The Department of Defense has issued a national strategy that outlines science and technology priorities, investments and goals to maintain U.S. technological leadership and advantage over adversaries.
The National Defense Science and Technology Strategy is guided by the National Defense Strategy and will address the emerging dynamics of strategic competition by executing on three lines of effort: focusing on the joint mission, creating and fielding capabilities at speed and scale and ensuring the foundations for research and development, DOD said Tuesday.
“This Strategy helps us make carefully crafted decisions that bolster our comparative advantages rather than engaging in wasteful technology races. We will emphasize developing asymmetric capabilities that will help ensure our national security over the long term,” said Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2023 Wash100 awardee.
The strategy will continue to focus on 14 critical technology areas outlined in Shyu’s strategic vision.
These tech areas are grouped into three categories: seed areas of emerging opportunity, including quantum science, FutureG and biotechnology; effective adoption areas where there is commercial activity, including microelectronics and trusted artificial intelligence and autonomy; and defense-specific areas, including hypersonics and directed energy.
Under the strategy, DOD will broaden opportunities to conduct research and development work with industry partners and international allies.
