Thought Leadership

An array of perspectives and messages from thought leaders in the defense IT and C4ISRNET community.


  • Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system
    Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, is joined by Jessie Bur, associate editor of Federal Times, and Justin Lynch, associate editor of Fifth Domain. The group talks about why the federal government needs so much personally identifiable information, how the Office of Personnel and Management hack…

  • Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests
    Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about bid protests and the role they play in major acquisitions for government programs. Amber and Mike weigh in on the perception and reality of protests, possible solutions to make protests seem…

  • The merger of modernization and innovation
    The merger of modernization and innovation

    Two Army leaders share their thoughts on the service’s efforts to improve resilient communications in increasingly contested environments.

  • Federal Hot Take: Acquisition
    Federal Hot Take: Acquisition

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about the Department of Defense’s upcoming cloud contracts for 2019. Amber and Mike weigh in on the Pentagon’s soon-to-be-released cloud strategy document, how to think about the Department’s two giant cloud contracts…

  • US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy
    US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy

    Thanks to President Trump’s vision and Secretary Mattis’ leadership, as well as support of Congress, we’ve seen the benefits of a unified, whole-of-government approach guided by a clear-eyed National Defense Strategy.

  • The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems
    The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems

    To retain an edge, unmanned systems must have the ability to dynamically swarm, conduct automatic target recognition and have interoperable communications capabilities.

  • The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites
    The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Paul “Rusty” Thomas shares his thoughts on the Blackjack initiative to pilot a constellation of satellites that keep costs low and resilience high.

  • Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.
    Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.

    Capt. Sean Heritage, acting managing partner of Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, shares lessons learned as the organization embraces its role solving national defense problems and scaling capabilities across the Defense Department.

  • What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader
    What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader

    Bob Work is one of Washington’s AI savants. But what did the former Deputy Secretary of Defense read and watch to learn so much about the technology?

  • What’s next for the Navy in space?
    What’s next for the Navy in space?

    The Program Executive Officer Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence, as well as Space Systems, discusses what the Navy’s next task on orbit might be.

  • Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system
    Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, is joined by Jessie Bur, associate editor of Federal Times, and Justin Lynch, associate editor of Fifth Domain. The group talks about why the federal government needs so much personally identifiable information, how the Office of Personnel and Management hack…

  • Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests
    Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about bid protests and the role they play in major acquisitions for government programs. Amber and Mike weigh in on the perception and reality of protests, possible solutions to make protests seem…

  • The merger of modernization and innovation
    The merger of modernization and innovation

    Two Army leaders share their thoughts on the service’s efforts to improve resilient communications in increasingly contested environments.

  • Federal Hot Take: Acquisition
    Federal Hot Take: Acquisition

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about the Department of Defense’s upcoming cloud contracts for 2019. Amber and Mike weigh in on the Pentagon’s soon-to-be-released cloud strategy document, how to think about the Department’s two giant cloud contracts…

  • US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy
    US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy

    Thanks to President Trump’s vision and Secretary Mattis’ leadership, as well as support of Congress, we’ve seen the benefits of a unified, whole-of-government approach guided by a clear-eyed National Defense Strategy.

  • The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems
    The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems

    To retain an edge, unmanned systems must have the ability to dynamically swarm, conduct automatic target recognition and have interoperable communications capabilities.

  • The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites
    The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Paul “Rusty” Thomas shares his thoughts on the Blackjack initiative to pilot a constellation of satellites that keep costs low and resilience high.

  • Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.
    Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.

    Capt. Sean Heritage, acting managing partner of Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, shares lessons learned as the organization embraces its role solving national defense problems and scaling capabilities across the Defense Department.

  • What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader
    What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader

    Bob Work is one of Washington’s AI savants. But what did the former Deputy Secretary of Defense read and watch to learn so much about the technology?

  • What’s next for the Navy in space?
    What’s next for the Navy in space?

    The Program Executive Officer Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence, as well as Space Systems, discusses what the Navy’s next task on orbit might be.

  • Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system
    Federal Hot Take podcast episode 3: Personal data in the federal system

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, is joined by Jessie Bur, associate editor of Federal Times, and Justin Lynch, associate editor of Fifth Domain. The group talks about why the federal government needs so much personally identifiable information, how the Office of Personnel and Management hack…

  • Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests
    Federal Hot Take Podcast Episode 2: Bid Protests

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about bid protests and the role they play in major acquisitions for government programs. Amber and Mike weigh in on the perception and reality of protests, possible solutions to make protests seem…

  • The merger of modernization and innovation
    The merger of modernization and innovation

    Two Army leaders share their thoughts on the service’s efforts to improve resilient communications in increasingly contested environments.

  • Federal Hot Take: Acquisition
    Federal Hot Take: Acquisition

    In this episode of Federal Hot Take, Amber Corrin, editor of Federal Times, and Mike Gruss, editor of C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain, talk about the Department of Defense’s upcoming cloud contracts for 2019. Amber and Mike weigh in on the Pentagon’s soon-to-be-released cloud strategy document, how to think about the Department’s two giant cloud contracts…

  • US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy
    US deputy defense secretary: A look at missiles, space and cyber in next year’s national strategy

    Thanks to President Trump’s vision and Secretary Mattis’ leadership, as well as support of Congress, we’ve seen the benefits of a unified, whole-of-government approach guided by a clear-eyed National Defense Strategy.

  • The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems
    The new critical capabilities for unmanned systems

    To retain an edge, unmanned systems must have the ability to dynamically swarm, conduct automatic target recognition and have interoperable communications capabilities.

  • The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites
    The calculus of cheaper military comms satellites

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Paul “Rusty” Thomas shares his thoughts on the Blackjack initiative to pilot a constellation of satellites that keep costs low and resilience high.

  • Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.
    Rebuilding it … Better, stronger, faster.

    Capt. Sean Heritage, acting managing partner of Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, shares lessons learned as the organization embraces its role solving national defense problems and scaling capabilities across the Defense Department.

  • What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader
    What you need to be reading and watching to become an AI thought leader

    Bob Work is one of Washington’s AI savants. But what did the former Deputy Secretary of Defense read and watch to learn so much about the technology?

  • What’s next for the Navy in space?
    What’s next for the Navy in space?

    The Program Executive Officer Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence, as well as Space Systems, discusses what the Navy’s next task on orbit might be.