Shyu to speak at Defense Science Board meeting this week

The Defense Science Board will hold closed federal advisory committee meetings this week, starting tomorrow and ending Thursday, to analyze classified information pertaining to advanced capabilities needed for future conflicts, according to a notice posted in the Federal Register today.

The board is scheduled to hear from Heidi Shyu, defense under secretary for research and engineering, on Wednesday on symmetric and asymmetric capabilities.

The first closed meeting on Tuesday will include Lt. Gen. Charles Moore, chair of the DSB task force on future cyber warfighting capabilities, supplying a briefing on the task force’s technical evaluations of cyber capabilities. The DSB will then take a vote based on these recommendations.

Then, Katherine McGrady and Robert Wisnieff, chairs of the DSB task force to advise implementation and prioritization of national security innovation activities, will brief the board on findings related to emerging hardware and materials areas with potential dual-use impact. The DSB will take another vote after hearing the chairs’ recommendations.

Robert Grossman, study chair, will present a report by the DSB task force on digital engineering that covers DOD’s implementation progress of the requirements listed in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. This will be followed by a vote.

Following that presentation, the DSB task force on test and evaluation, which researched resources and capabilities for DOD test and evaluation organizations and laboratories, will present a minority opinion document, followed by another vote.

Next, David Knoll, director for analysis and study director in the defense secretary’s office, will lead a team, comprised of OSD workers and study members, briefing on lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Doug Beck, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, will conclude Tuesday’s session with a classified briefing on DIU’s strategy, obstacles and primary goals.

Wednesday’s classified briefing will begin with an objectives overview of the 2024 Summer Study on Advanced Capabilities for Potential Future Conflict led by Betsy Kowalski, DSB DFO, and Eric Evans, DSB chair.

Then, the board will discuss strategies that help DOD’s “continued development of symmetric and asymmetric capabilities that will characterize future conflicts,” according to the Federal Register notice.

Finally, Shyu will brief the board on her own view of how future conflicts will be altered by symmetric and asymmetric capabilities.

Thursday’s meeting will be a chance for DSB members to continue their discussion about symmetric and asymmetric capabilities.