The Defense Department has created a new steering group that is centered around innovation within the department in major technology industries, according to a DoD official. The steering group’s creation was announced on Tuesday at a Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee. The news comes amidst tensions between lawmakers and the agency after the Biden administration did not release the funds the DoD requested for the fiscal year 2022 discretionary funding request.
Other topics discussed at the hearing include the DoD’s work in several cutting-edge technologies, such as quantum computing, hypersonics, and cybersecurity. Budget anxiety plagued the hearing, however, particularly after one Senator requested more information about different tech projects to ensure that the US was getting its money’s worth out of the agency.
