Statement of The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, Honorable Paul G. Kaminski, Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Enabling Intelligence Technologies for the 21st Century.
Abstract
Our continued leadership in world affairs depends upon improving our intelligence collection, processing and dissemination capabilities. Today, the threat to U.S. national interests are truly global and less predictable. Our current intelligence systems and structures must be updated to cope with this new world order. At the same time, the new enabling technologies will be developed largely by the commercial marketplace. For this reason, we in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community must take an innovative approach to the acquisition of intelligence systems. In the cases where commercial capabilities are applicable, a dual use strategy should be pursued to improve the quality and reduce the cost of intelligence systems. Telecommunications is one such area. If we are to have assured and affordable access to the communications technologies needed for future intelligence systems, then we must reach out and exploit technological advances being made in the commercial world. We are reforming our acquisition processes to reduce the cost of doing business with the Department and to remove the barriers preventing us from leveraging the capabilities of our commercial industry. The Department has a long way to go, but we're fully engaged and beginning to make visible progress. In cases where technological breakthroughs are needed first or private investment risk is great, the Department and Intelligence Community must step in through direct financing to develop the leading edge technologies needed. Some sensor technologies will not be commercially viable within the timelines needed for near term intelligence system applications. Some processing technologies need to be 'jump started' through government-industry partnerships.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 18, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA323176
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense