The “I” in DIBS: Why Iteration Wins Wars #IQT

Transcript

In modern conflict, the battlefield is the ultimate laboratory. Victory doesn't belong to the side with the most advanced technology. It belongs to the side that adapts the fastest. One of the early lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine was the need to iterate very fast on systems being deployed. When a drone or other asset is in the field long enough for an opponent to create a countermeasure to it, it can be rendered useless overnight unless it can be swapped out entirely or adapted to counter the countermeasure.

When the Ukrainians began using cheap drones with great effect on Russian targets, the Russians upped their game in terms of electronic countermeasures. And in response, the Ukrainians hardened their drones and began using flybywire systems that kept a physical connection between the operators and the drones. This kind of rapid iteration is going to be vital for the future. So instead of thinking of systems being finished and battlefield ready, we must build in fast feedback loops. What's filled in on day one is likely to look very different by day 10 and very different again by day 20.

To learn how this fits into the greater Dibs framework for strengthening the US defense industrial base, check out Dibs, a new framework for national security innovation on our channel.