Special Report: DoD tightens focus on critical technology areas

An artist's rendering of the US Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). OUSD R&E has identified scaled hypersonic systems as a critical technology area. (Raytheon)

In November, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael announced six critical technology areas (CTAs) that his office would focus on, a major reduction from the 14 identified by President Joe Biden's administration.

“These CTAs represent the cutting edge of research and engineering, designed to deliver immediate, tangible results to the warfighter and ensure the United States remains the most lethal fighting force in the world,” according to a Department of Defense (DoD) statement on 17 November.

The CTAs are applied artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, contested logistics technologies, quantum and battlefield information dominance, scaled directed energy, and scaled hypersonics.

These appear to be largely centred on capabilities with battlefield applications, compared with the previous CTAs, which included biotechnology, quantum science, Future Generation (FutureG) wireless technology, advanced materials, trusted AI and autonomy, integrated network systems-of-systems, microelectronics, space technology, renewable energy generation and storage, advanced computing and software, human-machine interfaces, directed energy, hypersonics, and integrated sensing and cyber.

Many of those technologies were dual-use, or more removed from combat, although there may be overlap with some areas of the new CTA list. Contested logistics technologies and quantum and battlefield information dominance, for example, could cover a range of capabilities.

Paradigm shift

“I'm focused on creating a new environment where research and engineering can accelerate our pace and meet the demands of the changing nature of warfare,” Michael told reporters during a Defense Writers Group event on 8 December in Washington, DC.

He highlighted the conflict in Ukraine, where “you have a robot-on-robot front line now”, leading to an “explosion of drone technology”.