The Department of Defense is adopting a new way to measure whether technology is ready for warfighters—and this time, humans are at the center of the equation. Chris DeLuca, Director of Specialty Engineering in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (R&E), explains how Human Readiness Levels (HRLs) are reshaping acquisition, testing, and trust in defense systems.
For decades, NASA’s Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) have provided a framework to measure how mature a technology is before it enters service. DeLuca says the new HRL standard builds on that foundation but adds a critical dimension: the user. “We are first of all focused on the soldier,” he emphasizes. Advanced technology must be not only functional but intuitive, safe, and reliable for the people who rely on it in high-risk environments.
The idea is straightforward: the earlier human factors are integrated into design, the lower the risk of failure later. Applying HRLs early allows engineers to identify hazards, failure modes, and usability issues before they become expensive—or dangerous—problems. Waiting until later in the lifecycle to discover flaws could mean higher costs, lost time, or even mission failure. “The later you wait in the process, the more expensive it’s going to be,” DeLuca warns. “The discovery might be somebody’s life or a mission failure. You don’t want those things to happen.”
The Army is already leading the way in applying HRLs, and DeLuca says early experiences confirm that integrating human 
readiness upfront makes a difference. The Air Force is also developing a decision tool that combines TRLs and HRLs into a single framework, creating a structured way to evaluate both technical maturity and human usability at once. This integration gives program managers clearer insight into where risks lie and how to plan tests effectively.
DeLuca highlights that the standard is not created in a vacuum. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, which brings together experts from DOD, other federal agencies, industry, and academia, plays a key role in developing and validating HRLs. Their knowledge base, combined with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process, ensures that the standard is rigorous, credible, and applicable across multiple defense use cases.
Another important aspect of HRLs is their ability to reduce barriers for industry partners. With the Pentagon adopting a formal, commercial standard, contractors can demonstrate human readiness levels before bringing products to government buyers. If a company shows evidence that its system meets HRL 6 (ready for development) or HRL 8 (ready for operational use), it can save time and resources for both sides. “Instead of having to go out and discover it ourselves, we’d be better off getting that evidence,” DeLuca explains.
This approach also makes testing more efficient. Because testing is expensive and time-consuming, HRLs guide programs toward focusing on the most critical risks and issues that affect human performance and mission success. In this way, the standard helps balance innovation with safety, speeding up delivery without sacrificing trust.
The adoption of HRLs represents a cultural shift in defense acquisition. It signals that technology cannot be judged on technical sophistication alone. Trust, usability, and human-centered design are just as essential to mission success as raw capability. The Army’s initial adoption, combined with leadership from the Navy in pushing the standard forward, shows how the services are aligning on this new priority.
DeLuca frames the move as both practical and forward-looking. The Department wants to put advanced tools into the hands of warfighters as quickly as possible—but only if those tools are safe, usable, and trusted. By codifying human readiness as a measurable standard, DOD is making sure that advanced systems are truly mission-ready from day one.
For engineers, program managers, and industry partners, HRLs offer a roadmap to design and deliver with the end user in mind. For warfighters, it means confidence that the technology they carry into the field is not just advanced but ready for them. And for the Department as a whole, it represents a shift toward a more human-centered, resilient approach to modernization.