1. Autonomy is forcing a rethink of defense acquisition
Autonomous technologies are advancing quickly, but the defense acquisition process often moves much more slowly. Hemler pointed to efforts across the services to identify existing technologies that can be purchased quickly, rather than spending years moving them through traditional development pipelines.
Williams pointed to the Navy's evolving approach to unmanned surface vessels as an example. After years of prototypes and shifting requirements, the service appears increasingly interested in evaluating what's already available and accelerating procurement. As she described it, the Navy is essentially saying: "We want to see what you've got and see if it works."
As autonomous technologies evolve faster, defense leaders are increasingly looking for ways to buy faster, too.
2. The military still has to figure out how to use these systems
Programs like the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative are making significant progress. The Air Force is currently flight-testing prototype "loyal wingman" aircraft from General Atomics and Anduril, exploring how autonomous systems might operate alongside human pilots.
But as Hemler noted, getting the technology to work is only part of the challenge. The harder questions are operational.
How should autonomous systems be employed? How do they integrate with human operators? How do services train around them? And how do they develop doctrine for capabilities that didn't exist a few years ago?
One example he raised was debriefing. After a mission, pilots spend hours reviewing what happened, discussing mistakes, and sharing lessons learned. But what does that process look like when one of the participants is an AI-enabled software pilot? How do humans and autonomous systems learn from each other?
It's a deceptively simple question that gets at something much bigger. Building autonomous systems is one thing. Building organizations that know how to use them effectively is another.
3. Trust matters as much as technology
It's easy to think we're already living in the future envisioned by headlines about AI and autonomous warfare. But both speakers painted a much more grounded picture of where the technology actually stands today.
As Williams put it, "We're not quite at this robot fighting robot war yet."
Instead, much of today's work involves figuring out where autonomous systems fit, how much oversight they require, and when operators can trust them. Trust may not generate as many headlines as AI. But throughout the discussion, it emerged as one of the factors most likely to determine how quickly these systems are adopted.
4. The defense industrial base is changing
The conversation wasn't just about what the military is buying. It was also about who's building it. Williams said she senses "a change in the wind" as nontraditional technology companies increasingly look to enter the defense market.
Programs like CCA are helping drive that shift. As software becomes a larger piece of military capability, companies don't necessarily need to build aircraft to compete in aviation programs. They can contribute autonomy software, AI tools, sensors, or mission systems.
The discussion highlighted companies including General Atomics, Anduril, Collins Aerospace, and Shield AI, as well as recent demonstrations that showed different autonomy software stacks being swapped onto aircraft.
That kind of flexibility benefits both government and industry. It reduces the risk of vendor lock-in while creating more opportunities for newer entrants to compete.
Of course, entering the defense market brings its own challenges. Both speakers noted that many startups quickly discover that building a promising technology and navigating government acquisition are two very different skills.
As Hemler pointed out, more companies are bringing on board former military officers, defense officials, and intelligence professionals. It gives them an advantage because they understand how the system works.
5. The future of autonomy might be built on manufacturing
Another important, but often overlooked, part of the conversation around autonomous warfare is manufacturing.
Williams pointed to the Navy's growing experimentation with 3D-printed parts as one way to address supplier bottlenecks and improve readiness. Hemler noted that the Navy has already approved certain 3D-manufactured parts for the V-22 Osprey and even flight-critical components for the CH-53 helicopter.
At the same time, both emphasized that scaling these technologies isn't simply a matter of printing more parts. As Williams joked, "The U.S. Navy does not play about its submarines." Extensive certification requirements remain before components can be used in critical systems.
More broadly, the discussion highlighted something that often gets lost in conversations about autonomy: technology is only part of the equation.
The future of autonomous systems will depend not just on software and AI, but on manufacturing capacity, resilient supply chains, and a skilled workforce capable of building and sustaining them.
The promise of autonomy is often framed in terms of innovation and speed. But making that promise a reality still comes down to factories, suppliers, and people.
Looking ahead
What made this discussion so valuable was that it looked beyond the technology itself.
The drones, autonomous aircraft, and unmanned vessels matter. But Williams and Hemler spent just as much time talking about the systems surrounding them—acquisition, doctrine, trust, manufacturing, workforce development, and industrial capacity.
Near the end of the webinar, Williams offered what may have been the best summary of the entire conversation:
"It's one thing to have a demo, but it's something else when life and limb and the mission are on the line."
That may be the most important thing to keep in mind as autonomy continues to evolve. The technology is advancing quickly, but the bigger question is whether everything around it can keep pace.
Watch the full on-demand GovExec Defense webinar, "Autonomous Warfare and the New Rules of Combat and Acquisition," for the complete conversation between Lauren C. Williams and Jon Hemler.
Don’t miss Defense One Tech Summit on June 16 in Arlington, VA. Take what you learned here to your conversations in the room.
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