The video at this link is from the 11 June 2021 House Armed Services Committee meeting. This includes testimony and questions and answers at the subcommittee on intelligence and special operations, this session is focused on FY22 Defense Intelligence Enterprise Posture.
Purpose: The Subcommittee will receive testimony on the Department’s intelligence strategies, policies, and programs. The hearing will provide an opportunity to further understand the strategic security environment and long-range emerging threats. Execution of the hearing will allow Members to assess the effectiveness of the current and future posture of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to understand and support operations related to high-consequence threats.
Witnesses:
Mr. Ronald Moultrie
Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security
U.S. Department of Defense
General Paul M. Nakasone
Director National Security Agency
Lieutenant General Scott D. Berrier
Director Defense Intelligence Agency
Some things to listen for:
Listen for mission needs that key defense intelligence agency leaders are articulating. No company leader should seek a meeting with any of these or other agency leaders without having heard what they say here. If you do you are wasting their time!
Understand the sad fact that government leaders still do not understand well enough the power of accelerating change and innovation by leveraging innovative commercial technologies. I took that point away from the several references here to MARS, which is being created by tasking integrators to come up with things that the commercial world could provide and more rapidly deliver incredible capability (Just an opinion of mine, I have some links below that hit on that more, but listening to these leaders and even the questions from Congress leads me to believe this sub optimal approach will continue).
For other reading on the build vs buy approach see:
Shyam Sankar Provides Context on Make vs Buy in the Federal Ecosystem
Elon Musk Provides Context on Make vs Buy in the Federal Ecosystem
More Proof That The Government Should Always Prefer Commercial Off The Shelf Software
Software Acquisition and Practices in Government: Build or Buy?
How Do Leaders In Government Decide Whether To Buy Or Build? Do They pick GOTS or COTS?
