AUVSI Statement on the Report of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, USA, July 30, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Commission on the National Defense Strategy published its final report this week and today, Commission Chair Jane M. Harman and Vice Chair Eric S. Edelman will testify at a U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing about the report’s bipartisan, unanimous conclusions and recommendations.

On behalf of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Smitsky made the following statement in support of the Commission’s findings:

"AUVSI applauds the Commission for its recommendations which will establish stability and transparency in the defense budget and which encourage the adoption of proven technology solutions to build and field the modern force needed to meet the urgent pacing challenges posed by Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Congress and the Department of Defense should adopt the report’s recommendation for the U.S. Navy to integrate commercially viable uncrewed maritime systems to deliver the most advanced capabilities to warfighters.

The Department of Defense’s Replicator initiative has set forward a clear process that has created a demand signal for uncrewed systems and encouraged private sector response to production needs. AUVSI supports a similar initiative to create a demand signal for the maritime industry to rapidly scale manufacturing capacity, which will inject investment in U.S. and allied shipbuilding and enable the U.S. Navy to maintain readiness in maritime theaters.

The United States’s capacity for technology innovation is unmatched. Congress and the Department of Defense must learn from the disruptive change led by Deputy Secretary Hicks, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Office of Strategic Capital and support the fielding of vast quantities of commercial uncrewed technologies to meet the needs of today’s strategic environment."

###

About AUVSI
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of autonomy, uncrewed systems, and robotics. AUVSI represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government, and academia across the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org.

Chelsie Jeppson
AUVSI
+1 571-255-7786
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Twitter
LinkedIn