Next Generation of National Strategic Agility

In reflecting on Steve Blank’s recent article, where he proposes the Office of Rapid Development and Deployment (ORDD), I’m struck by the parallels to two pivotal organizations in America’s history that reshaped our ability to prepare for and win wars:

• The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), which evolved into the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD)—an entity that revolutionized wartime innovation and had mass production authority for critical technologies. (Ironically, “NDRC” is also the acronym for China’s planning body with a broad mandate to execute national strategies.)
• The National Security Resources Board (NSRB), which later became the Office of Defense Mobilization (ODM)—a powerhouse inside the White House for industrial mobilization and supply chain resilience, especially as the Cold War emerged. The ODM would eventually go on to write the foundations of the FAR/DFAR as we know it, and reshape heartland manufacturing, moving facilities from the Northeast and Midwest down to the South and West, effectively creating the Rust Belt.

Both of these organizations had unique, critical roles: one focused on technological breakthroughs, the other on post-war strategic preparedness and industrial-scale delivery. We never recovered from ODM's influence on manufacturing and we never fully materialized the successes of OSRD. Instead we created long-term institutions that largely ignored near-term issues in the presence of far out strategic initiatives. Just reflect on the investments in mRNA vaccines while we don't have nationwide wastewater surveillance. How can that be? We invest in long-term thinking at the expense of short-term results.

Steve’s call for a modern-day ORDD is both timely and compelling given today’s geopolitical challenges. But what if we could evolve that idea even further? The reality is that both OSRD and ODM existed to manage supply chains from ideation through production. Yet, ORDD exists just to replicate OSRD while ignoring the outsized influence ODM had on our national security. ODM is actually the reason SpaceX is able to manufacture and deliver rockets with consistency. OSRD is the reason the rockets are able to launch assets. What if we created an entity that not only mirrors the OSRD’s rapid innovation focus but also integrates the supply chain resilience and industrial mobilization strengths of the ODM—enhanced with a modern emphasis on advanced adaptive manufacturing?

What's in a name: The Office of National Strategic Agility (ONSA)

ONSA would operate at the speed of modern engagement, delivering capabilities that align with immediate mission needs by working with startups or innovative companies while redeveloping the defense establishment manufacturing base, which is optimized for steady-state training and equipping. This dual-purpose organization would support the DoD and other Federal Agency, while maximizing State involvement in production, and largely harmonizing our currently antiquated approach to capability delivery.

Here’s what ONSA could focus on:

• Fielding critical capabilities quickly through mission-driven, modular teams (or divisions in the parlance of Blank's ORDD).
• Strengthening national resilience by addressing supply chain gaps and inefficiencies while investing in advanced adaptive manufacturing facilities.
• Leveraging or extending existing public-private partnerships to stay ahead of adversaries in both developing and delivering capabilities.

This isn’t about recreating existing innovation or research initiatives—they already exist in abundance. Instead, ONSA would be focused, at the White House level, on streamlining processes for accelerating deployment, drawing from the lessons of the NDRC/OSRD and NSRB/ODM, while addressing the demands of a near-peer conflict environment.

We don’t need to reinvent every wheel—the Armed Forces service will continue to train and equip in a steady state. But perhaps we need a new axle—a structure, like the National Security Council, to coordinate, accelerate, and deploy solutions into theater at the speed of relevance.

Modular Contracting as a Quick Win

One path forward could involve scaling modular contracting and milestone-based payments for prototyping. These are already effective tools for speeding up development while maintaining accountability.

What do you think? How can we ensure we’re building the right systems, fast enough, to secure our nation’s future?