Changes

Understanding the past successes of strategic venture capital investment, and recognizing the current failures in U.S. military innovation, it is imperative that policymakers seek another solution. The mounting deficit and out of control defense budget demand a change in action, a change whose need is only further demonstrated through contractual R&D disasters such as the F-35 Lightning program. A promising solution exists in harnessing the private sector's demonstrated advances in R&D over the public sector. One of the most successful models in private sector R&D, strategic venture capital investment, has shown great promise in both the private and public sectors. Following a similar model to the strategic investments wing of the CIA, In-Q-Tel, the Department of Defense could revolutionize military innovation and bring the U.S. to a more stable sense financially without sacrificing technological superiority.