Software, Missiles, Testing At Top For Budget, Says DepSecDef Hicks

The Pentagon’s second-highest ranking civilian today offered a new, sharper focus on funding software and munitions programs over more traditional large platforms in the upcoming 2022 budget request, marking the start of what could be a significant shift in how Washington views and manages military modernization.

“Platforms will always matter, but it’s the software…it’s the munitions, it’s those pieces that make such a critical difference in our capability,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said at the Aspen Security Forum, adding, “that’s a different funding picture” from what has traditionally been the case.