Analysis

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Report
Trends in Department of Defense Other Transaction Authority Usage
May 25, 2022 | Gregory Sanders This report examines trends in Other Transaction Authority (OTA) usage across the DoD to provide insights into how the DoD is using OTAs to pursue innovation, how DoD spending under an OTA is organized, and to whom the majority of OTA obligations go.

Report
Defense Acquisition Trends 2021
March 29, 2022 | Gregory Sanders This report examines trends in what the DoD is buying, how the DoD is buying it, and from whom the DoD is buying based on analysis of data from the Federal Procurement Data System.

Report
Leveraging Networks in Future Operations: DISA's Changing Role in Battle Networks
January 31, 2022 | Gregory Sanders As the Department of Defense adapts to the challenges of a changing world, it has important choices to make about the future mission and organization of the Defense Information Systems Agency, the organization created in the Cold War to unify its top-level communications.

Report
Move Over JARVIS, Meet OSCAR
January 19, 2022 | Emily Harding With the help of AI/ML and unclassified cloud, the IC can reap the benefits of an open-source intelligence revolution. A basic form of Iron Man’s JARVIS, which this paper dubs “OSCAR,” could assist in a wide range of duties, from operations to analysis to support.

Report
Building Apollo's Arsenal: Acquiring Covid-19's Lessons Learned for Government - Bioeconomy Partnership
December 14, 2021 | Rose Butchart This brief examines pandemic response across three case studies, highlighting the importance of diagnostics, data management and laboratory development for ensuring future biosecurity. The brief then explores select aspects of the U.S. policy response and lessons learned.

Critical Questions
2021 Defense Acquisition Trends: Topline DoD Trends after a Half Decade of Growth
December 2, 2021 | Gregory Sanders Defense contract obligations grew by 8 percent in FY 2020, driven by spending on products manufactured by the Big Five defense contractors. On the cusp of a new National Security Strategy, this piece explores how a half-decade of growth has changed defense acquisition.

Commentary
Eyes Everywhere: Intelligence and Strategic Decisionmaking in the Gray Zone
November 23, 2021 | Ian Williams The United States must improve its ability to counter the kind of “gray zone” tactics favored by China and Russia. A recent CSIS tabletop exercise gave some insight into how Washington can improve its competitive edge.

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Army
October 21, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian The U.S. Army’s force structure remains steady even though its budget declined by $3.6 billion dollars. The Army does this by cutting modernization and readiness. In the long term, the Army’s force structure is at risk because of the strategic focus on China.

Commentary
From Data to Insight: Making Sense out of Data Collected in the Gray Zone
October 20, 2021 | Emily Harding While more data can provide actionable indications and warning, the U.S. government runs the risk of creating locked-up data silos rather than a comprehensive set of data-driven insights.

Report
Reaching Farther, Risking Less
September 22, 2021 | Rose Butchart, Gregory Sanders Remotely crewed systems play an important role for ISR in contested spaces. This brief examines DoD's investment, comparing budget and strategy. The Air Force led early in remotely crewed systems, but has reduced its investment while spending on maritime systems increased.

Report
When Biosecurity Is the Mission, the Bioeconomy Must Become Government’s Strategic Partner
July 19, 2021 | Gregory Sanders The government’s pandemic response has been enabled by the emerging bioeconomy, but the government’s engagement with the bioeconomy remains insufficient to support the translation and integration of R&D into the delivery of biosecurity capabilities.

Report
Achieving an Additive Manufacturing Breakthrough
June 22, 2021 Additive manufacturing (AM) is a promising technology that many believe is on the precipice of a breakthrough. AM developers, manufacturers, and policymakers should work to unite around achieving an AM breakthrough in mission-based applications that only AM can enable.

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