Dan Yo

Dual-Use Technologies - A short-term phenomenon or a long-term trend? 💹 Lately we hear a lot about DefenseTech and Dual-Use - Why? 💫 What happened? The world 🌎 became more tense and turmoil due to geopolitics, wars, crisis, and more. At the same time many technologies were accelerated due to commercial incentives. These days, when defense and security needs are uncovered - there is a great incentive to adopt commercial capabilities for defense purposes. 💫 Why it matters: Technology is unlimited. Once we open our minds we could see various and new purposes. 💫 What's applicable: Everything! methods, models, formulas, materials, algorithms, and much much more. 💫 Dive Deeper: follow Scout Ventures as a pioneer in the field. read more in Venture Capital Journal, Lawrence Aragon, Iris Dorbian https://lnkd.in/dErZNqwc DDR&D (MAFAT) - Directorate of Defense Research & Development #dualusetech | #defensetech | #innovation | #vc

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HD HHI And Palantir Reveal Tenebris Unmanned Surface Vessel  - Naval News Interviews HD HHI and Palantir on their new Tenebris USV concept at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington, D.C. - Coming in at a length of 17 meters and a weight of 14 tons, the Korean-American USV concept aims to operate in up to sea state six at a speed of 50 knots with an operational range of at least 1000 nautical miles. HD HHI also highlighted the “AI Bridge,” a dome that houses the sensors and software for the operation of Tenebris.  - When asked what makes their joint project different from other USV concepts coming into the market, Palantir highlighted that their software capabilities will give them an edge.  “I think our view is that software is going to be a key aspect of the Navy having an open, interoperable C2 [Command and Control] capability across Tenebris, as well as all the other capabilities that will be acquired through things like Replicator and PRIME. We’re very excited to work with DIU [Defense Innovation Unit] and others as they figure out what that will look like from a C2 perspective” - https://lnkd.in/etiVFwpc

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Matt and Pete nail the analysis of Congress-DoD budgeting activity again. But they might have under-examined one key trend... This budget markup shows serious concern about #ContestedLogistics. Although the Navy took serious cuts to many programs, budget lines for logistics platforms tell a different story. Logistics platforms that received plus ups: - CH-53 (Heavy Lift Helo) - KC-130J (Tanker) - V-22 Osprey (Troop Transport) - Fleet Oiler - Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship - Ship to Shore Connector Non-Logistics platforms that received plus ups: - F-35 Missiles and surface combat capabilities received severe cuts. To me, the essence of how we do logistics is very important. Our proficiency, culture, and experience will serve us well. But there is no substitute for sheer mass. The House Appropriations Committee clearly recognizes that we need more ships. #Logistics #Congress #DoD #Budget #Defense #DefenseTech #DefenseTechnology #Acquisitions #Shipbuilding #Ships

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WARGAMING - Excellent! - Seven Reflections of a “Red Commander” - What I’ve Learned from Playing the Adversary in Department of Defense Wargames - The world of wargaming is becoming an increasingly essential tool for the joint force as they grapple with what it means to conduct large-scale combat operations against peer competitors in areas far removed from the continental United States. In the words of Ed McGrady, one of the Nation’s leading experts in the field, wargaming is the “one tool that enables defense professionals to break out of the stories we have locked ourselves into. - Playing Red is a difficult task, and the Red commander treads a narrow path. On the one hand, the Red commander must have an excellent working understanding of how potential adversaries fight. It is both art and science. It is not just a technical exercise in understanding Red orders of battle or the capabilities of their systems but really is about being able to apply that knowledge in what amounts to planning and then executing a campaign plan and leading the adversary’s war fight. - This means the Red commander needs to understand a potential enemy’s approach to warfare, their doctrine, and how they have employed their forces in regional contingencies and in training. But at the same time, the Red commander plays a key role for Blue by helping them understand what Red is thinking. - A good Red commander finds a way to keep Blue on its toes, all the while helping them comprehend the events of the game as they unfold and then working to explain the reasons and logic that underpin Red actions. - Wargames should be about Blue’s learning, not Red’s. However, one of the main benefits for Red in these events is that we learn too. - Seven reflections of a Red commander. - 1. Lesson 1: Everything Starts with Understanding the Enemy - 2. Lesson 2: Warfare Remains a Human Endeavor - 3. Lesson 3: Great Power Warfare Is Joint, Combined, Interagency, and Whole-of-Nation … Our Wargames Should Be Too - - 4. Lesson 4: Warfare Will Be Multidomain, and Wargames Allow Us to Master Multidomain Skillsets - 5. Lesson 5: The Army Likes to Live in the Tactical World; Great Power Warfare Is Won and Lost at the Operational Level - 6. Lesson 6: Wargaming “Reps and Sets” Guard Against Strategic Surprise and Failure of Imagination - 7. Lesson 7: Blue Buy-In Is What Makes Wargaming Useful - For wargaming to have value, Blue must understand and accept the notion that the scenario Red is presenting is valid. - CONCLUSION - perhaps the most important lesson of all gets back to the beginning—we have to get Red right so that Blue gets the opportunity to learn and to get it right on a future battlefield -https://lnkd.in/enxRYCMB

