Panelists at SATELLITE 2023’s “Transforming Battlespace Communications” session debated how the DoD can best leverage commercial technology for battlefield advantage while managing cybersecurity and interoperability challenges.
Dr. Frank Turner, technical director of the Space Development Agency, explained SDA’s approach: “We take a group of people, empower them, remove roadblocks, put decision-making close to them, make them accountable, and get out of their way. They can do amazing things.” Turner emphasized that SDA’s acquisition process isn’t dramatically different — just better executed.
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Mike Dean, DoD Satcom Chief, said the key is finding technologies with dual commercial-military utility: “We’ve got a relationship now with Qualcomm for Snapdragon chips direct-into-device. That is something requiring huge investment, but it bears fruit on both sides. When you can find those dual-use relationships, those are the ones you look for.”
Rich Pang of Telesat Government Solutions noted that most commercial technology “was never designed specifically for government customers — we’re forced to stitch together solutions.” He agreed the acquisition process itself isn’t the problem: “It’s in the implementation where we get into trouble.”
David Robinson of Iridium raised the cybersecurity dimension: “There is no discrimination between commercial birds and military birds. Things you need to worry about on both the DoD side and the commercial side, because there is no separation.”
Turner summed up the strategic goal: “All the data turned into excellent information, yielding decision superiority. Regardless of how you built it — commercial, tactical, strategic — it all comes together into a picture that gives the United States significant overmatch over its adversaries.” VS
