March 9, 2024 (EIRNS)—According to a press release issued by the Pentagon yesterday, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante traveled to New York City on March 5 for a series of meetings with venture capitalists and equity investors, “to discuss participation in the defense market and opportunities for collaboration.”
In the first meeting with venture capitalists, LaPlante “highlighted DOD’s emphasis on open systems architectures and entry points they enable for the integration of new technologies and new entrants,” the release said. “The conversation further explored the importance of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF) in developing potential capabilities for DOD use, as well as ways the Department could increase visibility into validated requirements to better inform commercial investments.”
LaPlante had a similar discussion with private equity investors later in the day. “Discussion focused largely on industrial base resilience and the urgent need to increase production capacity for critical capabilities. Participants ideated on new approaches that might enable more rapid scaling of, and modularity in, production and areas that additional capital could have the greatest impact.”
