Posted on Apr 6, 2016
Cyber Innovation Challenge in Silicon Valley
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Before his recent trip to Silicon Valley, Defense Secretary Ash Carter challenged the Pentagon to "innovate and think outside our five-sided box."
The Army did just that this week, venturing into the heart of the tech industry to engage vendors on the leading edge of cyber capabilities.
"This event is definitely about how we work together to solve problems," said Ronald W. Pontius, deputy to the commanding general for U.S. Army Cyber Command. "The Army is continuing to build a world-class cyber mission force that adapts faster than our adversaries, and the Cyber Innovation Challenge keeps us in conversation with the tech industry to work at the pace needed to combat this threat."
Pontius spoke, March 31, at industry day highlighting the third installment of the Army's Cyber Innovation Challenge, a process that allows the Army to rapidly purchase and evaluate prototype technologies from small and non-traditional businesses through a flexible acquisition model. Building on the success of the first challenge, the event attracted approximately 100 industry representatives from more than 60 companies and took place at the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), the Pentagon's incubator and liaison to commercial and academic innovators on the West Coast.
With a 90-day timeline from announcing a requirement to buying prototype equipment, the Cyber Innovation Challenge works much faster than typical military procurement processes in order to deliver needed technologies to the field quickly and get operational feedback from cyber Soldiers.
The Army did just that this week, venturing into the heart of the tech industry to engage vendors on the leading edge of cyber capabilities.
"This event is definitely about how we work together to solve problems," said Ronald W. Pontius, deputy to the commanding general for U.S. Army Cyber Command. "The Army is continuing to build a world-class cyber mission force that adapts faster than our adversaries, and the Cyber Innovation Challenge keeps us in conversation with the tech industry to work at the pace needed to combat this threat."
Pontius spoke, March 31, at industry day highlighting the third installment of the Army's Cyber Innovation Challenge, a process that allows the Army to rapidly purchase and evaluate prototype technologies from small and non-traditional businesses through a flexible acquisition model. Building on the success of the first challenge, the event attracted approximately 100 industry representatives from more than 60 companies and took place at the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), the Pentagon's incubator and liaison to commercial and academic innovators on the West Coast.
With a 90-day timeline from announcing a requirement to buying prototype equipment, the Cyber Innovation Challenge works much faster than typical military procurement processes in order to deliver needed technologies to the field quickly and get operational feedback from cyber Soldiers.
Cyber Innovation Challenge in Silicon Valley
Posted from army.mil
Cyber
SECDEF
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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There will always be a need for testosterone-driven men and women in the service, those who can take the fight to the enemies of America. But there's also a need for a new kind of soldier/sailor/airman: the Nerd. Nerds can subsist on meager rations of junk food and coffee, thus they're cheap to maintain. All they ask is to be left alone in dark rooms with an unlimited supply of tech. Throw in an occasional package of Skittles and they'll destroy the command and control infrastructure of any potential foe. Maybe it's time to make allowance for them in today's military, and let them be all they can be...
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SSG Leonard J W.
CPT Jack Durish, that is a very valid point. Today's war is far more technologically balanced than those of the past. If an enemy were to hack into our battle command systems, then the results could be catastrophic...
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To be honest I am very skeptical about this concept COL Mikel J. Burroughs. On the one hand STRATCOM's subordinate command United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is being foisted up as a potential COCOM and on the other hand the Military Service Chiefs of Staff have been tasked with direct oversight of procurement for their services.
This seems more like a grad school project that a Service initiative. Supposing one of more technologies show promise in this silicon valley challenge. Going from a conceptual prototype to a rapid fielding through the respective ARMY PEO requires a lot of work and funding as well as potential patent search to ensure the project is not already patented, etc.
This seems more like a grad school project that a Service initiative. Supposing one of more technologies show promise in this silicon valley challenge. Going from a conceptual prototype to a rapid fielding through the respective ARMY PEO requires a lot of work and funding as well as potential patent search to ensure the project is not already patented, etc.
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SSG Leonard J W.
LTC Stephen F., your skepticism is founded, brother. Deciding who provides the best oversight of our tech defense may be tougher than it seems. I'm not sure about the grad school part, but let's hope things are quickly and effectively implemented!
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I think innovation is the way to finding solutions to complex problems. I can only hope that they don't break systems that are currently without issue. An example would be forcing career Soldiers to convert to the new retirement system, thereby costing them lots of money...
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