Chuck Brooks is the president of Brooks Consulting International and one of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Experts.
The speed at which a country can discover, prototype, acquire and implement technology may be almost as crucial as the technology itself in the new era of technological competition that the United States is entering. Robotics, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space technologies are all developing concurrently, increasingly merging with one another and producing capabilities that can go from laboratory concept to operational application in remarkably short amounts of time.
The federal government frequently used a comparatively linear innovation model for decades: create a need, finance research, create a technology, construct a prototype, test it, acquire it and then field it. When technological cycles were expressed in years or decades, that model made more sense. It is becoming more and more out of step with a world where AI capabilities can change in months, commercial drones can develop quickly, software can be updated constantly, and emerging quantum technologies are advancing in cybersecurity, computing, sensing and communications.
In response, the federal government is making a more noticeable attempt to break that cycle. There is more going on in the Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security, the Space Force and the Intelligence Community than just a set of acquisition reforms. It is the initial design of a new ecosystem for innovation in national security.
As DHS’s Science & Technology Directorate accelerates how federal innovation reaches operational missions through partnerships like In-Q-Tel, the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29 will explore how civilian agencies are speeding up the path from emerging technology to mission capability. Register now!
Transitioning From Linear R&D to Continuous Innovation
Perhaps the best illustration of this shift is the Department of War. Its current reorganization of research and technology aims to break down technology silos and create closer ties between government labs, business innovators, venture capital, academia, acquisition firms and warfighters. Finding new technologies is no longer the only challenge, as I recently wrote in GovConWire. It is setting up the government to locate, develop, purchase and field them at a rate that can keep up with strategic rivals and commercial innovation. See: How the Department of War Is Rebuilding Its Innovation Edge.
This can be demonstrated in practice through the Department’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies, or APFIT, program. The Department declared in July 2026 that APFIT had helped put more than 100 capabilities into operational use and had been awarded more than $2 billion. Autonomous systems, electronic warfare, counter-UAS, expeditionary manufacturing, robust communications, contested logistics and energy are among the technologies. Crucially, the initiative has also made it easier for small, unconventional and venture-backed businesses to join the national security ecosystem.
Because some of the most significant innovations are taking place outside of the conventional defense-industrial base, that is strategically significant. Long before it has the connections, contracting infrastructure, or resources required to successfully navigate a traditional government acquisition process, a startup may develop a compelling technology. Programs for accelerated procurement and rapid prototyping can serve as a link between commercial innovation and national security applications.
Eliminating the strict testing, security and accountability requirements for government systems shouldn’t be the goal. The goal should be to shorten the time between successful experimentation and operational deployment while bringing those disciplines closer to the start of the innovation cycle.
AI Is Developing Into a Spark for Innovation
Because artificial intelligence is more than just another technology that government organizations must purchase, it is at the heart of this change. It has the potential to speed up the process of discovering and developing new technologies.
AI is capable of analyzing scientific literature, spotting patterns in massive datasets, producing hypotheses, simulating environments, supporting engineering design, streamlining logistics and assisting researchers in figuring out where more experimentation might be most fruitful. It can also help with modeling, operational planning, intelligence analysis and decision support in the field of national security.
This larger goal is reflected in the Department of War’s 2026 AI strategy, and DARPA and the National Science Foundation have formed AI Forge to expedite AI advancements for national security applications. According to DARPA, the endeavor aims to close the gap between commercial AI development and national security requirements, paying special attention to secure, dependable and secure AI in contested environments.
This is a crucial distinction. The federal government is becoming more interested in using AI to speed up research, development and decision-making rather than just purchasing it. AI, quantum computing, robotics, advanced materials, space systems, connectivity and other technologies are no longer developing independently, and this is a part of what I have dubbed the emerging “Acceleration Era.” When they come together, they can create capabilities that are greater than the sum of their separate parts.
Quantum Transitions From Science to Strategy
The challenge posed by quantum technology is distinct but no less significant. Even before large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers become feasible, quantum sensing, timing and networking could have important national-security applications. However, quantum computing is still a developing field.
