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SECNAV Del Toro Tells Industry to Hold Down Costs, Resist Requirements Creep

We are the bridge between industry and government, uniting the brightest minds in undersea tech, cybersecurity, and defense. Together, we fortify our nation's security and propel the future of defense through collaboration, partnership, and leadership. Our members represent the cutting edge of these critical fields, shaping groundbreaking advancements that safeguard our nation.

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Bridge between industry and government : This clarifies your role as a facilitator of collaboration.
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“We must not lose sight of China” as the nation’s pacing security threat, Del Toro said. He specifically mentioned that the United States must “prevent them from taking over” as an immediate threat.

Speaking at the same conference, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), said “we want to deter their activities” in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

Del Toro added China is “committed to being a full-scale competitor” of the United States globally. “That’s why we have to accelerate our efforts in technology.”

Among the advances China has made in the past year, Del Toro and Reed cited its work on hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the delivery of 22 warships – both surface ships and submarines – and the continued expansion of its land-based nuclear force.

Beijing “is making a big effort” to take the lead in science, technology and mathematics, Reed said. China’s efforts include recruiting students from abroad to attend its universities and technical institutes and then having them pursue careers in the country. More work needs to be done in extending U.S. visas to foreign students interested in studying at American universities, Reed said. He added there needs to be increased emphasis on keeping them in the United States following graduation to work in high-tech industries.

Going beyond science and technology and research and development programs, Reed said, “we must invest in advanced manufacturing” and reevaluate the exposure in the defense industrial base’s supply chain in light of the COVID-19 disruption in production and shipping practices.

Reed said there was a need to create the equivalent of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to handle management reforms in the Pentagon.