The Pentagon’s Software Revolution and Its Testing Dilemma

The Pentagon is rapidly adopting AI-driven, software-defined systems and accelerated acquisition processes to revolutionize its warfighting capabilities. While innovations like autonomous drone swarms promise a new edge, these advances are occurring as the Pentagon cuts resources for independent operational testing. This reduction in oversight raises serious risks that new, complex weapons systems will be fielded without rigorous validation, potentially failing in actual combat. Rushing high-tech systems without understanding their limits could lead to mission collapse and undermine America's technological advantage. The authors, former Pentagon testing directors, advocate for modernizing the test enterprise to ensure new capabilities are battle-ready before they reach the fight.