美国国防部提供33%研发资金给中小企业

中小企业是弱势群体，但它们是颠覆性创新的希望，同时也是大国竞争中的关键变量。

美国国防部研发负责人在参加里根总统基金会举办的年度论坛时，特别强调了对中小企业的支持措施，包括年度预算18亿美元研发费用，将把三分之一的合同提供给中小企业。

在“投资AI：在国防应用中部署和实施自主性”（INVESTING IN AI: FIELDING AND OPERATIONALIZING AUTONOMY IN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE）论坛中，负责研究工程的美国国防部副部长徐若冰(Heidi Shyu)力挺中小企业。

参与讨论的人员来自美国众议院特别委员会的Mike Gallagher、美国空军部长肯德尔、Anduril公司联合创始人Brian Schimpf、美国国防部研究工程副部长徐若冰和微软执行副总裁Jason Zander。

针对人工智能给国防带来的机遇和挑战，特别是如何对该领域进行投资，参与人员各抒己见，分别对自己感兴趣的话题做了阐述。

肯德尔和徐若冰是美军的主要负责人，论坛主持人询问了协同战斗机（CCA）和复制者（Replicator）的问题，他们做了一些阐述，有兴趣的读者可以观看数字孪生战场当期发布的现场讨论视频。

比较让人意外的是，徐若冰在谈复制者无人作战项目之前，花了不少时间谈到了美国国防部对中小企业的支持。

徐若冰表示，希望非传统的企业参与国防建设，提供他们的洞察和创新，美国国防部将把人工智能和自主性研发资金的三分之一提供给中小企业，以作为“种子基金”（Seedling Fund）。

对于计划在太平洋战场部署的复制者无人系统，美军将重点引入中小企业参与。

数字孪生战场实验室分析，由于传统的大军工企业成本比较高，如果仍然让大军工企业主导复制者，那么就不能在有限的资金范围大规模部署无人系统，这样不利于印太司令部推进分布式作战样式。

徐若冰强调了为中小企业提供试验场的做法。

她说，美军拥有专门的试验环境（RDER），这样中小企业方便参与进来，如果一次不能成功，可以离开六个月后再来参与试验，中小企业不需要从头开始，可以借鉴已有的产品或系统，在其上开展下一次迭代。

对这次对话感兴趣的读者，可以到官方网站查询视频和文字实录。已经购买数字孪生国防系列报告的客户，可以联系您的客户经理，获得所有视频和文字资料（共计10场主题讨论），论坛议程请参考附录。

附：里根国家国防论坛议程（2023）

PANEL 1 & BREAKFAST

ASKING AMERICANS: POLLING ON U.S. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AHEAD OF 2024

Panelists:

• Sen. Joni Ernst, U.S. Senator, Iowa

• Dr. Alexander C. Karp, Co-Founder and CEO, Palantir Technologies

• Rep. Adam Smith, Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee

• Mr. Marc A. Thiessen, Former Chief Speechwriter, President George W. Bush

Moderator: Ms. Brianna Keilar, CNN

PANEL 2

INVESTING IN AI: FIELDING AND OPERATIONALIZING AUTONOMY IN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE

Panelists:

• Rep. Mike Gallagher, Chair, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party

• Hon. Frank Kendall, Secretary, U.S. Air Force

• Mr. Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder and CEO, Anduril Industries

• Hon. Heidi Shyu, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

• Mr. Jason Zander, Executive Vice President, Microsoft

Moderator: Ms. Missy Ryan, The Washington Post

PANEL 3

OVERLOOKING MONROE? PROTECTING OUR HEMISPHERE AND HOMELAND

Panelists:

• Mr. Joseph T. Lonsdale, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 8VC

• Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command

• Gen. Laura J. Richardson, Commander, U.S. Southern Command

• Rep. Mike Waltz, U.S. House of Representatives, Florida

Moderator: Ms. Courtney Kube, NBC News

PANEL 4

REAGAN DOCTRINE 2.0: SUPPLYING ALLIES AND FRIENDS TO DEFEND FREEDOM

Panelists:

• Sen. Deb Fischer, U.S. Senator, Nebraska

• Gen. Charles A. Flynn, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific

• Mr. Gregory J. Hayes, CEO and Chairman, RTX

• Sen. Jack Reed, Chair, Senate Armed Services Committee

Moderator: Mr. Shashank Joshi, The Economist

PANEL 5

LABORATORIES OF LEARNING: SUCCESSES IN PIONEERING THE FUTURE OF WARFARE

Panelists:

• Gen. David W. Allvin, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force

• Rep. Ken Calvert, Chair, House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee

• Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy

• Mr. Jim Taiclet, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Moderator: Mr. Jim Sciutto, CNN

PANEL 6

PUTTING PARTNERSHIP INTO PRACTICE: DEEPENING DEFENSE COOPERATION THROUGH AUKUS

Panelists:

• Mr. Ted Colbert, President and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space, and Security

• Rep. Seth Moulton, U.S. House of Representatives, Massachusetts

• Mr. Matthew Pottinger, Former U.S. Principal Deputy National Security Advisor

• Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom

• Rep. Rob Wittman, U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia

Moderator: Ms. Nancy Youssef, The Wall Street Journal

PANEL 7

CELEBRATING AND ENCOURAGING SERVICE: HOW TO BOOST RECRUITMENT AND ENSURE READINESS

Panelists:

• Hon. Gabe Camarillo, Under Secretary, U.S. Army

• Sen. Kevin Cramer, U.S. Senator, North Dakota

• Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief, U.S. National Guard Bureau

• Mr. Karl Rove, Former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff, President George W. Bush

Moderator: Mr. Ben Kesling, The Wall Street Journal

PANEL 8

BUILDING AT SCALE: INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY AND BUDGET RESOURCES TO MEET STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Panelists:

• Rep. Joe Courtney, U.S. House of Representatives, Connecticut

• Mr. H. Lawrence Culp, Chairman and CEO, GE

• Hon. William LaPlante, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment

• Sen. Roger Wicker, Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee

Moderator: Mr. Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One

PANEL 9

SUPREMACY OR PARITY? ALIGNING THE NDS FOR TECHNO-COMPETITION WITH THE PRC

Panelists:

• Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

• Mr. Doug Beck, Director, Defense Innovation Unit

• Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps

• Sen. Mike Rounds, U.S. Senator, South Dakota

• Mr. Horacio Rozanski, President and CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

Moderator: Ms. Jennifer Griffin, Fox News Channel

PANEL 10

RNDF AT TEN: A DISCUSSION ON PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH WITH FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY LEADERS

Presented by the T. Boone Pickens Foundation

Panelists:

• Mr. Stephen J. Hadley, Former U.S. National Security Advisor

• Amb. Robert C. O’Brien, Former U.S. National Security Advisor

• Hon. Leon Panetta, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

Moderator: Mr. Bill Hemmer, Fox News Channel