May 2026
Innovators are wired to move fast and break things in pursuit of timely solutions. In the warfighting acquisition realm, that approach has long been stifled by complex compliance requirements and exhaustive procurement processes.
But change is underway.
In the last year, the Department of War (DOW) has begun a sweeping transformation of its acquisition system with a prioritized strategy to: field capabilities faster than our adversaries; increase production and deliver wartime surge capacity for key systems, weapons, and munitions; and shift from a culture of compliance to one of speed and execution.
To propel momentum, MITRE convened senior leaders from the DOW, industry, and the policy ecosystem for two days last month at our McLean campus. The Beyond Barriers: Acquisition on a War Footing summit focused on smart risk-taking and practical ways to deliver innovation to the warfighter at speed and scale. Participants agreed: There’s no time to waste.
Prioritizing outcomes over process: Speakers stressed the value of having “80%” solutions now versus “perfect” solutions that arrive too late to have meaningful impact.
Bigger picture: With geopolitical tensions rising, the experts emphasized moving from a peacetime mindset to a war footing.
Tune in: Recordings are available here.
7-minute read time
QUOTABLE
“There is a temptation to treat risk avoidance as a virtue … But the greatest risk we face is fielding less capability than our adversaries, slower than our adversaries, in a security environment that punishes hesitation.”
— U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) spoke to the Beyond Barriers audience in a video message. She also referenced risk trade-off:
“Sometimes accepting more acquisition risk is exactly how we reduce that operational risk.”
SURVEY SAYS
State of Acquisition Warfighting Survey Reveals Optimism
As acquisition accelerates, MITRE set out to take the pulse of key stakeholders. Partnering with Atomik Research, we asked 1,200 professionals across the industrial base to weigh in on the state of warfighting acquisition.
Cautious optimism: Respondents recognize and appreciate the progress to date, especially regarding increasing speed for fielding new capabilities, but they note consistent, system-wide outcomes have yet to be realized.
Why it matters: This annual survey and the insights we can track year to year provide our nation’s DOW acquisition leaders with the clarity needed to empower the warfighting acquisition workforce, target resources, and establish accountability and transparency measures that ultimately deliver capabilities to the warfighter faster and more effectively.
NEWS ALERT
MITRE and The Weather Company Team Up to Improve Global Forecasts
From flight routing to disaster preparedness, better weather forecasts enable better decision making. MITRE and The Weather Company (TWC) are joining forces to advance AI-based weather forecasting. Using publicly available meteorological data and powered by our NVIDIA DGX H100 SuperPOD™-backed Federal AI Sandbox, we’ve built one of the highest-resolution public AI weather datasets available. TWC is leveraging the substantive data to enhance forecasting models.
The result: Improved local weather data that helps decision makers and emergency responders prepare for and respond to dangerous weather.
Better together: "Optimizing weather resilience is a global challenge that no single organization can solve alone. By combining our science expertise and operational scale with MITRE's vast research resources, we're moving the needle on what’s possible in weather forecasting,” said Peter Neilley, Ph.D., senior vice president of science and forecasting operations, TWC.
RESEARCH & PROTOTYPING
Advancing AI-Based Forecasts for Wildfire Management
Wind is one of the most critical — and least predictable — drivers of catastrophic wildfires.
Trained on terabytes of publicly available meteorological data using our NVIDIA supercomputer (described above), our new AI tool called Ponderosa dramatically improves wind forecasts for wildfire management.
Protecting communities: By feeding richer, more precise wind data into existing weather models and visualizing results on geospatial maps, Ponderosa helps officials better anticipate wildfire spread, saving lives and property.
HIGH HONORS
Judith Dahmann Recognized for Engineering Expertise
Over more than 50 years and six distinct careers at MITRE, Judith Dahmann, Ph.D. has helped advance our impact on some of the nation's most complex challenges. We recently recognized Dahmann’s stellar contributions to systems engineering with our John Betz Award for Exceptional Technical Achievement.
Fresh perspectives: These days, the MITRE technical fellow says she draws inspiration from our multidisciplinary teams and early-careerists who bring unique perspectives to new challenges — and persistent ones.
NEW APPOINTMENT
MITRE Fellow Named to the DOW's new Science and Technology Board
Speaking of John Betz, Ph.D.: the MITRE fellow emeritus has had a storied career in position, navigating, and timing systems, playing a central role in modernizing the Global Positioning System, or GPS. He recently helped design the world’s newest GPS signal.
Paying it forward: His experience made Betz an ideal candidate for the Science, Technology, and Innovation Board (STIB), a newly formed advisory committee to the Department of War. The STIB “ensures that ideas on the bleeding edge move quickly from concept to the field, directly making a difference to the joint force,” said Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael.
MEMORIAL DAY
Remembering the Fallen
This month, we pause to honor and remember all those who have served our country and gave their lives in defense of our nation and freedoms.