The modern battlefield evolves faster than most innovation programs can keep up. To maintain technological superiority, defence organisations must rethink how they experiment, test, and deploy new technologies — bringing start-up speed to national defence.

Military establishments must rethink how they approach scaling and experimentation with emerging technologies.
Developers need the freedom to test solutions on the front lines — quickly determining what works, what doesn’t, and iterating in real time.
Given today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, innovation cycles must accelerate.
Prototyping for Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) should be fast-tracked to warfighters for real-world testing, feedback, and rapid refinements — continuously evolving both software and hardware to meet operational demands.
When the Pentagon’s Replicator program was launched in December 2023, the then Deputy Defence Secretary set a goal of moving from concept to field deployment within two years — a timeline considered disruptive.
But in Ukraine, frontline drone technology can become obsolete in as little as six weeks due to evolving jamming threats and adversary countermeasures.
As Europe ramps up defence investments, defence organisations must be equally bold in rethinking how adoption happens.
Embracing disruptive innovation cycles will be critical to maintaining technological advantage on the battlefield.

