Kristin Sargent’s Post

🌟 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 & 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! 🌟 Day 2 is in full swing, and the energy here is electrifying! If you haven't already, make your way to 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝟐𝟏𝟏 to experience Boresight Pty Ltd's game-changing Defense Solutions firsthand. 🚀 As PM13 Defense Solutions continues to support our Preferred Partners at #GFSE, we're reminded of the powerful solutions that emerge from collaboration. #𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 is not just a leader in C-sUAS technology; they're part of a broader network of innovation driven by our P𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦? 𝐖𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 🛡️ Whether it's advanced #SwarmingCapabilities, #CUAS Aerial Targets, or comprehensive defense strategies, our #PreferredPartners like Boresight have the solutions you need. And if there's a gap? PM13 Defense Solutions is your Pathfinder through the complex maze of DOD Acquisitions. We're the DOD Solutions Scouts, committed to finding or forging the solutions you need. 🔍 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬? Stop by 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝟐𝟏𝟏 to link up with us! Let's explore how our network of innovative partners can address your defense challenges, streamline your operations, and enhance your capabilities. With PM13 and our Preferred Partners, you're not just navigating the defense landscape; you're setting the pace. 📈 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐌𝟏𝟑 & 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬. #GFSE2024 #DefenseInnovation #MilitaryTraining #DODSolutionScouts #Pathfinders #Boresight #PM13DefenseSolutions

Spot on, J. Clay McGuyer! Superb explanation! I have similarly thought about that “Raiders of the Lost Ark” scene as an illustration of the Valley of Death during my two year foray into the DoD innovation/BD malaise. Your perspective on the “VoD” reimagined not as a place where good ideas go to die but rather a place to deep dive on (previously failed) solutions that just needed to gestate until the right technology or concept came along to make it work. Seaplanes, hydrogen, small modular reactors (and nuclear aircraft someday??) etc. are all having a 21st Century “makeover.” I also think of the movie “Groundhog Day” - with the main character failing (fast?) until he figures out what love really means before moving on to the next day (and the rest of his life). The DTIC database (SBIRs that never made it past Phase 1, ONR/AFRL/NRL projects that never got out of the lab, etc.) is the VoD’s “government warehouse.” Maybe the DTIC database is actually a Large Language Model (LLM) waiting for someone(s) to do a deep dive “literature review” of rediscovery to bring that “Valley of Bones” to life (Ezekiel 37). The ‘Knights who say Ni’ from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” also comes to mind. DoD says they want a shrubbery and when industry returns with a shrubbery, now they want a herring ;). Totally understand though with the whack-a-mole missions and ever-evolving threats from across the competition continuum that DoD faces on the regular. Let’s keep muddling through this together!

Looking forward to the inaugural Resilience Conference in two weeks — hit me up, if you're around and like to discuss European Defense Tech The conference is bringing together leaders from defence and security, venture capital, and tech in order to develop technologies that protect our democracies and support resilience. (Link to their website in the comments)

Regarding J. Clay McGuyer's allusion to "the Warehouse of Death" for #defenseinnovation ...I think this is a contender to replace the infamous Valley of Death. The latter suggests that if we (small tech companies) only had enough water and supplies, we could make it across. In other words, the Valley analogy implies that small tech companies have some (some) ability to control their own destiny. But if you end up in the Warehouse, on the other hand, water and supplies may just extend your shelf life in purgatory. This opinion piece by Jason Stack was in my reading pile -- https://lnkd.in/dAcrZiHN -- and in my opinion provides very valuable insights into achieving the level and quality of innovation the US needs to prevail in any future near-peer (or even non-near peer) conflict. He expands on these four points: 1.     Solve problems, don’t meet requirements.  2.     Protect, incentivize and embed the innovators.  3.     Experiment early, incrementally and only against actual hypotheses.  4.     Optimize for discovery and speed, not for efficiency or scale. I thought Jason's opinion piece provided valuable insights and applications for achieving the type of truly disruptive (a la Replicator) innovation we all claim to value. Sure, handy for the DoD to have a warehouse of shelves to pull tech from when they decide they need it. But to Jason's point, the warehouse approach may not serve the endgame of unleashing the type of disruptive innovation process we need to win the war.

