Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

Not Too FAR: Finding Flexibility to Contract for Innovation

Identifying and obtaining innovation from the commercial sector has been an ongoing challenge for the Department of Defense (DoD). With new breakthroughs in both technology and processes emerging from the commercial sector, both domestically and internationally, it is increasingly important for DoD to be able to productively interact with innovative companies. Getting these companies to work with DoD has proven difficult, however, in large part because of the intimidating regulatory regime that defense contractors must operate under, on issues ranging from intellectual property to cost accounting. For many vendors, the burdens involved in entering the defense market are significant enough that these vendors don’t see a viable business case for working with DoD, even if they are otherwise inclined to do so.

DoD’s Third Offset Strategy focuses heavily on this challenge, with entities like the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) designed to access nontraditional suppliers and accelerate deployment of technology. DIUx has faced criticism, however, because it lacks authority to bypass the traditional acquisition system that so many see as restricting DoD’s ability to work with innovative firms.

Keep reading...Show less
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Related Articles

Doing Battle in the Gray Zone

Doing Battle in the Gray Zone

Subscriber+Members are invited to join us on Wednesday, July 23 at 1:00p ET for an exclusive virtual conversation on gray zone operations led by [...] More

Report for Wednesday, July 9, 2025

9:12 America/New Wednesday, July 9 [...] More

The Real Impact of a Nuclear Bomb

FINE PRINT / OPINION — “This report explores the environmental effects and societal and economic consequences that would be expected to follow in the [...] More

As Taiwan Launches Military Drills, a Pressing Question for Washington

As Taiwan Launches Military Drills, a Pressing Question for Washington

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —Taiwan’s annual military exercise launching this week, will be its largest ever, mobilizing more than 22,000 reservists in response [...] More

Report for Tuesday, July 8, 2025

7:54 America/Chicago Tuesday, July 8 [...] More

U.S. Cyber Defense Starts with Defining Standards and Driving Collaboration

OPINION — President Donald J. Trump has returned to office with the renewed revelations that Chinese government-affiliated hackers continue to [...] More

Expert Q&A: What to Watch for at the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting

EXPERT Q&A — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House — [...] More

Report for Monday, July 7, 2025

8:03 America/Chicago Monday, July 7 [...] More

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – When Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump meet at the White House Monday, they will bring different ideas for resolving two [...] More