Instead of focusing on just one technology, the Department of War is increasingly viewing quantum as a portfolio. The Department has started preparing for the cybersecurity implications of future quantum capabilities, and recent initiatives have included quantum sensing efforts targeted at applications like navigation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Innovation and cybersecurity become inextricably linked at this point. When a technology develops a new capability, it may also develop a new vulnerability. While quantum sensing may enhance navigation and detection in settings where traditional technologies are deteriorating, quantum computing may eventually pose a threat to widely used encryption.
As a result, the federal government must simultaneously prepare for quantum risk and pursue quantum advantage. In a similar vein, post-quantum cybersecurity and quantum innovation were put on parallel tracks by the White House’s June 2026 quantum executive actions.
There is more to the lesson than just quantum. Instead of being added after the technology is operational, cybersecurity and resilience should now be incorporated into every emerging technology program’s development cycle. See: Agentic AI, Quantum Convergence: A GovCon Cyber Imperative.
DHS: Converting Innovation Into Mission Capability
The Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, which has been following this model for years, offers a crucial illustration of how the government can link commercial innovation with federal R&D.
The goal of DHS S&T’s collaboration with In-Q-Tel is to find new technologies and relate them to homeland security needs. Artificial intelligence, data analytics, trusted infrastructure, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, robotics and communications have all been the focus of the partnership, according to DHS, and technologies have shifted from the commercial ecosystem into homeland-security operations.
Another helpful model is offered by the Directorate’s Transition to Practice program. The program finds promising technologies from federal laboratories, universities and research organizations and proceeds with market validation, testing, pilot deployments and commercialization rather than letting federally funded research sit on the shelf.
Since many of the threats that DHS addresses do not require a five-year acquisition cycle, this strategy is especially pertinent to homeland security. Rapidly evolving technologies and adversaries are involved in border security, aviation security, counter-UAS, cybersecurity, emergency response and critical infrastructure protection.
Additionally, DHS is using AI and quick technological advancements to address specific mission issues. For instance, work on creating synthetic data for machine-vision AI used in passenger and property screening is part of its current acquisition planning. Throughout my work on government innovation, I have stressed the more general idea that technology needs to be linked as soon as possible to a mission and an end user. Kudos to the leadership of the S& T Directorate, Under Secretary Pedro Allende and Deputy Under Secretary Julie Brewer for implementing functional and optimal programs serving as a catalyst for important missions. See: DHS Science & Technology Directorate Is a Strategic Asset
Space Is Turning Into a Test Bed for Innovation
The best illustration of why acquisition speed is important may be found in space. Communications, navigation, weather, intelligence, financial transactions and military operations all depend more and more on satellites and space systems and commercial space firms are developing new capabilities at a rate that was not anticipated by traditional government acquisition models.
In response, the Space Force is accelerating the integration of new technologies through more flexible acquisition authorities and commercial partnerships. The Space Force announced plans for additional awards and awarded seven Other Transaction Authority agreements in May and June 2026, totaling over $500 million for cutting-edge technology development to support its Space Combat Power portfolio. It is anticipated that the chosen businesses will develop, test and implement technologies that facilitate collaborative operations.
The importance transcends the monetary sum. The strategy is referred to as “tech pull” by the Space Force, which begins with urgent operational needs and draws commercial technologies in the direction of those needs. This reverses a previous paradigm wherein the government may establish a requirement year prior to the development of commercially viable technology.
The space domain is another example of why cybersecurity needs to be integrated from the start. Space is turning into a crucial infrastructure layer, but increased reliance on satellites and their terrestrial networks also increases the attack surface, as I recently discussed in Forbes. Therefore, rather than being an afterthought, cybersecurity, resilience and redundancy must be incorporated into space-system architecture. See: Space Security Enters the Age of Resilient Infrastructure.
The Innovation Imperative & the Intelligence Community
A similar problem confronts the Intelligence Community. The ability to gather, process and analyze vast amounts of data while managing increasingly complex deception, cyberthreats and quickly evolving technologies is becoming a critical component of intelligence advantage.
Instead of emphasizing innovation for its own sake, the Intelligence Community’s own innovation framework places a strong emphasis on need, collaboration, creativity and value. Its stated goal is to create methods and tools that connect the community to talent and ideas no matter where they live while delivering timely and pertinent information.
