As one of the largest organizations on the planet , the US Department of the Air Force is charting a new course in digital technology . Its top tech brass talk about the different facets of a complex transformation
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
As one of the largest organizations on the planet , the US Department of the Air Force is charting a new course in digital technology . Its top tech brass talk about the different facets of a complex transformation
The US Department of Defense , were it a commercial company , would be one of the biggest in the world . Like a container ship , its size – while staggeringly impressive – is also a handicap . Changing tack is the work of an army of personnel under the command of strong leaders . And it happens slowly .
Or it used to . As far as technology is concerned , the need for agility and development speed is so pressing , the US Air Force has had to order a bigger rudder . It installed a new Chief Information Officer , Lauren Knausenberger , in August 2020 and a number of other high profile hires have joined the mission to set a new course for the 21st century .
Knausenberger admits the DoD is “ a little bit behind the commercial world ” and occasionally stymied by old-world thinking . “ I was at a conference and I heard something I hadn ’ t heard in a long time : ‘ digital transformation is great and everything but it doesn ’ t really enable the war fighter ’. That used to be how a lot of people felt , but we look at that attitude now and think it ’ s pretty humorous . The dialogue has changed and more people are realising that when it comes to future war fighting and especially future deterrence , it ’ s all about the digital realm .”
28 May 2021