Technology and Innovation Enablers for Superiority in 2030

Abstract

The final report of the Defense Science Board 2012 Summer Study on Technology and Innovation Enablers for Superiority in 2030 is attached. In accordance with its charter, the study reviewed emerging technologies that will enable the next generation of dominant military capabilities anticipated to be in development or fielded by 2030. The review was guided by the January 2012 military strategy guidance entitled "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense." This report recommends specific investments for the Department focused on high leverage technologies that were judged as not adequately pursued today. In the process of developing these investment recommendations, the study also identified four investment categories that complement the traditional approach of seeking increasingly technically-sophisticated, complex, and therefore expensive systems. These are recommended as a taxonomy for thinking about the Department s technology investment portfolio. The investment categories are described in this report, and are listed here: Coping with parity, Achieving superiority through cost-imposing strategies, Achieving superiority through enhancing force effectiveness, Anticipating surprise. For each investment category, the report highlights several technology areas that were seen as under-attended, meaning they are lacking investment, effort, or focus commensurate with their potential importance to the Department. This was measured by a review of current activities inside and outside the Department of Defense rather than a thorough, detailed survey of the entire national investment portfolio. Consequently, the results of this process should not be viewed as a comprehensive list of technology investments for the Department. Rather, it is a set of priority investments that can complement, and in some cases replace, currently programmed initiatives.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA608507

Entities

Organizations

  • Defense Science Board

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Big Data
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Demonstrations
  • Department Of Defense
  • Emerging Technology
  • Engineering
  • Guidance
  • Investments
  • Leadership
  • Military Capabilities
  • Military Strategy
  • Procurement
  • Quantum Computing
  • Task Forces
  • Test And Evaluation

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Economics