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In my previous posts, I discussed the Army's 500 Day Artificial Intelligence Plan and the concept of #DefendAI, an AI-layered defense framework, The article below from the ASA (ALT) senior leadership expands on the concepts in the Army's 500 Day Artificial Intelligence Plan with an overview of #BreakAI and #CounterAI. "#BreakAI is geared toward testing algorithms through traditional government “testing and evaluation” and “verification and validation” processes, ensuring the AI is eventually fully operable and error-free when it gets to the warfighter." “#BreakAI is about how are we going to make sure that our AI models work, and when we put them in the hands of soldiers, we are totally confident that they’re going to give the right answer and the right outcome” "#CounterAI is more of a defensive initiative. It’s aimed at making “sure our platforms and our algorithms and our capabilities are secure from attack and from threat” "The #BreakAI and #CounterAI initiatives join the #DefendAI initiative that was announced in June as part of the Army’s 500-day AI plan — a plan that piggy-backed off its 100-day plan which was launched in March and ended in June." "The #DefendAI initiative is designed to create a AI layered defense framework to help mitigate risks that come with third-party algorithms, while working to operationalize industry AI." "#DefendAI and #CounterAI are similar, but the latter focuses more on adversarial threats while the former is focused on weeding out issues that may naturally come with using an outsourced version of AI." #defenseindustry #army #artificialintelligence #AI #innovation #modernization

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Counter Threat Financing (CTF)/ Anti-Financial Crimes: DoD has the authority, capability, and capacity to fight this fight but is there an overt mandate? While the DoD does an excellent job effecting advisory critical requirements through vulnerabilities, are we on par with our IRS, FBI, and Treasury counterparts for enhanced coordination and deconfliction of efforts towards degrading hostile fund raising of state and non-state actors? I'd recommend starting with lexicon. As we gain understanding of the interagency mission, limitations, and gaps - only then can successful integration begin. Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/eGTSExan

If you're involved in a #startup or work within #industry looking to collaborate with the DoD, particularly the #USAF, understanding their future direction is crucial for strategic alignment. The USAF is evolving its commands, mirroring the Army, offering valuable insights for seamless industry transition. The four key commands are: - Air Combat Command: transitioning to manage readiness for the entire service - Airman Development Command: focusing on education and training throughout a service member’s career - Air Force Materiel Command: overseeing acquisition programs across the force - Integrated Capabilities Command: responsible for long-term planning Stay informed on the USAF's strategic shifts and how they could impact your business. Read more: [Air Force Times - Can Four Big Commands Prepare the Air Force to Win Wars](https://lnkd.in/ePAQudb7)

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Opinion: Military education (at every level) should anchor on wargaming. In the words of former DoD leadership: “Building school curriculums around wargaming might help spark innovation and inculcate the entire Joint Force with a better appreciation and understanding of trans-regional, cross-domain, multidimensional combat.” From micro to multi-level campaign, from system to matrix to seminar, from role-playing to structured, wargames provide a vehicle for education that far exceeds the value of current military educational system. The greatest takeaway from wargaming is making qualitative decisions in a risk-free environment. Well, the risk might be shame, but the reward is learning. If the greatest attribute of military leaders is their ability to make decisions under stress, why isn't the best tool for learning how (i.e., wargames) the centerpiece of education? We read books and publications, listen to lectures and podcasts, but rarely do we play games. #wargaming #PME #usmc #education #progress #change

