Central ND News

The Department of Defense (DOD) is under scrutiny for its slow acquisition processes, which have delayed the delivery of advanced technologies to military personnel. The Senate Armed Services Committee recently held a hearing to address these issues through defense innovation and acquisition reform.

Testimonies were heard from James Geurts, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Palantir Technologies; and Nathan Diller, Chief Executive Officer of Divergent Technologies.

Senator Kevin Cramer emphasized the importance of technology and acquisition reforms to keep pace with global adversaries like China. Reflecting on his early days with the committee, Cramer recounted the prolonged process surrounding a cloud computing contract known as Jedi. "Five years later, we finally have multiple companies doing cloud computing," he noted.

Cramer expressed frustration over delays caused by contract protests. "I was very frustrated by the ability of a company who didn't win the contract [...] to protest," he stated. He raised concerns about potential delays in space architecture due to ongoing protests against innovative agencies like the Space Development Agency.

Seeking insights from witnesses on protest regimes, Cramer acknowledged that while competition requires challenges, it should not compromise national safety. Geurts supported this view but highlighted abuses within the current system. "One thing I suggested early on was you get one bite at the apple,” he said.

Sankar agreed that protest avenues had been misused and suggested more competitive testing could mitigate this issue. "Anyone can win a fiction writing contest," he remarked.

Diller focused on building trust within procurement processes: “When we look at these protests...it's a trust issue."