaging non-traditional defense contractors and leveraging programs like xTech competitions and SBIR. A recent example is the rapid deployment of the American-made Merops counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) in late 2025 to NATO's Eastern Flank following incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace, demonstrating the PIT's agility and integration. The Army aims to ensure technological overmatch and remain the world's most powerful land force by synchronizing efforts with Department of War and Administration priorities.
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