Press Releases

Washington, DC—June 22, 2024…Yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, led by Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA), held a field proceeding on military capabilities and next-generation innovation.

The event, which also featured Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR) and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), took place at the Defense Innovation Unit headquarters in Mountain View, California and brought together Vice Chiefs from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force for discussions on technologies expected in the field by 2027.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack said, "Our work on the Defense Subcommittee equips our warfighters with the tools required to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars. Focusing on military innovation deters adversaries and ensures America remains the best-trained and strongest fighting force in the world. I’m grateful for Chairman Calvert’s enduring leadership on this subcommittee and the critical insight from each of our service's Vice Chiefs at this field proceeding."

Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert said, "No one innovates and develops groundbreaking technologies like American entrepreneurs. One of my highest priorities as Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee is turning that technological advantage into a national security advantage. I’m excited to be at the Defense Innovation Unit today along with Congressman Steve Womack and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann to talk about how the Defense Department is utilizing the resources we have provided them to make that a reality."

Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann said, "We live in a dangerous world. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other malign actors, through force and coercion, are trying to destabilize the world and impose their totalitarian will on sovereign nations. To meet the real and dangerous threats our country and the world face, we must continue investing in our military and ensuring America’s armed forces have the world’s most innovative tools and resources to be successful in today’s rapidly evolving military environment. As part of our Commitment to America, our conservative majority on the Appropriations Committee will always stand with our military and ensure our servicemen and women have every tool they need to fulfill their mission to protect our nation."

General James J. Mingus, the 39th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army said, "Today was a great opportunity to discuss the innovative strides the Army is taking to ensure we remain the preeminent land force in an increasingly complex global environment. We must provide our Soldiers with every advantage and the means to dominate any threat. The Army will continue to reward and speed up innovation and protect our nation's future."

General Christopher J. Mahoney, 37th Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps said, “We empower our Marines to innovate fast, and accept some risk so we can get lethal capabilities in the hands of our Marines. We are proud of our work alongside DIU, the Joint Force, and our industry partners to develop technologies that move our Force Design initiatives forward, but we have to move faster, using more creative, non-traditional solutions to stay ahead of the pacing challenge. We thank Congress for their continued support of our modernization efforts.”

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jim Kilby said, “The Navy is committed to a culture of innovation and appreciates the continued support from Congress, which is critical to enabling the Navy’s innovation-based initiatives. As the Navy prepares for future operations and conflict if needed, we must pursue innovative solutions to deliver the future hybrid fleet and ensure we remain ready to fight and win. It’s our responsibility to sustain what the Defense Innovation Unit curates.”

U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Jim Slife said, "Our pursuit of innovation takes many forms – from technology to partnerships – in order to retain our decisive advantage in the air domain. We intend to reinforce the successes we’ve enjoyed to date with further advances in the months and years to come."

U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein said, “Every level of the Space Force’s posture is sustained by the people within it; all seeking to enable innovation at a faster pace to ensure integrated deterrence. The Space Force will continue to seek out novel, game-changing technologies and will develop deeper partnerships with our industrial partners. The Space Force was purpose-built to be agile and to embrace innovation at all levels. We appreciate the HAC-D hosting this impactful discussion.”

Major General Steve ‘Bucky’ Butow, Military Deputy, Defense Innovation Unit (Commander, CA ANG) said, “DIU is laser focused on the most strategic needs of the combatant commands and the joint warfighter today, while partnering with the Services much earlier to assure sustainable solutions at speed and scale without a loss of momentum. All are key to deterring conflict, building stronger alliances, and retaining leadership in the great power competition environment that defines this century.”

Photos of the field proceeding are available here.
A recording of the field proceeding is available here.