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SOCOM wants to move fast on new tech: ‘We’re not building aircraft carriers here’

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U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, is focused on moving quickly to get technology into the hands of special operators, a senior acquisitions official with the command said on Monday.

“We are not building aircraft carriers here,” said David Breede, SOCOM’s deputy director for acquisition. “We are not launching million-dollar satellites here. What we are doing is integrating the latest technology into systems that can be fielded quickly for our quick turn prototyping, quick turn testing, validation — get them to the field.

Breede spoke during this year’s SOF Week exhibition in Tampa, Florida, which showcases special operations forces and their capabilities.

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He stressed that speed is one part of SOCOM’s strategy for fielding new technology. The command also has to be focused on ensuring it is giving special operators what they need. That can involve taking a more deliberate approach and spending months to years to develop the right capability when time has permitted.

“A lot of people want to say ‘I can iterate fast’ just for the sake of saying ‘I can iterate fast,’” Breede said during his speech.  “That’s not it. Iterating fast needs to be done with a purpose, and if you have the time and space to do it deliberately and do it right, take the time and space to do it deliberately and do it right.”

When asked what piece of technology SOCOM needs most right now, Breede underscored the need for autonomous technologies — which can operate independently with a human in or on the loop — to be able to share information with each other.

It “is not helpful” when different autonomous systems are unable to work together because they can’t share their data, he said.

“I think it’s we’re still moving very slowly in that area to be able to just pick up something like automated target recognition and drop it into whether I want it on a Group 1 unmanned aircraft or a medium-sized unmanned surface vessel, so that they can both use that same algorithm, and then talk to each other and share that information,” Breede said.

The post SOCOM wants to move fast on new tech: ‘We’re not building aircraft carriers here’ appeared first on Task & Purpose.

Classification
Region
North America
Analytical Domain
Strategic
Primary Category / Secondary Categories
Political-Military / Weapons & Equipment
SALUTE Report
Size
Not specified
Activity
SOCOM is focused on quickly integrating new technology for special operations forces.
Location
Tampa
Unit
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
Time
Recent (Monday during SOF Week)
Equipment
autonomous technologiesunmanned aircraftunmanned surface vessel
Summary

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is prioritizing the rapid integration of new technologies for special operations forces during the SOF Week exhibition in Tampa. David Breede, SOCOM's deputy director for acquisition, highlighted the importance of autonomous technologies that can communicate effectively. SOCOM aims to balance speed with the careful development of capabilities, avoiding large-scale projects like aircraft carriers.

Key Facts
  • SOCOM aims to quickly integrate new technology for special operators.
  • David Breede emphasized the need for autonomous technologies that can share information.
  • SOCOM is not focused on large-scale projects like aircraft carriers or satellites.
  • The command is balancing speed with the need for deliberate development of capabilities.
  • The SOF Week exhibition in Tampa showcased special operations forces and their capabilities.
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