Understanding Dual Use Technology in the U.S. Defense Context

The United States defense industrial base faces an unprecedented challenge: how to rapidly field capabilities that match the pace of modern warfare while avoiding the decades-long development cycles that have defined traditional acquisition and development.
The answer lies in dual use technology—commercial innovations that serve both civilian and military applications without requiring ground-up research or new production lines.

What is dual use technology?

Simply put, it’s innovation built for the commercial market that can also deliver military value. From AI software to satellite constellations and cloud infrastructure, these technologies bridge the gap between Silicon Valley’s iteration speed and the Pentagon’s operational control requirements.

This concept isn’t new—commercial industry played a decisive role in World War II when automotive lines were repurposed for aircraft and tank production. The challenge today is applying that same dual use strategy to commercial applications like software, data infrastructure, and advanced materials that define modern national security and defense operations.

From Legacy Timelines to Real-Time Integration

Traditional defense acquisition methods were built for a different era—one defined by bespoke products and predictable threats. In today’s contested environments, that model can’t keep up. Modern adversaries evolve faster than the Pentagon’s ten-year development cycles.

Dual use technology reverses that dynamic. Instead of starting from scratch, the government and its partners can adapt existing commercial items, reducing cost, accelerating delivery, and maintaining technological parity with rapidly advancing threats.

The F-35: A Case Study in Dual Use Complexity

The F-35 program illustrates both the potential and the pitfalls of dual use. Advanced materials, sensor technologies, and manufacturing processes have flowed between companies in the commercial and defense sectors for years. But the jet’s decades-long development timeline highlights the limits of traditional acquisition.

To meet future needs, defense leaders must apply the principle of dual use—rapid adaptation and integration—without replicating its slow process. That means learning from the F-35’s complexity, not repeating it. Similar lessons are being applied across the Air Force and other services as they explore new dual use items in sensors, autonomy, and command-and-control systems.

Commercial Integration Advantages

Dual use technology brings measurable advantages to national defense and national security:

• Speed to Capability: Commercial solutions already exist, allowing the DoD to field new systems in months, not decades.
• Cost Efficiency: Leveraging private-sector investment in technology development reduces taxpayer burden while driving down unit costs.
• Innovation Velocity: The commercial markets evolve faster than any government program—defense gains by staying connected.
• Interoperability and Standards: Open commercial standards simplify integration across platforms and services while maintaining military specifications.
• Industrial Base Strength: Engaging commercial suppliers diversifies and strengthens the broader U.S. manufacturing ecosystem.

Operational Applications of Dual Use Technology

Today’s dual use technology examples span nearly every operational domain and field:

• Communications and Networking: 5G, satellite constellations, and mesh networks provide resilient, distributed connectivity for secure information exchange.
• Computing and AI: Commercial processors, machine learning frameworks, and cloud platforms drive rapid advances in autonomy and command-and-control.
• Manufacturing: Additive and automated manufacturing enable field-level sustainment and rapid prototyping of mission-critical items.
• Sensors and Optics: Commercial camera sensors, LiDAR, and imaging systems enhance ISR capabilities at a fraction of legacy cost.
• Energy and Power: Battery and renewable energy technologies developed for the automotive and commercial sectors support expeditionary operations.

Each example underscores how dual use integration turns existing commercial technology into operational capability without requiring entirely new development programs.

Implementation Challenges and Pathways Forward

While the opportunity is enormous, integration isn’t automatic. Dual use adoption requires a modernized acquisition approach that balances innovation with national security and compliance.

Key challenges include:

• Cyber and Supply Chain Security: Commercial systems must be hardened against adversary exploitation and evaluated for chemical, electronic, or nuclear material concerns.
• Standards and Interoperability: Military-grade ruggedization and certification processes can delay otherwise field-ready products that already meet commercial standards.
• Contracting and Procurement: Traditional FAR-based cycles are too rigid; the government needs faster approval pathways like OTAs, CSOs, and other rapid acquisition methods.
• Cultural Barriers: The gap between commercial innovators and defense program offices often slows adoption more than technical issues.

Addressing these challenges requires a systematic bridge between the commercial and defense sectors—one that incentivizes industry participation without drowning innovation in bureaucracy or regulatory concern.

Building the Modern Arsenal of Innovation

America’s competitive edge has always come from its industrial agility. The “arsenal of democracy” once meant car factories building bombers and ammunition. Today, it means companies developing cloud servers, AI algorithms, and microchips that empower the modern warfighter.

To sustain this edge, the United States must:

1. Create continuous engagement between government and commercial R&D communities.
2. Adopt modular, open systems architectures to ease integration and avoid vendor lock-in.
3. Empower rapid acquisition pathways that match commercial speed and reward outcomes over process.
4. Fund dual use transition programs that help companies harden commercial technology for defense use.

This is how America mobilizes its industry for the digital age—turning commercial development into mission capability at the speed of relevance.

Conclusion

Dual use technology isn’t just a cost-saving measure—it’s a national security imperative. In an era defined by speed, data, and contested domains, success depends on how quickly the Department of Defense can adapt commercial breakthroughs to the battlefield.

The question isn’t whether dual use belongs in national defense.
It’s how fast we can systematize it—connecting innovators, policymakers, and warfighters into one unified industrial ecosystem capable of outpacing any adversary.

That’s the essence of modern dual use strategy: aligning government activity, private-sector investment, and technological innovation to strengthen national security at home and abroad.

About CenCore 

Headquartered in Springville, UT, CenCore is a trusted partner in delivering innovative security solutions in an ever-evolving threat landscape. CenCore delivers U.S.-made, tech-agnostic, open-source security systems that ensure global secure communications. CenCore prioritizes cost-effective, high-performance solutions over superficial appeal.