Mark Thomas’ Post

As both a military leader and advocate for Total Force integration, I explore how our current approach to digital transformation risks creating unnecessary barriers between components. I invite my fellow military leaders and defense professionals to read and share their perspectives on this crucial issue. How do you think we can better integrate digital transformation across all components?

Click below for a brief, but insightful read on how the Pentagon's CJADC2 exercises exemplify a paradigm shift in military operations, showcasing how zero trust principles, data-centric security, and dynamic data sharing can revolutionize not only defense strategies, but also inform commercial enterprises on balancing data protection with mission-critical information exchange in an increasingly interconnected world. #zerotrust #collaboration #datacentricsecurity

In today’s fast-paced military landscape, interoperability has become essential for achieving seamless coordination across diverse defense systems. In our latest blog we explore the significance of interoperability in defense, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and the technological advancements that facilitate it. Check it out here: https://hubs.ly/Q02NqL1P0 #interoperability #defensesystems

The center will fall under Air Force Materiel Command, the service’s main acquisition arm—officials say creating a center focused on information systems will put more focus on procuring systems for a crucial capability that is often forgotten or given less emphasis. #AirForce #USAF #Airman #SpaceForce #Guardian

Sector Focus - Defence: What Fulcrum IT Strategy Means for Warfighters and the Future of Defence What can we learn from the US Department of Defence's new IT strategy. "The Department of Defense’s new Fulcrum IT Strategy marks a pivotal shift in modernising its technological approach, prioritising user experience and interoperability for enhanced warfighter support." “Success is defined by the user experience — ensuring that decisions are made with the warfighter in mind.” This strategy exemplifies a forward-thinking approach, focusing on agility and the strategic use of emerging technology. Broadly, the Fulcrum strategy is structured around four lines of effort that the document states represent “a strategic shift that embraces technology as a mission enabler.” They include: LOE 1: Provide Joint Warfighting IT capabilities to expand strategic dominance of U.S. Forces and mission partners. LOE 2: Modernise information networks and compute to rapidly meet mission and business needs. LOE 3: Optimise IT governance to gain efficiencies in capability delivery and enable cost savings. LOE 4: Cultivate a premier digital workforce ready to deploy emerging technology to the warfighter. 123.EXPERT’S TAKE: Clearly the Fulcrum strategy could easily provide a framework for any organisation. Sales and/or marketing are warfighters to some extent, in the battle for market dominance. DEFENSESCOOP.COM: https://lnkd.in/gT-YnS9i People success is the key to tech success. 123.EXPERT - IT Experts by IT Experts #sydney #melbourne #perth #adelaide #brisbane #hobart #nsw #victoriaaustralia #westernaustralia #southaustralia #queensland #tasmania #australia #australianbusiness

ACMI is proud to support the implementation of the first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy—a critical step forward in ensuring America's continued technological, economic, and military leadership. Learn more about how we are developing new supply chains for essential chemicals as part of the Critical Chemicals Program and redefining the future of national security hardware with our Munitions Campus → https://lnkd.in/gFdkY6_W By working with the government, military, private sector, and academia we are ensuring that the American industrial base will remain the economic engine and security cornerstone of the United States and our allies for generations to come. Read the full National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan for FY 2025 → https://lnkd.in/eU-krJG2

Shifting the focus to warfighter-driven needs and mission outcomes is the way forward. It’s about enabling industry to think creatively and deliver faster, solving challenges at the speed of relevance. Exciting times for #Innovation and #TechAcquisition! #WarfighterFirst #MissionOutcomes

Resonated strongly with my former Palantir colleague Tara Murphy Dougherty, who highlighted a critical shift in Army tech acquisition at #AUSA2024. The move toward “characteristics of need” puts warfighter requirements first and opens the door for innovative commercial solutions. As Tara notes, this approach allows industry to suggest solutions rather than being constrained by predefined requirements.    Christian Brose also made a crucial point about shifting focus from contract deliverables to mission outcomes. True success isn't just meeting requirements—it's solving the warfighter's evolving problems at speed.    https://lnkd.in/eGu9nppH 

Last week, the United States Department of Defense released the National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP). The IP expands upon the four pillars of the NDIS, including the second pillar of the NDIS: the need for a sufficiently skilled and staffed pool of human capital capable of meeting the Defense Industrial Base's (DIB's) requirements and innovative enough to adapt to future demand. Focused efforts over the past year have resulted in nearly 10,000 new hires. Yet continued challenges indicate that the DIB is not immune to the same challenges facing the military services with respect to recruitment, and further highlight the need for a whole-of-government national security human capital strategy. https://lnkd.in/e_qVp4JZ

Next Generation Command and Control was the topic of a virtual industry day hosted Monday by PEO C3T and other US Army partners where attendees received a look into the path forward for the effort. Industry collaboration is the driving force behind many Army programs, and is especially necessary for Next Generation C2, which takes a “fundamentally different” approach by adopting critical features of the modern commercial technology cycle – including open and standard architectures, rapid iteration of requirements, and close partnership between users and developers, said Joe Welch, the acting deputy to the commanding general, Army Futures Command. https://lnkd.in/gryPikbZ #ForgeTheFuture | #TomorrowIsWorthProtecting