In this episode, we are joined by William C. Greenwalt, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), to evaluate the state of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDs). Drawing on the release of his new report, “Required to Fail | Beyond Documents: Accelerating Joint Advantage through Direct Resourcing and Experimentation,” Greenwalt discusses the need to reform JCIDs to ensure military capabilities serve joint force needs rather than individual services, driving interoperability across services, and connecting strategy to acquisition by validating the alignment of new requirements. Additionally, Greenwalt highlights opportunities to improve how the United States aligns warfighter needs with technology development.

Required to Fail | Beyond Documents: Accelerating Joint Advantage through Direct Resourcing and Experimentation report: https://www.hudson.org/technology/required-fail-beyond-documents-accelerating-joint-advantage-through-direct-resourcing-dan-patt-william-greenwalt

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In March, the Ronald Reagan Institute published its third annual National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) Report Card, a scorecard that uses 10 indicators such as 'Manufacturing Capacity and Industrial Base' and 'Innovation Capital' to measure the effectiveness and resilience of the U.S. defense innovation base. Join Rachel Hoff, Policy Director at the Reagan Institute, and Eric Snelgrove, CEO of Revere Federal Strategies, as they discuss how the scorecard is produced and indicators are chosen, why the private sector received higher grades than the government in key areas, which indicators are most important to keep an eye on, and how the NSIB can use streamlined talent pipelines and an "unmanned weapons systems-as-a-service" contract vehicle to improve its scores for next year.

The Reagan Institute: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan-institute

2025 NSIB Report Card: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/cms/assets/1741105896-nsib-2025-feb26-web-1.pdf

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In this episode, we sit down with Kate Käufer, former Majority Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and founder of KMK Global Strategies, to review past attempts at financial management reform within the Department of Defense. Kaufer discusses the successes and lessons learned from past attempts at acquisitions, PPBE, and requirements reform, and shares her recommendations for future attempts at change. Additionally, Kaufer highlights the relationship between the DOD and Congress in the quest for more efficient budgeting and appropriations systems. Check out our recent episode with Kate Käufer about the State of Defense Appropriations to learn more about the FY25 continuing resolution and status of the FY26 budget process.

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In this episode, we sit down with Kate Käufer, former Majority Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and founder of KMK Global Strategies, to unpack the complexities of the current state of play in defense funding – including the FY25 continuing resolution, budget reconciliation, and impending FY26 budget processes. Käufer shares insights from over two decades on the Hill, highlighting how defense programs will be affected by the CR and expected funding actions by Congress, and what the potential impacts will be for defense and commercial industry.To receive updates about the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition on August 27-29, 2025 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, please join our mailing list here: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up

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In 2020, the DoD adopted the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF), a major shift aiming to make DoD procurement faster, more flexible, and closer to commercial innovation models.

Five years in, what progress has been made? Join GAO’s Shelby Oakley and Robert Bullock as they break down the results of a new GAO study, covering how “iterative” acquisition is actually playing out, and the importance of modular contracts, agile funding, and digital support tools.

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Our guests, Dr. Evan Fortunato (President & CEO, Apogee Research), Kirk McConnell (retired Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee), and Robert “Otis” Winkler (Vice President, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions) join the podcast for a discussion on Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA). During this episode, they cover the operational advantages and acquisition risks, how recent legislation affects the Department of Defense’s adoption of MOSA practices, and how to think about standards as a barrier or enabler of modular and open systems. The podcast also discusses potential tools for creating interoperable systems.

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How is the Department of Defense faring with incorporating Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) into its technology development processes? Recent legislation requires acquisition programs to implement a MOSA to the maximum extent practicable. Anne McDonough, Assistant Director at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), joins the podcast to describe what MOSA is, who owns the MOSA approach on a program, and what the benefits and risks are as well as how policy can affect implementation. In this episode, Anne covers a recent GAO report that evaluates the extent to which DoD is able to implement MOSA in its programs.

GAO Report: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-106931

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Hermeus Corporation is a venture-backed aerospace company developing reusable hypersonic aircraft for defense and commercial flight. Join Zach Shore, Chief Revenue Officer, to explore how Hermeus is overcoming technical, regulatory, and funding hurdles to advance U.S. leadership in reusable hypersonic flight.

State of the Company | 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--UFHMHG9B8&t=2sState of the Company | 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlrmfsbyQxUhttps://www.hermeus.com/zach@hermeus.com

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