James Smith: Special Ops Forces Acquisition Modernization Would Require Industry Partners to Go Quieter

The way we protected information in the past will not work in the context of integrated deterrence,” Smith wrote in a commentary published Monday on National Defense Magazine. He highlighted the need to reassess how the command drafts requirements, disclose contract awards and determine what information should be divulged to the public. He noted that the command will urge commercial partners to go quieter as it pursues the modernization of its acquisition process and advances the development of counter-unmanned aerial systems, next-generation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools, information warfare, untethered logistics and other emerging technologies. “The ‘old’ techniques of program protection and security need to become new again while not losing the agility we’ve acquired over the past few years,” he added. Smith also shared his views on the SOFWERX platform, the Vulcan portal, small business awards, digital engineering and experimentation with physical prototypes.