NEWPORT, RI – U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted the third iteration of its annual Cyber & Innovation Policy Institute’s (CIPI) Summer Workshop, an event series focused on military innovation in the information environment, onboard Naval Station Newport, May 30-31.
Designed to inform and advance policy for effective co-research and co-development with international partners and allies, this year’s workshop, titled “Military Tech Cooperation: Sharing Defense Research and Development,” welcomed a select group of academics, practitioners, and government officials to NWC. Distinguished speakers included senior representatives from Australia and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Defense science and technology (S&T) cooperation with our allies and partners is among the most important issues we face in this decisive decade,” said Leah Dreyfuss, senior advisor & chief of staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. “The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) also calls out our robust network of allies and partners as our asymmetric advantage.”
Dreyfuss also noted that demonstrating to our adversaries and our allies that we can be a good partner is central to our security.
CIPI workshop participants examined the history of military cooperation on research and development through the lens of deterrence and warfighting, as well as barriers and opportunities for future success. Participants also engaged in experiential learning focused on international collaboration around defense science and technology via a wargaming exercise.
Employing wargaming and panel discussions, the workshop addressed a range of issues, including basic research strategies used by militaries with foreign partners, why some attempts to share defense science and technology succeed while others fail, and innovations required for initiatives such as AUKUS Pillar II to create new capabilities that will transition from the laboratory to the field.
“It is easy to write about ‘partners and allies’ in defense strategy. But it is harder to put these words into practice,” stated Frank Smith III, Ph.D., director of CIPI. Smith added that the risks and rewards of sharing defense science and technology with allies and partners are too important to ignore. As such, the CIPI workshop aims to improve the marketplace of ideas around these critical decisions.
The CIPI Summer Workshop contributes directly to innovative education, research, and outreach at NWC. The program facilitates collaboration between students enrolled in the CIPI Gravely advanced research program and external subject matter experts, yielding policy-relevant research published in a variety of industry publications.
CIPI is the premier hub for cyber strategy and technology policy analysis at NWC and contributes to the overall mission of the college’s Center for Naval War Studies (CNWS), in support of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Department of Defense (DoD). The Institute supports several strategic directives outlined in the Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan, the 2022 National Defense Strategy, and the 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy.
Its specialized advanced research program, CIPI Gravely, builds on the legacy of the late William F. Bundy, Ph.D., who established the Gravely Group at NWC in 2010 to advance the study of emerging technologies and military innovation.
NWC delivers excellence in education, research, and outreach, informing today’s decision-makers and educating tomorrow’s leaders. The college provides educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop students’ ability to anticipate and prepare strategically for the future, strengthen the foundations of peace, and create a decisive warfighting advantage. Its Center for Naval War Studies serves as a home for original research, innovative thinking, and creative problem solving and is dedicated to assisting the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) to define the future Navy and the Navy's contribution to national strategy.