AIA releases emerging tech agenda

One of the top defense industry associations released a report today detailing its key priorities for emerging technologies and international cooperation.

A new report from the Aerospace Industries Association prioritizes artificial intelligence, space systems, cyber, hypersonic capabilities, unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare.

The report cites these areas as “essential” since “the advancement of such technologies and capabilities in the coming decades will have a profound impact on the economies, national security landscape and defense postures of the United States and its allies and partners.”

“Emerging and advanced technologies are fundamentally reshaping the 21st century battlefield, and the United States, alongside its allies and partners, must work closely with the aerospace and defense industry to win the escalating technology race,” said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. “AIA’s new agenda provides a roadmap for a more competitive regulatory and trade environment for these new technologies that will help the United States maintain our strategic advantage over potential adversaries.”

The agenda emphasizes the importance of allies and partners maintaining relationships with the A&D industry, specifically with rising global tensions due to the war in Ukraine and the challenges posed in the Indo-Pacific, something the unclassified DOD 2023 Cyber Strategy summary cited as a major framing issue as well.

“In policy and practice for both the United States and our allies and partners, sharing and cooperating on emerging and advanced capabilities is complex,” the AIA report stated.

Specifically, the agenda wants to excel U.S. leadership in emerging and advanced capabilities cooperation amongst allies and partners, encourage exports and that U.S. policy regulations ensure American industry global leadership in emerging capabilities, tackle issues with cooperation between allies and partners, continue U.S. norm setting and invest and strengthen the resilience of the A&D supply chain through policy.