Because the amount of information available is growing more quickly than human analysts can handle , AI is especially important in this situation. The potential lies not only in automating intelligence analysis but also in enhancing human judgment through data correlation, machine-scale processing and pattern recognition.
Additionally, it poses a new security risk. Intelligence systems are increasingly required to function in environments where adversaries may use AI for automated reconnaissance, cyberattacks, deception and influence operations. As a result, the intelligence mission itself includes reliable AI, secure data, model integrity and cybersecurity. This reality is reflected in the AI governance and risk-management frameworks established by the Intelligence Community.
Drones, Robotics & the Economics of Innovation
Perhaps the most obvious illustration of how technology convergence is altering national security is found in robotics and autonomous systems. The cognitive layer is provided by AI; perception is provided by sophisticated sensors; connectivity is provided by communications; platforms are made more affordable and capable by new materials and manufacturing; and the trust layer is provided by cybersecurity.
This convergence in the development of intelligent drones is something I recently studied. Aircraft with improved navigation won’t be the only autonomous systems of the future. AI, sensing, autonomous software, advanced batteries, edge computing, cybersecurity and resilient communications will all be increasingly integrated into platforms. An intriguing illustration of this convergence is the company Quantum Cyber, which has developed a strategy focused on combining cybersecurity, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and quantum computing ideas into a single platform for drone operations, autonomous defense and counter-UAS capabilities. The company claims that its long-term goal is to create an AI-powered, quantum-accelerated “system-of-systems” architecture that can coordinate autonomous operations in the air, land, and marine domains, rather than just producing drones. See: How AI, Quantum Computing And New Batteries Are Transforming Drones.
Because the economy is shifting, there are significant implications for national security. For traditionally costly platforms and defenses, a large number of relatively cheap autonomous systems can cause operational challenges. This is one of the reasons that quick experimentation is important. The government must determine which technologies are effective as well as which combinations of technologies result in long-term operational benefits. Instead of depending only on conventional platform-development models, this calls for large-scale experimentation.
The Overarching Requirement Is Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is what unites all of these fields. AI, robotics, space assets, autonomous cars, quantum systems and sophisticated networks are all becoming more interconnected. Data, software, communications and digital infrastructure all affect their worth. This implies that a technological advancement that would otherwise be successful could be jeopardized by a cyber vulnerability.
For this reason, I have been arguing more and more that cybersecurity should be seen as an innovation requirement rather than a compliance requirement. A system’s digital dependencies become more significant as it becomes more technologically advanced.
Therefore, security by design, Zero Trust principles, identity management, supply-chain security, resilient communications, post-quantum cryptography and ongoing monitoring must all be included from the start in the new federal innovation model. The alternative is to develop incredible new capabilities only to find that their digital underpinnings are a vulnerability that can be exploited. See: Quantum Executive Orders Advance US Security, Innovation.
Innovation Velocity Is the True Competition
World-class universities, national laboratories, entrepreneurs, venture capital, a deep technology sector, an experienced defense industrial base and an innovative culture are just a few of the United States’ remarkable advantages. Lack of ideas has never been the only problem.
The difficulty has been turning those concepts into operational capabilities in a timely manner. The Department of War, DHS, Space Force and the Intelligence Community are all undergoing major changes as a result. Various mechanisms, including APFIT, commercial technology partnerships, Other Transaction Authorities, In-Q-Tel, transition-to-practice programs, AI initiatives, quantum programs and rapid prototyping, address a common issue: how to reduce the time between discovery and deployment.
AI, quantum computing, robotics, space systems and cybersecurity won’t determine the next stage of technological competition on their own. It will depend on how well the US can integrate these technologies and how fast it can transform promising concepts from labs and startups into safe, mission-ready capabilities.
It is not necessary for the federal government to turn into Silicon Valley. It must improve its ability to link Silicon Valley, academic institutions, national laboratories, the defense industrial base, government innovators and the end users of the technology. That’s what rapid innovation really means. Faster prototyping is not the only goal. The goal is to acquire, learn, adapt and field secure capabilities more quickly.
Innovation velocity is emerging as a distinct national-security capability in an era characterized by AI acceleration, quantum disruption, autonomous systems, contested space and machine-speed cyber threats. The next phase of strategic competition will be shaped by the countries that can most effectively link invention to operational advantage.
