Reliance On Dual-Use Technology Is A Trap
In an article for War on the Rocks, Jake Chapman, Managing Director at Marque Ventures, presents a critical perspective on the current approach of the U.S. military to dual-use technology. He argues that the prevailing strategy, which prioritizes the development of commercial applications before adapting them for defense purposes, is insufficient to address contemporary security challenges. Instead, Chapman asserts that this approach risks undermining America's technological advantage and compromising national security.
Drawing from his extensive experience at the intersection of national security and technology, Chapman outlines the shortcomings of the dual-use hack. He explains that this method encourages emerging technology companies to prioritize commercial markets over defense applications, a process he believes is failing to meet the goals set out in the 1995 Dual Use Strategy. This strategy aimed to reduce costs, accelerate innovation cycles, and bolster America's defense industrial base. However, Chapman contends that it has fallen short on all these fronts, resulting in escalating costs, sluggish platform development, and erosion of the nation's defense industrial capabilities.
To chart a more effective path forward, Chapman proposes an alternative approach. He suggests that entrepreneurs should be empowered to focus on solving defense challenges by enhancing the Department of Defense's role as a customer. This involves awarding larger contracts expeditiously, fostering improved communication between the Department of Defense and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, even if it means sharing more information, and establishing an incentive system and streamlined process to transition successful development projects from research and development to acquisition and sustainment. By adopting these measures, Chapman believes the defense innovation landscape can be revitalized, leading to better outcomes for national security.