Original Broadcast Date: 09/21/2026

Sponsored by Amentum

The Pentagon is undertaking a major technology transformation, and Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies says success will depend on a strong foundation, modernized infrastructure, cybersecurity, workforce development, and partnerships across government and industry.

During an interview on Fed Gov Today, Davies outlines a four-pillar strategy designed to guide the department through a period of rapid technological change. The pillars include an enduring digital foundation, agile digital capabilities, cybersecurity for the warfighting ecosystem, and skills and partnerships.

Davies explains that the framework emerged from her first months in the role, during which she reviewed reports, met with stakeholders across the department, and assessed both immediate needs and long-term opportunities.

“We circled around the need for some foundational capabilities and also at the same time doing some leapfrog advancement,” Davies says.

The first pillar, the enduring digital foundation, focuses on the infrastructure required to support future mission requirements, particularly those driven by artificial intelligence. Davies says the foundation spans everything from undersea communications to space-based capabilities, including network transport, operational resilience, data centers, and computing resources.

AI is a major factor shaping these requirements. According to Davies, the department needs more computing power, greater storage capacity, stronger transportation layers, and increased resilience across globally distributed networks. She notes that supporting warfighters around the world requires reliable and resilient connectivity regardless of location.

The department’s modernization effort also includes addressing legacy technology. Davies says the Pentagon operates a significant amount of aging infrastructure and is aggressively pursuing modernization across servers, applications, data environments, and overall capacity.

To help accelerate those efforts, the department has requested funding dedicated to reducing technical debt. Davies explains that modernization decisions are no longer based solely on cost. Instead, the department is increasingly taking a risk-based approach that prioritizes systems that create cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Legacy platforms running unsupported technologies or systems that can no longer be patched present significant risks. By evaluating modernization through both financial and security lenses, the department aims to reduce costs while strengthening cyber defenses.

The second pillar focuses on agile digital capabilities. Davies emphasizes that agility is not simply about moving faster through traditional processes.

“Agile does not mean fast waterfall,” she says.

Instead, the department is looking for ways to fundamentally redesign processes through automation and modern workflows. Davies notes that accelerating existing linear processes may increase activity, but it does not necessarily create agility.

Automation plays a central role in this effort. Rather than routing documents manually through email and approval chains, the department is exploring how technology can automate repetitive tasks while allowing humans to focus on quality assurance and decision-making where appropriate.

Davies believes achieving this transformation requires more than policy changes. It also demands a cultural shift.

The department has historically responded to challenges by adding personnel and resources. Moving toward automation requires changing mindsets and helping employees understand how new approaches can improve outcomes. Training and workforce development are critical elements of that effort.

She points to a guiding principle she shares with department leadership: policy alone does not create transformation. People do.

Cybersecurity forms the third pillar of the strategy. While zero trust remains an important framework, Davies says the department is focused on implementation rather than theory.

She describes zero trust as one component of a broader defense-in-depth strategy that protects systems, applications, users, and mission operations across multiple layers.

Traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer sufficient, she explains. As data, applications, and mission capabilities move closer to the edge, cybersecurity protections must extend wherever warfighters operate, including contested and disconnected environments.

Davies also describes today’s service members as digital warriors. Modern military operations rely on connected systems, sensors, data, and decision-making tools. As a result, cybersecurity must be integrated into every aspect of mission execution while creating as little friction as possible for users.

At the same time, she notes that some friction is necessary. Multifactor authentication and other security measures may add extra steps, but they provide important protections that users expect and rely on.

The fourth pillar, skills and partnerships, focuses on strengthening collaboration both inside and outside the department.

Davies highlights partnerships with other federal agencies, Congress, allies, industry, and innovation organizations. She also stresses the importance of collaboration within the department, including across acquisition, research, innovation, personnel, and operational organizations.

Workforce development is another major priority. Davies advocates for skills-based hiring, apprenticeships, and pathways that bring new talent and fresh perspectives into government service.

She also points to initiatives designed to strengthen collaboration with industry experts who can contribute ideas, guidance, and technical expertise as the department advances modernization efforts.

Throughout the discussion, Davies presents a vision centered on transformation, resilience, and readiness. By modernizing infrastructure, embracing automation, strengthening cybersecurity, and investing in people and partnerships, the Pentagon aims to build the capabilities needed to support future missions and maintain technological advantage in an increasingly digital world.