Failure = Value. Another great week of #defenseinnovation. A new teammate asked me this week, “How do you know so much about technology?” And when I answered, she looked at me like I was crazy. “Failure,” was my answer. So I had to explain… When you find a technology and try to get it adopted in DOD and it fails, you always remember it. And, eventually, it comes back around. When it does, you say “I know how we could do that!” Then, someone says, “How do you know so much about technology?” Failing fast is a term thrown around often. It is of great value. I had an idea this week we had to kill. It was a great idea, but we couldn’t get any organizations to support the technology. It wasn’t viable with all the other things the department needed to do today. So what happened next? That idea had to go on the shelf. People also talk about the “technology shelf,” but it is a real thing. When I was at JIDO, I had a list of “shelved” programs. If we needed them, we’d pull them out and deloy them. I firmly believe the one we put on the shelf this week will come back. The good thing is, the more you innovate, the bigger the shelf gets. Which brings me to my point. Building a National Security Innovation Base does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of failure to start to build successes. But, the longer we work at it, the better we get. So, we have to remember Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), AFWERX, NavalX, ARCWERX, SOFWERX, and all our DODx teammates have to work together, and share the successes, but also the failures. Things we put on the shelf are not really failures. We have to move on to the next thing. Just know, they will come back around.

The Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs are excited to join the LinkedIn Community. We are a strategic initiative by the U.S. Department of Defense, serving as the open front door connecting small businesses, academia, and industry partners with the DoD to drive rapid technological advancements. With OnRamp Hubs located in Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio and Washington, we are committed to facilitating, connecting and supercharging ecosystems that produce the solutions that meet the ever-evolving national security needs. By connecting with the OnRamp Hubs, you will stay updated on the latest opportunities to get involved and gain insights from our network of innovators and experts. Follow the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs and be part of the conversation that is driving innovation forward! Learn more at Learn more at Defense Innovation Unit (diu.mil). #DefenseInnovation #NationalSecurity #Innovation

"Now, we’re all reading off the same sheet of music." - Jeremy Knupp of Northrop Grumman. A powerful and perfect metaphor of the impact of digital thread and digital twin importance. The opportunities and efficiencies afforded by reliable digital threads can lead to shorter development cycles that are more agile in nature with the ability to improve on the go with your suppliers. #digital #aerospace #digitaltwin #digitalthread #defense #agile

On this episode of All Quiet, Tyler is joined by Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini, a defense software company focused on the defense acquisition space. During the episode, Tara shares her unique journey, offering valuable insights into the challenges within the defense tech landscape. WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE SECOND FRONT: • The challenge in defense acquisition: policy vs. process improvement • The need for cultural change and empathy in acquisition teams • Utilizing commercial technology and data for faster progress • Building a more agile and knowledgeable acquisition workforce • Addressing issues with FFRDCs and preserving commercial innovation Tune in here: https://ow.ly/ZKCt50QoQUK

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 🤝 The defense industry is a unique landscape, the significance of robust and reliable relationships cannot be overstated. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 1️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥: The complexities of modern defense solutions demand a collaborative approach, uniting expertise from diverse fields. 2️⃣ 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Strong bonds between partners ensure not just the quality of defense products, but also the security and efficiency of operations. 3️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: Joint efforts lead to innovative solutions, addressing emerging challenges in defense technology effectively. In a sector where stakes are high and challenges are complex, the power of partnership is our greatest asset. Let's continue to build connections that enhance our collective capabilities and contribute to our #NationalSecurity. https://lnkd.in/gvuE2mge #DefenseIndustry #StrategicPartnerships #Collaboration #Innovation

#Defense is an omnipresent topic, which is how the Munich Security Conference evolved. #Capgemini joined the global community at #MSC24 this week to examine the many facets of this discussion. Andreas Conradi and Patrice Duboe specifically addressed #innnovation and defense, and how Capgemini is pioneering smart forces.