The Correct Acquisition Strategy Will Be Key to the DoD's Cyber Transformation

The rapid adoption of innovative technology in today’s defense warfighting systems dictates that all future conflicts will be fought in the cyber domain, as well as the physical domains.  To maintain battlespace dominance in all warfighting domains, the U.S. military must adapt and adopt an interconnected and transformative approach that will revolutionize how defense solutions are delivered. Achieving greater interoperability between military branches will not be easy. But the Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) program, if built with the right private sector partners, promises to deliver on this potential and will fundamentally change how the U.S. Armed Forces fight.

But before such a defense contractor can be engaged, JADC2 must become a formal acquisition program, which has yet to occur. So far, the Joint Staff has led the overall effort, and while they should write the strategy and operational doctrine, they do not possess the authority nor expertise necessary to manage the complex acquisition process. A responsible DoD acquisition authority, such as a joint program office, should take charge and make JADC2 a reality once the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) has determined the system requirements. This application of procurement rigor will provide Congress with the confidence that JADC2 is well managed.

Several overarching technical and legal challenges further underscore the need for a proven and reliable defense contractor to be chosen by this new program office. 

JADC2 must link weapons systems independently developed by each military service, such as Army cannon, Navy missiles, and Air Force bombers, to the other services' respective command and control systems. In addition, this linkage must be cyber secure and resilient yet permit part of the network to operate when a portion has been taken out by the enemy. Artificial intelligence algorithms will also control the entire system, permitting a swift response to defeat our capable adversaries.

This AI algorithm is more than just a technical challenge as its development and deployment are replete with legal and moral implications for how America conducts war. A human will likely always have to make the final decision to fire, but even so, a commander using a future JADC2 system may necessarily rely on an AI-produced targeting recommendation.

It is imperative, therefore, that the developer of the JADC2 system and its underlying AI decision support tool have a deep, thorough understanding of U.S. military command and control procedures and legal bounds. Protections must exist within the AI algorithm that keeps this ever learning and changing tool within acceptable bounds. Even if the network integration challenges were less daunting, the AI integration alone dictates that a prime contractor with long defense experience will lead the effort.

While there remain legitimate qualms about the use of AI in targeting decisions, we must nevertheless adopt this technology. For one, our adversaries are already well down this path of rapid targeting. Our forces will be left in smoldering ruins if we are not at least as nimble as the enemy, and our goal is always to be faster.

There’s a second, more important reason. With a defense knowledgeable prime contractor, carefully developed AI will permit better, more accurate decisions than a human commander may make under pressure. Even though a human will make the final call, that commander should have the benefit of the accurate targeting information that expertly developed AI can bring to the operations center.

Certainly, innovative Silicon Valley or other firms should play a role in helping the DoD “transform into a data-centric enterprise," but we need a seasoned partner in charge of the overall product that understands operations in remote locations and harsh weather; can produce robust, resilient, and secure networks; and can manage the dicey issues of artificial intelligence. The well-being of our own troops and those of American citizens deserve no less.

Thomas Hawley is the former Deputy Undersecretary of the Army and previously served for sixteen years as a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee.