Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. has written for Breaking Defense since 2011 and served as deputy editor for the site's first decade, covering technology, strategy, and policy with a particular focus on the US Army. He’s now a contributing editor focused on cyber, robotics, AI, and other critical technologies and policies that will shape the future of warfare. Sydney began covering defense at National Journal magazine in 1997 and holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and Georgetown.
“Our mindset has to be that we use the spectrum to kill faster, not to protect things,” said Col. Joshua Koslov. “The more things we kill, the less things that can hurt us.”
Within five to 10 years, clocks “a million times” more precise than GPS could improve accuracy, communications, and electronic warfare – without relying on an easily jammed satellite signal.
Intelligence analysts need to be especially cautious about artificial intelligence “hallucinations” or other false outputs, said the CIA’s Chief Technology Officer — but AI can also generate genuinely useful insights out of left field.
“The war in Ukraine has cast a very dark shadow,” ambassador-at-large Nate Fick said – but the “silver lining” is a new seriousness about public-private cooperation against global cyber threats.
Combat is too complicated and chaotic for existing AI to analyze, and DARPA is trying to figure out the best way to combine algorithms with human expertise.
Drone-guided artillery strikes have made Ukraine “the graveyard of command posts,” two Army generals have warned. But, Lt. Gen. Milford Beagle and Brig. Gen. Jason Slider told Breaking Defense, better tactics and affordable tech can save lives.
While billions over budget and years behind schedule, “Block 4 is going to be fundamentally, radically better,” especially in electronic warfare, argued AFA’s Doug Birkey. “In many ways, it’s an entirely new jet.”
Executives controlling almost $100 billion in assets co-signed a letter to Sec. Lloyd Austin, urging him to adopt acquisition reforms put forward by an independent Atlantic Council commission.
A savvy DC veteran, Sec. Christine Wormuth didn’t outright call for Congress to go above the budget caps, but, she said, “given that we want to make sure that we are not only able to support Ukraine but that we also replenish our own stocks … a supplemental, I think, would be very helpful.”
With Ukraine losing up to 10,000 drones a month, mostly to Russian electronic warfare, it’s tempting to invest in anti-EW protection – but, experts agreed, it’s probably more cost-effective to accept high losses and just buy more bare-bones drones.
With 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act up for renewal, the House Science Committee held a hearing on how to expand the NQI’s support to government, academic, and industry R&D – with Chinese competition much in mind.
“The PRC’s goal is developing capabilities to disrupt critical infrastructure in the event of a future conflict,” NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce told Breaking Defense in a statement.
The company, just 55 employees strong, boasts a unique approach to additive manufacturing of lightweight, versatile composites well-suited to aerospace applications from fighter aircraft and drones to hypersonics.
Think the Pentagon is ponderous? A new study from CNA shows how Soviet-style bureaucracy and an industrial base dependent on imports – from Iran, China, and the West – have hampered Russian drone warfare in Ukraine.
