Secure New Technology, Secure America

March 10, 2023
OTA contracting

Russia is amping up is hypersonics weapons campaigns against Ukraine. North Korea recently claimed it has tested its own fleet of hypersonic missiles, a claim that has been deemed credible. Top U.S. generals openly state that China’s hypersonic developments are “very concerning”.

In 2020, China more than doubled their satellite launch rate, launching more satellites into space than the United States in that year, leading the world for the most satellites launched for the third year in a row.

In addition, China and Taiwan manufacture the majority of the world’s microelectronics. Microchips are the Achilles heel of everyday necessities, including vital national security technology. But only 12% of microelectronics used in America are actually made in America. Concerning?

It’s obvious, the United States needs a way to quickly and efficiently ramp up critical technology, from hypersonics, to satellites, to 5G, to microelectronics, and more. This isn’t a matter of “winning a race”, it’s a matter of national and global security.

“Technological developments often determine the outcome of conflict,” emphasized Senator Angus King, I-Maine, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, “…and we are behind.”

The good news is there are acquisition vehicles already in place that are able to help the government attain mission-critical technology quickly and with fewer resources. Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) are the exact contracting method the Department of Defense needs to obtain the lead in innovating technologies, cutting contracting timelines down to months instead of years through other contracting methods.

To maintain a global superpower, the United States cannot afford to fall any further behind in technology developments. Innovation is key. Through streamlined contracting via OTAs, the U.S. military can curtail the alarming technological jump-start other nations currently have over the U.S.

“Technological developments in other countries are happening faster than at any other time in history,” stated Doug Crowe, S²MARTS OTA Director. “The threat is real, the problem is a national security risk, and the answer is OTAs.”

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