Navy Memo Maps Tech Priorities for the Future Fight

In a strategic move to sharpen its operational edge and accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology, the Department of the Navy is prioritizing artificial intelligence, autonomy and other tech as Priority Technology Areas (PTAs), according to a new memo.

The document, signed by acting CTO Justin Fanelli, emphasizes the imperative for innovation in an “increasingly complex and contested operational environment.” It highlights the need for a “proactive, agile, and focused approach” to meet evolving demands and outpace adversaries. The memo says the priorities position the service to deliver “modern capabilities in the hands of the warfighter faster” and speed innovation.

DON Deputy CTO Michael Frank told GovCIO Media & Research in an interview that the document emphasizes the interplay of speed, security and adoption. He noted that DON will ensure that rapid adoption of advanced technologies won’t inadvertently introduce new vulnerabilities or ethical concerns.

“We are very cognizant of the risks that come with rapidly adopting new tech. We are prioritizing organizational and governance processes to responsibly accelerate change and enable risk determinations at the lowest level,” Frank said.

Establishing Guidelines for Autonomous Systems

DON and Defense Department government processes are critical to safely adopting autonomous and AI systems, Frank noted.

“Tactically, this means establishing clear ethical guidelines, security measures and test and evaluation infrastructure for rapid AI development and deployment,” said Frank. “The risks of an AI capability should be weighed against the mission risks it mitigates, including AI risks to information security, privacy, and intelligence information about adversary capabilities. At the same time, we will be assessing the risks of not employing AI.”

Bolstering Collaboration Outside of DOD

The memo stresses the importance of collaboration between industry, academic and government partners. The document calls on partners to help shape resource allocation decisions across the enterprise.

“DON CTO cannot achieve its objectives alone, and as a result, seeks to foster collaborative partnerships both inside and outside of government,” Fanelli wrote. “A key requirement for these partnerships to be successful is to clearly communicate priorities [to industry partners].”

DON will also leverage PTAs with “Investment Horizons Charts” to identify gaps and opportunities within the technology pipeline and bureaucratic processes, Frank said.

“One of the most significant hurdles is the often over prescriptive requirements process that puts industry partners in a tight box and tells them how exactly we want them to solve a problem,” said Frank. “What we’re shifting to is leveraging capability needs statements to lay out the problem and outcomes we’re looking for and relying on industry to tell us how they would solve it.”

Inside the Priority Technology Areas

The memo’s PTAs are structured hierarchically, with five Level 1 categories representing the most immediate and critical needs. It is “not mutually exclusive, as technologies or solutions may cross between these areas, but they represent the major categories of priority and most immediate need,” Fanelli wrote.

While technologies may span multiple areas, the categories signify major investment priorities for DON:

1. AI / Autonomy: This area is deemed vital for “decision advantage and enhancing the ability of human-machine teaming.” The DON seeks AI-driven solutions for real-time data analysis and automated decision-making.
2. Quantum Computing: Quantum technologies are poised to “transform secure communications, computing and sensing for information warfare.” The focus here includes quantum encryption, enhanced data processing and cryptographic resilience.
3. Transport / Connectivity: Reliable and resilient communications are paramount for modern operations, and the Navy looks to advanced networking, secure communications and 5G/FutureG technologies to enable real-time data sharing and command and control.
4. C5ISR / Naval Space: Enhanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) and Naval Space capabilities are critical for information superiority in multi-domain operations. This involves integrating advanced sensor networks, improving automated data fusion and developing resilient space-based architectures.
5. Cyberspace Operations / Zero Trust: With rapidly evolving cyber threats, Zero Trust Architecture is considered essential for securing DON information networks. Priorities include advanced cyber defense frameworks, threat intelligence automation and proactive security measures.

Aligning with the Defense Secretary Priorities

The memo also highlights the coupling of the PTAs with 17 high-priority requirements outlined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, including southwest border activities, Virginia-class Submarines and priority critical cybersecurity.  According to the document, DON will refresh the PTA taxonomy “least annually” and will make it available on the DON CIO website to adapt to evolving strategic guidance and threat landscapes.

The memo says that DON will leverage “Investment Horizons” to identify gaps and opportunities in the technology pipeline. As the PTAs evolve over time, Frank said DON CIO will ensure that priorities will align with strategies like DON’s Information Superiority Vision 2.0.

“The cycle time of emerging tech is significantly shorter than the current budgeting process we have in place. We need to get to a place where we have the flexibility to shift investments as the threat landscape changes and existing tech becomes obsolete,” Frank said. “Operation Cattle Drive helps with this as it focuses on identifying and retiring legacy technology solutions that are no longer achieving the desired outcomes or are no longer strategically aligned with the vision laid out in the ISV 2.0.”