Transparency is critical as the Army looks to work more closely with industry to rapidly provide the force with much-needed capabilities, a senior leader said.

“I think transparency and working with industry is critical,” said Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. “You all have some amazing expertise. I think it’s great to get a room together with leaders as well as industry so we can spin and riff off each other and understand the technology and capabilities you have.”

Many of the Army’s experiments and exercises already incorporate industry partners, Bang said. “I think the more we can do that and feed that requirement so it’s more of a reciprocal relationship is critical so we can get there faster,” he said.

Speaking May 16 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, Bang emphasized the importance of moving quickly to provide soldiers with the gear and technology they need to fight on an evolving and complex battlefield.

Army Acquisition supports the fight by providing technology and capabilities, Bang said. “We’ve been working really hard to accelerate acquisition,” he said.

Authorities from Congress, including middle-tier acquisition authority, have been very helpful in speeding up the process, Bang said. This includes enabling the Army to field a new capability just two years after receiving a requirement, “which is lightning fast,” he said.

The service also is looking to lessons from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to inform its focus areas, Bang said. This includes counter-drone capabilities, loitering munitions and long-range precision fires.

The Army also is looking at electronic warfare, predictive logistics and maintenance and bridging capabilities, he said. “We’ve got to make sure we have operational readiness rates at levels that can support the fight,” Bang said.