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“Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Posture of the Department of Defense”

House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee

May 8, 2025 (recording linked here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses and Written Testimony (Linked):

• Dr. Douglas Matty: Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, U.S. Department of Defense

• Ms. Katie Arrington: Performing the Duties of Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Defense
  

HEARING HIGHLIGHTS

IN THEIR WORDS

SUMMARY OF OPENING STATEMENTS FROM SUBCOMMITTEE

• Subcommittee Chair Bacon emphasized the critical importance of staying ahead in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, noting the national security risks if adversaries outpace the U.S. in these areas. He highlighted AI's capabilities in deciphering real-time movement and mapping global activity, underlining its role in defense. Bacon praised the witnesses for their prior contributions, especially around protecting vital spectrum assets for military use. He concluded by stressing bipartisan support for preserving essential spectrum for missile and air defense and welcomed testimony from the witnesses.

• Subcommittee Ranking Member Khanna underscored the foundational role of IT infrastructure in supporting warfighter systems. He expressed interest in updates regarding the zero trust ecosystem, DOD's cloud computing strategy, and reforms related to authority to operate. Khanna specifically looked forward to learning how the Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO) is guiding ethical and responsible AI integration. He concluded by thanking the witnesses and acknowledging the importance of their insights.

SUMMARY OF WITNESS STATEMENT

• Ms. Arrington outlined her office’s ongoing initiatives in cybersecurity, zero trust implementation, and identity control through frameworks like ICAM. Arrington emphasized efforts to streamline procurement, enhance cloud adoption, and modernize the spectrum, positioning the DOD for operational resilience and improved information superiority. She concluded by stressing the need for a culture of cybersecurity, supported by a skilled digital workforce and partnerships with academia and industry.

• Dr. Mattie detailed a strategy focused on enabling, accelerating, and scaling digital capabilities through standardization, infrastructure investment, and talent acquisition. Mattie emphasized partnerships with CIOs, industry, and research organizations to deliver interoperable solutions and overcome deployment hurdles. He closed by asserting that data and AI are essential to readiness and deterrence, committing to transparency and continued collaboration with Congress.

SUMMARY OF KEY Q&A

• Chair Bacon asked why the mid-spectrum (3.1–3.45 GHz) is vital and non-negotiable for military use. Ms. Arrington responded that over 1,100 military systems depend on that range, calling it "golden" for national and allied security, especially for technologies like Golden Dome.

  Chair Bacon inquired about the management and future of the C-JADC2 program within the CDAO portfolio. Dr. Matty explained that the agile, collaborative approach enabled integration of disparate data sources to enhance joint decision-making and confirmed the program was on a successful trajectory under his office.

• Ranking Member Khanna asked how MIT shaped his expertise and the broader importance of academic research institutions in AI development. Dr. Matty emphasized that MIT’s training helped him scale applied research, and said partnerships with institutions like MIT are vital for fusing basic research with applied defense innovation. Ranking Member Khanna questioned the rationale behind cutting NSF funding to universities like MIT. Dr. Matty stressed the need for balanced investment across academia, FFRDCs, and industry to maintain innovation and strategic AI superiority.

• Rep. McCormick asked how the DOD could streamline AI contracting to remain competitive with authoritarian models. Dr. Matty said the CDAO and DIU work in tandem, with DIU focusing on speed and CDAO ensuring scalable architectures that avoid static bottlenecks.

  Rep. McCormick questioned whether the fragmented CIO structure across DOD causes inefficiencies. Ms. Arrington explained she created centralized oversight and harmonized digital catalogs to ensure consistency and interoperability across components.

• Rep. Whitesides asked how DOD systematically identifies AI applications across domains like sonar and cybersecurity. Dr. Matty said the department uses both top-down strategy and bottom-up gap analysis, leveraging operator feedback to identify and close technology gaps with AI solutions.

  Rep. Whitesides inquired about the recent breach of TeleMessage and the use of signal apps by DOD leaders. Ms. Arrington clarified that Smarsh/TeleMessage was not used by DOD, that classified comms followed strict protocols, and offered a classified briefing to explain device protections.

• Rep. Luttrell raised concerns about the lack of seamless data transfer from DOD to the VA for transitioning service members. Ms. Arrington said she is now standardizing data labeling/tagging and working with the VA to build interoperable identity management systems.

• Rep. Vindman questioned how DOD is balancing AI-driven speed with obligations under the law of war. Dr. Matty described a multifaceted responsible AI framework incorporating legal, ethical, technical, and policy safeguards, and international cooperation through a 16-nation AI council.

  Rep. Vindman suggested DOD should model Ukraine’s digital efficiency for streamlined services and records. Ms. Arrington agreed, citing efforts to harmonize data and implement ICAM to give service members secure, real-time access to their records throughout their military lifecycle.

• Rep. Crank asked how AI can function effectively in denied environments with low latency. Dr. Matty explained that DOD is prioritizing “AI at echelon,” with scalable autonomy that can operate at the edge even when disconnected from central nodes.

  Rep. Crank asked about using AI for cyber operations and real-time threat detection. Ms. Arrington described how AI and ML are integral to zero trust architectures and continuous red teaming, moving away from delayed remediation to real-time threat response. Rep. Crank asked how spectrum authority supports Golden Dome. Ms. Arrington confirmed it was a top priority, and emphasized the need to protect the lower 3 GHz while freeing up less-critical bands for civilian use.

• Rep. McGuire asked about solutions like microreactors for powering AI systems. Ms. Arrington supported microreactors, praised BWXT’s pilot projects, and emphasized their potential for base-level resilience and reducing infrastructure vulnerabilities. Rep. McGuire expressed concern about U.S. dependence on Taiwanese chips. Ms. Arrington affirmed the need for a national chip strategy and highlighted new domestic investments by Nvidia and others to build sovereign chip capacity.

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