By Mickey Miller, CEO, Vislink
Last week I attended the AUSA Annual Meeting. It is clear the U.S. Army is doing far more than modernizing equipment – it is transforming how it innovates, from requirements to delivery.
One of the most compelling sessions centered on the Next Generation Command & Control (NGC2) initiative. What stood out wasn’t only the technology; it was how the Army is changing the entire process of defining, testing, and fielding capability. The Army is embracing lean design principles – faster requirements, closer collaboration, and rapid iteration with soldiers and industry alike.
From Bureaucracy to Agility
For decades, requirements could take years to develop, often resulting in 400-page documents filled with low-level specifications, no clear priorities, and goals that weren’t technically achievable.
That world is gone.
Today, the Army is writing “Characteristics of Need” – short, focused statements that describe operational outcomes rather than detailed checklists. They create room for trade-offs and innovation.
Even more significant: the old Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process, which required every service requirement to be approved by a joint body, has been eliminated. Now, the Army can move at its own pace, update requirements as it learns, and validate them directly against commercial solutions through efforts like NGC2.
It’s a shift from compliance to capability — and it’s transforming acquisition culture from end to end.
Building Together, Learning Fast
This new model is playing out on the ground. Commanders, engineers, and acquisition leaders are co-developing solutions in six-week sprint cycles, refining software and hardware in real time.
As MG Pat Ellis from the 4th Infantry Division put it: “We’ll take it. We don’t need it perfect. We’ll take it and help make it better.”
That mindset – test, learn, adapt – is what’s driving change across the Army.
Soldier-Centric, Enterprise-Enabled
Yes, soldiers are playing a bigger role than ever in shaping technology – sitting next to coders, giving direct feedback, and helping refine systems they’ll actually use. But the real innovation comes from how the entire Army enterprise is working in sync; the requirements and acquisition communities along with industry partners all pulling in the same direction.
By tightening the feedback loop between operational need, technical feasibility, and acquisition authority, the Army is finally aligning speed with purpose.
What It Means for Industry
For companies like Vislink, this is a powerful evolution. The Army doesn’t just want products; it wants partners who can iterate quickly, integrate seamlessly, and validate capability against real-world conditions. The Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process makes that possible – keeping the door open for continuous innovation, competition, and collaboration. As HON Brent Ingraham, the ASA(ALT), put it “This isn’t one winner, books closed — it’s an open door.”
Lean Design Across the Force
We’re seeing this mindset everywhere:
• The M1E3 Abrams, built around modular, commercial subsystems
• The Sky Foundry initiative, scaling drone production across three depots — an agile manufacturing model at defense scale
• The Infantry Squad Vehicle, fielded rapidly using commercial automotive designs
Each reflects a single truth: field fast, learn fast, and scale smart
Looking Ahead
The future battlefield will reward those who learn and adapt fastest — and the Army’s new model is built for exactly that. At Vislink, we’re proud to support this transformation, helping connect warfighters, innovators, and acquisition leaders in a shared mission to deliver technology at the speed of relevance.
