Why Will Roper still believes the Pentagon should work more like Formula One

Former Air Force acquisition czar, Will Roper, remains committed to advancing digital design tools in the defense industry, arguing that the United States needs to embrace these tools to stay ahead of China. He warns that if China adopts such tools, they could rapidly iterate and improve their weapon systems, gaining a significant advantage. Roper had previously advocated for digital design during his tenure, particularly for projects like the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. Although some of his ideas seem to have been sidelined, Roper's startup, Istari, aims to provide a platform for digital engineering to those without the resources or expertise. He draws inspiration from Formula One racing, where digital engineering plays a crucial role in rapidly iterating designs for continuous improvement. Roper believes that the government must embrace digital models as a "source of truth," backed by reliable data, even though there will be challenges and failures along the way.

Link to thje full article: Why Will Roper still believes the Pentagon should work more like Formula One - Breaking Defense (ampproject.org)