U.S. Representative Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on the integral role of software in Department of Defense systems and how to acquire and deploy it for rapid innovation.
Rep. Luttrell's remarks as prepared for delivery:
We are here today to discuss one of the most critical enablers within the U.S. arsenal, and that is software. Like it or not, the software that the warfighter uses is crucial to our ability to conduct operations in the air, at sea, on the ground, in space, or in cyberspace.
Similar to our expectation that aircraft carriers will be able to leave a pier, and that an F/A-18 can deliver a payload over its target, we expect that the systems and code that we rely on will work when needed. Despite this criticality, we see a Department that collectively struggles in procuring, operating, and prioritizing software.
As Members, we may not be the most technically inclined, however we do know when we see something working and when something is not working. When we see panels and studies repeatedly noting the Department's struggles with software, findings that are remarkably consistent from the 1980s to today, we know that something is fundamentally amiss.
My hope for today is for witnesses to not only describe the problem, but contextualize, where possible, what's been done to date, and what the largest barriers have been for addressing these issues in a truly meaningful way. I can't think of a better set of witnesses to help with the task than the three assembled here today.
