Science and Technology (S&T) Analytic Assessments
Abstract
This program supports the Department's initiatives to Defend the Homeland, Deter Aggression, Prevail in Conflict, and Build an Enduring Advantage. This Program Element (PE) directly supports the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Analysis (OSI&A) for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). OSI&A’s net technical assessment (NTA) framework integrates intelligence, comparative assessment, and independent analysis to shape the development of innovative capabilities and address emerging threats from a diverse range of state and non-state actors as outlined in the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and as reported through the intelligence community (IC). The complexity of capability gaps in the future operating environment combined with the speed of emerging threat development requires a “red vs blue” NTA approach. This approach provides integrated baselines for OUSD(R&E) analyses and investment decisions that are reflective of cross-cutting Joint Force plans, missions, and concepts. Trends and potential impacts related to global critical and emerging technology developments are analyzed and assessed, and findings are integrated with IC reporting to enable decision advantage in OUSD(R&E) and inform strategies for maintaining technological superiority and modernizing key capabilities for the Joint Force. Analysis and assessments are focused on challenges related to NDS objectives and competitors' research and development trends. Two main lines of effort accomplish this mission: 1) An NTA is conducted using integrated information from the acquisition, intelligence, operational, and technical communities to quantify key attributes of emerging critical challenges and assess counter technology options. The framework includes execution of the following activities: - Independent teams of industry, academic, and Federally Funded Research and Development Center/University Affiliated Research Center (FFRDC/UARC) partners conduct comparative analyses and assessments of critical technology research and development efforts between U.S. and competitor nations inform decision and drive investment across the Enterprise. - Baseline operational and technical assessments underpin technology development efforts across OUSD(R&E). - Technology-based wargames identify opportunities stemming from emerging technologies; evaluate the demands of the future operational environment; and integrate the operational, technology, and intelligence communities across the DoD and IC. - Integrated methodologies and findings from technology forecasting, maturation assessments, and NTA efforts support global research watch activities to identify technological development areas for research and investment. 2) Technology watch and forecasting capabilities enable OUSD(R&E)’s monitoring and analysis of global basic and applied research activities, while intelligence integration informs R&E enterprise portfolio decisions and the U.S. S&T intelligence posture by establishing linkages across both entities. These efforts characterize the global technology environment for decision advantage across DoD and U.S. government technology development enterprises. - Recurring technical exchanges between OUSD(R&E) portfolio managers and the subject matter expert analysts and production centers of the IC facilitate the direct exchange of intelligence needs and finished intelligence products to establish a comprehensive understanding of the global technology landscape; - Open-source analysis, including technology watch and horizon scanning activities, identifies emerging and disruptive technology trends in areas of future military utility to inform strategic investment decisions. Due to the emergent nature of challenges and threats, specific analytic foci are unlikely to be identified beyond the current budget year. The process for developing and executing assessments can span fiscal years and may have multiple phases as trends progress and new information arises.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- 0603288D8Z_3_0400_PB_2024
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY 2024 decrease of $0.428 million is comprised of a re-alignment of $0.539 million to support the Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Serving Institutions program, which is a priority of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), and $0.026 million to support departmental priorities, and an economic assumption increase of $0.137 million.
- Service Agency Name
- Office of the Secretary Of Defense
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
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