The U.S. southern border has become one of the most visible and complex operational environments in the homeland. What was once treated primarily as a domestic policy issue is now fully recognized as a national security concern—marked by transnational networks, contested infrastructure, and multi-agency coordination under pressure.

Bottom Line Up Front

In today’s defense ecosystem, technical performance is only part of the equation. For national security buyers, a system’s viability depends as much on where it comes from, how it’s sustained, and whether it can withstand geopolitical disruption. Your bill of materials is now a risk profile. Your sourcing strategy is now a competitive differentiator.

If you're not designing with geopolitics in mind, you're already behind.

Walking the floor at AUSA 2025, it’s hard not to feel the gravity of the major primes. The scale of their displays — massive booths, immersive demos, polished PR machines — dominates the landscape. Even mid-sized firms with strong traction often appear dwarfed by the presence of traditional industry giants. For early-stage companies and dual-use innovators, it can feel like an impossible game to break into.

The traditional path to defense acquisition—rooted in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)—has long been slow, risk-averse, and complex. While designed to manage risk, it often stifles the speed and flexibility innovation demands.

That’s changing.

Alternative pathways, such as Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs), are now reshaping access. Though some have existed for decades, their use has surged. OTA obligations increased from $1.4B in FY2015 to over $19B by FY2022, driven by trailblazers such as DIU, SOFWERX, NavalX, and AFWERX.

In defense innovation, getting technology into the field is only part of the equation. The true measure of success lies in whether that technology enhances mission execution, integrates with current systems, and earns the confidence of the operator.

This final leap from delivered to dependable can’t be outsourced to the supply chain. It requires on-the-ground presence, operational fluency, and deep familiarity with how technology lives, moves, and performs in the hands of real users.

Trusted Distribution closes that gap.

A surge of cutting-edge technology is entering the defense ecosystem—fast.

AI-enabled systems, autonomous platforms, edge sensors, and dual-use solutions are accelerating from concept to prototype at unprecedented speed. Venture capital and national security urgency are converging, and the demand for deployable innovation has never been higher.

Modern warfare is evolving at the exponential pace of emerging technology. AI, autonomy, edge sensors, and cyber-physical convergence are just a handful of active enablers reshaping the battlespace in real time. But as these systems accelerate, they outpace not only existing infrastructure, but often the human mind’s ability to anticipate their second- and third-order effects.

The result is a widening gap between what can be built and what can be fielded—not because the technology lacks value, but because its relevance hasn’t been meaningfully conveyed to the people expected to use it.

This is where integration services matter. Exposure through operational pilots, user-informed design, and early technical alignment gives end users more than a capability preview—it gives them context. And with that comes understanding, buy-in, and ultimately, demand.

Pilot programs are among the most underleveraged tools in the defense innovation playbook. When thoughtfully designed, they do more than validate performance—they unlock transition.

For emerging and dual-use technologies, a successful demo might generate buzz or even internal support, but technical merit alone doesn’t guarantee adoption.

For emerging tech companies looking to work with the U.S. government, the first meeting often feels like the breakthrough.

A briefing with a program office. A handshake with an acquisition lead. A conversation about funding. But for most teams, that first conversation is with the wrong person and the wrong priorities.

If the first engagement doesn’t establish operational relevance, everything that follows risks becoming technically impressive, but strategically misaligned.

Each year, capable and well-engineered technologies are procured by government programs with the intent to enhance operational capabilities—yet never reach the warfighter.

They are purchased, delivered, and ultimately shelved. The issue is not technical performance, but failure to integrate. At the core of this problem are systemic issues that prevent promising technologies from transitioning to field use and offers actionable considerations for addressing them.