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If you're following me, you know I'm passionate about reinvigorating Defence Industry and creating a federated arsenal of democracy fit for the 21st century. Every once in a while you come across a historian or think tank doing some next level analysis that really gets your attention. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has produced some work that for a visual learner like me really brings clarity. As shown in the table below, consolidation and specialisation has resulted in a very different Defence Industrial base to the the one that won the Cold War. "Excessive defense industry consolidation and inadequate competition are real challenges for the DOD, but there is another closely related problem that is often overlooked and understudied: the isolation of the defense industrial base from the wider commercial economy." https://lnkd.in/gqEgnPfC The US National Defense Industrial Strategy further details the challenge: "Over the past century, U.S. industrial might overwhelmed the Axis powers in World War II and contributed significantly to deterring the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The peace dividend and procurement holiday that followed saw dramatic cuts in military force structure, weapons production, and corresponding stockpiles of munitions and materials. Most notably, the traditional Defense Industrial Base (DIB) consolidated in the wake of the Secretary of Defense meeting with the major prime contractors and their suppliers in 1993 at what became known as the “Last Supper.” https://lnkd.in/g439VreW It is clear that we cannot innovate and scale with a concentrated oligopoly. Defence needs to re-engage Industry - not just Defence Industry, but the best in breed start ups, small & medium enterprises and big businesses that don't currently support Defence and National Security. Arthur Herman's excellent "Freedom's Forge" provides us a historical example of what is possible if the free world determines to do so. Who is going to be the 21st century version of Essington Lewis? #Defence #Industry #ArsenalofDemocracy #Innovation #FutureReady

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💰💰 Have you wondered what DoD shops use OTAs besides DIU?💰💰 I pulled every OTA DoD has ever signed ➡️ ... and ran the numbers. 📊 Check out my new piece (link in first comment) that breaks down: - Army vs. Navy vs. Air Force vs. DoD-Level OTA Usage - Granular analysis down to the contracting office level within each service - OTA Consortia (where most of the💰is) - Defense tech path to revenue & OTA - A personal story about an innocent O1 trying to get stuff done 😎 I'll back up a few of the hotter takes in posts over the next few days, but for now, here are my top-line observations: 1️⃣    Pentagon shops have spent over $86B via OTAs 2️⃣    They did most of this in the last five years 3️⃣    DARPA is the pioneer, DIU is underfunded, and Army is by far the best wielder of OTAs 4️⃣    DARPA and SCO do a lot of Navy’s heavy R&D lift via OTAs 5️⃣    Individual contracting offices’ processes and culture vary widely 6️⃣    Most big contracting offices (e.g. PEOs) are missing in action 7️⃣    OTA consortia distribute most OTA contract value 8️⃣    Consortia don’t necessarily allocate OTAs differently than government does 9️⃣    Silicon Valley companies are using OTAs to build a path to revenue 🔟 Most important trend – the relative % growth of three numbers: Venture-backed companies OTA revenue > DoD spend via OTA > DoD budget #defensetech #defensetechnology #defense #pentagon #contracting #acquisition #ota #othertransaction Silicon Valley Defense Group Dylan Serrentino-Mullins Eric Lofgren Raj S.

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Can we nominate savings to the Department of Government Efficiency (#DOGE)? U.S. Army's Human Resources Command would be a great place to start. Decentralize personnel policy and treat soldiers like people. Adopt a regimental (divisional) system like most other armies. Allow direct hiring for positions and tie rank to the position. The recent majors board, which they had to redo and extend the results beyond the movement marketplace is yet another example of the absurdity resulting from the Army's overly-centralized, bureaucratic personnel policy. https://lnkd.in/gcmcvnSu

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During the RSA Conference, a #CISO shared with me how in a live final round interview with a candidate, he realized the candidate didn't look like the photo on his LinkedIn profile. Luckily he spotted this abnormality and started asking the candidate a few off-script questions. He quickly realized something was wrong and immediately ended the process. It was a scary story to learn about and it seems he isn't the only manager encountering this problem. According to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice last week, more than 300 US companies have unknowingly hired foreign nationals with ties to North Korea for remote #IT work, sending $7M+ of revenue overseas. North Korea found a way to steal/borrow at least 60 US identities and use them multiple times to land jobs at US companies. Every sector is getting impacted - from a Silicon Valley tech company to an aerospace and defense company to a car manufacturer to a TV network. This scheme serves a dual purpose - to get revenue from the jobs (and evade harsh sanctions) and to get access to IT networks for future cybercrime operations. In this new world of #remote workers, #identity is critical. We need to find new ways to enable verification and reduce the risk of fraud. DOJ Statement: https://lnkd.in/gEYYKuX9.

