The Pentagon is facing urgent calls to embrace software-defined warfare to counter China’s growing military advantage. A new report from the Atlantic Council warns that if the US fails to implement this approach soon, it risks losing to China in a potential conflict. The report emphasizes the need for action before 2027, when some defense leaders speculate China might invade Taiwan.
Peter Modigliani, a report author, highlighted China’s rapid production of ships, munitions, and other systems compared to the US. He believes software will be the key differentiator, allowing the US to upgrade legacy systems, design new weapons, and accelerate decision-making. The report lays out nine recommendations, focusing on establishing an enterprise data repository, investing in AI enablers, modernizing testing and evaluation infrastructure, and adopting commercial solutions as the default approach for software development.
Whitney McNamara, a co-author, stressed that the mandated data repository should facilitate data sharing across the Department of Defense (DoD), potentially providing an advantage over China due to the US’s diverse and mission-relevant data from expansive operations.
Urgency of software-defined strategy
Modernizing software testing and evaluation infrastructure is also crucial, according to Christine Fox, a commission co-chair.
Integrating developers, testers, and operators could dramatically speed up the deployment of new technologies while ensuring proper testing. The report advocates for using commercial software as the default, noting that the DoD often develops new software unnecessarily, increasing costs, risks, and delays. Modigliani pointed out that commercial software benefits from continuous updates across a broad customer base.
The report’s timing is particularly relevant, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently issued a memo directing the DoD to adopt the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) as the preferred method for software development. The memo underscores that software-defined warfare is a present reality, not a future concept, and promotes using Commercial Solutions Openings and Other Transactions for acquiring capabilities more flexibly and efficiently. As the US seeks to maintain its military dominance in an increasingly complex global landscape, the pivot to software-defined warfare could prove crucial.
The Atlantic Council’s report serves as a wake-up call for the Pentagon to act swiftly and decisively in embracing this approach.
Image Credits: Photo by Luke Peters on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
