The defense technology community spends a lot of time grumbling about the Valley of Death, a term referring to the place where innovative technologies funded by the Defense Department fail to make it into warfighters hands because they cant make the transition from prototype to a real product. The Air Force Requirements and POM workflow was designed by Robert McNamara in the 1960s. It has created the backbone for how the military prioritizes what it funds. The Innovation Ecosystem has been purposefully developed outside of that workflow and as a result, while prototypes are quick to be made, there is really no place for them to systematically be adopted into a program of record, to be sustained, and procured. As a result, the Air Force lacks an established framework to guide and support innovations from the prototype phase to the point where those innovations are broadly adopted and are procurable. Riis has developed a proprietary framework for analyzing and advancing commercial innovation called RAID (Resourcing, Integration, Alignment, and Delivery). The RAID Framework is broken into five parts, provides a method by which to not only innovate but to gather the alignment and support needed for an innovation to become adopted and sustained. Riis is proposing to adapt specific parts of this framework to solve the innovation challenges of the Air Force. In addition to adapting the framework to apply to the needs of the Air Force, we will collaborate with AFWERX and Mobilize to apply the framework within the VISION Platform RAID is commercially proven and has the potential to significantly force-multiply the investments innovators are making across the Air Force and DoD broadly. Riis proposes to conduct a research and development-based feasibility study of the RAID Framework in context of the innovation activities of the USAF. This proposal specifically focuses on Phase 1 of the RAID Framework: Innovation Assessment. This phase consists of several critical questions and their associated answers that must be answered to reduce duplicative effort and ensure that the innovation will have the support that it needs to be successfully commercialized. RAID Phase 1 empowers innovators in the Air Force to thoroughly assess their innovations and have the appropriate facts to best advocate with commanders for resources and support. This also ensures that commanders can ensure that investments in innovation have been thoroughly vetted and merit further development. Riis will collaborate with the 52nd and 187th Fighter wings to adapt the RAID Framework to ensure that current innovations related to Agile Combat Employment (ACE) are successful. These methodologies will be integrated into the VISION platform so they can be measured and shared.
