Air Force Seeks Right Weapons Mix as 80-85% of Software Approval Time Sits in Queues
Updated
Updated · Military Times · Sep 14
Air Force Seeks Right Weapons Mix as 80-85% of Software Approval Time Sits in Queues
3 articles · Updated · Military Times · Sep 14
Summary
Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III said the Air Force is reshaping weapons stockpiles after the Iran war, aiming for the right mix of capability, capacity, cost and production adaptability rather than simply replacing expended munitions.
Ukraine’s rapid battlefield changes drove the urgency, with panelists arguing U.S. systems must update software in hours or days instead of tying software cycles to much slower hardware and acquisition timelines.
80-85% of Rise8’s effort is spent waiting for government authorization, CEO Bryon Kroger said, with calendar delays helping stretch approval cycles to 12-18 months before software can reach the field.
Supply chains remain industry’s biggest manufacturing bottleneck, Ondas Sentinel CEO Ryan Hartman said, adding that testing also slows output and that capacity must be in place before a conflict starts.
The debate reflects broader concern that wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe are exposing how quickly U.S. inventories and procurement systems can fall behind fast-moving conflicts.