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This is the intersection between shrinking defense #budgets, competing #priorities, #maritime capabilities, and technological advancements. I assess containerized weapon systems, modular designs, and operational #flexibility may change the future state of #navalwarfare & provide more cost-effective lethality, some are already headed in this direction. #netherlands #containervessels #weapons #drones #motherships #seachange #maritimeindustry https://lnkd.in/ecWyKZYb

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Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, presented the roadmap on the future of U.S. military-industrial development. What really stands out to me is his emphasis on the role of commercial technology, the importance of Silicon Valley, and the need to reform the acquisition process to ensure innovative technologies can be quickly acquired and deployed. This is a crucial step forward in bridging commercial innovation with defense needs. Key points from the roadmap: 1. Ramp Up Production of Key Capabilities: Prioritize long-range munitions, air defense systems, autonomous platforms, and critical stockpiles. A critical munitions acquisition fund could stabilize demand and stockpiling efforts. 2. Strengthen Public-Private Partnerships: Increase production capacity, invest in workforce development, and expand DoD-owned facilities for greater resilience. 3. Accelerate Defense Acquisition Reforms: Rethink traditional processes to welcome nontraditional, innovative tech providers. Collaboration with Silicon Valley and securing new acquisition authorities will be game-changers. 4. Integrate Defense Industrial Bases with Allies: Partner with allies to boost readiness, production capacity, and supply chain resilience, reinforcing deterrence through unified capabilities. 5. Invest in Talent and Leadership: The focus on recruiting and retaining top talent ensures the U.S. military remains unmatched, with personnel who can translate advanced equipment into operational strength. #DefenseInnovation #MilitaryModernization #PublicPrivatePartnerships #SiliconValley #AcquisitionReform #DefenseTech #NationalSecurity #AI #MilitaryIndustrialComplex #InnovationEcosystem #TalentDevelopment

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LinkedIn Community: as many of you know, I am a contributor to US Army TRADOC's Operational Environment journal writing on Northeast Asia issues. So in the spirit of collaboration, do you have any questions on North #Korea that you'd like to see answered? I admit I've been looking at North Korea for a long, long time and that can make me overlook some of the interesting questions that are out there among my educated compatriots on LinkedIn. So have any questions? Ask away, and I can try to include them in a future journal entry.

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In a concerning development, China has replaced its People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) with the Information Support Force (ISF), highlighting the growing importance of information warfare. This shift comes at a time when the U.S. is downsizing its information warfare capabilities. In a 2022 War on the Rocks article, the author points out that China's "intelligentized warfare" concept aims to use AI to manipulate the will of policymakers, military leaders, and citizens. Again, this comes at a time when the U.S. de-emphasizes information power in resourcing and prioritization. This is a critical wake-up call for the U.S. to prioritize information warfare investment. #China #InformationWarfare #NationalSecurity #greatpowercompetition #geopoliticalrisk #CCP #PLA #strategiccompetition #AI Jake Auchincloss Seth Moulton Michael Waltz Mike Studeman https://lnkd.in/giUgsYfM

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Heading back to the Pacific today after a week recommending (and linking) common objectives across the DoD and interagency. The MFP team and I also demonstrated the potential to display these objectives across the whole of government (functionally, temporarily and by location) - allowing the employment of the "M" to provide opportunity for the rest of the DImE. These Pacific objectives will provide a global template... proving real opportunity for our Allies and Partners. #OneTeamOneFight

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Thanks to John Ʌ Konrad V (gCaptain) for speaking with Mike Benitez and I about the Merchant Marine on the The Merge! The Merchant Marine is the United State's forgotten service. Among other things It makes up 35% of the Navy's 370 ship fleet where it is responsible for refueling, re-supply, and many other support activities. Without merchant mariners the Navy simply cannot function in deep waters for more than a few days. The Merchant Marine is also the force we would rely upon in any global conflict to move goods and material around the world. Today the fleet is woefully undersized, underfunded, under-appreciated, and under-manned. This is the force that was critical to the battle of the Atlantic and Europe's eventual triumph in WWII. To make matters much worse the US maintains about 100,000 tons of annual shipbuilding capacity whereas China has approximately 23,500,000 tons of capacity. In any conflict between the US and China, their 235X greater building capacity would be decisive in the naval arena. If you aren't a Merchant Marine expert but you want to be up to speed on geopolitics and US national security, this episode is mandatory listening.

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DefenseTech as an ingredient in National Security 💥 💫 DefenseTech continues its rise and gains attentions all over the world 🌎 💫 The big picture : as the field attracts top talent it leads to new technologies, methods, applications and products. 💫 Why it matters: the turmoil around the world makes governments spend more money 💰 on defense to improve national security, resilience and robustness - the defense market grows fast alongside commercial applications. 💫 Between the lines: investors, #VCs support the trend and shift their attention and resources to #DeepTech, #DefenseTech and #dualuse technologies. 💫 Dive deeper: TechCrunch, Anna Heim, https://lnkd.in/ddjjmb28 #startup #innovation

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