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By Sam Mehta
President of the Space & Mission Systems and Communications & Spectrum Dominance segments

The global security environment is not waiting for traditional development timelines or ideal operational conditions. The conflict in Iran is a reminder that new fights can emerge with little warning and demand immediate response. U.S. forces have performed with precision and discipline, but the capability asymmetry and limited scope of that conflict will not exist everywhere. 

Ukraine has shown the harder reality: dense drone threats, persistent electronic interference and adversaries adapting faster than traditional acquisition cycles can respond. That is the operating environment for which U.S. and allied forces need to be prepared, and it is forcing a different standard for industry. The Department of War (DoW) and allied nations are pressing for capability that is proven, scalable and ready now.

To keep up with the DoW’s evolving approach, industry must adapt quickly, scale production smartly and accelerate capability into the hands of operators. 

Together, those three priorities define operational relevance.

Adapt

Demand is shifting rapidly across regions and mission sets. Interest in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), assured communications and space-based capability continues to grow as nations increase their investment in defense. Systems must evolve quickly to match changing operational realities and frontline feedback.

Scale

Industry needs to deliver capability and lethality at the quantities needed to meet operational demands. The focus is no longer on prototyping. Congress and the administration are treating industrial capacity as a national security priority, employing multi-year procurement, accelerated contracting pathways and digital engineering initiatives designed to increase throughput.

Accelerate

Speed matters at every stage – from development to production to software updates pushed directly into systems already in service. While the DoW is making progress on policy and strategy, it’s time to turn principle into practice. The force cannot wait years for capability adjustments while adversaries adapt in months. Production speed is now combat power.