DefenseTech TV: Speed to the Fight

Grant Hagen, President of Warfare Systems at HII Mission Technologies discusses how innovation must be built for speed and grounded in user feedback. His team works directly with warfighters to identify real problems and develop solutions using agile, DevSecOps models. Hagen explains how participating in field exercises accelerates product validation and refinement, ensuring that technologies are mission-ready. He highlights the role of open-ended contracting approaches like OTAs and CSOs in fostering flexibility and speed. Integration is another key focus, with Hagen advocating for early planning and design standards that support multi-vendor, multi-domain, and coalition operations. Takeaways: Agile methods enable faster, user-informed product delivery Flexible contracts help address evolving mission needs Integration and speed are foundational to modern defense innovation