“We want the best technology from our allies in the hands of the U.S. warfighter”
A new initiative aims to bridge the gap between Israeli battlefield innovation and U.S. defense procurement systems.
At a time when wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are accelerating the pace of military innovation, a new initiative is aiming to bring those lessons directly into the U.S. defense ecosystem.
The Defense Technology Alliance (DTA), led by Executive Director Daniel Flesch and backed by senior national security figures including senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Richard Goldberg, is positioning itself as a bridge between allied battlefield innovation and American military needs. Their argument is simple: the technology exists. The problem is that the system is not built to absorb it.
“I think this is an interesting disconnect,” Goldberg said. “Where the Israeli defense technology ecosystem continues to grow and strengthen… and what we find is that the American policymaker is disconnected from what is happening in the business community, what's happening in the investment community.”
That disconnect, he argues, is not just theoretical. It is playing out in real time across multiple active conflicts. Israeli and Ukrainian forces are rapidly developing and deploying new capabilities, particularly in artificial intelligence, drones, and battlefield intelligence. Meanwhile, the U.S. system remains slower, constrained by procurement rules and regulatory barriers.
For Flesch, the opportunity lies in capturing those lessons before they are lost in bureaucracy. Much of the cooperation between the U.S. and Israel has historically focused on missile and air defense. But he believes the next phase will happen at a much more tactical level.
“I think it's still early for the most part,” Flesch said. “But part of our objective is to say, ‘what are those technologies, tactics and techniques effectively that are being utilized and what can we learn about them for U.S. national security?’”
One of the defining advantages of Israel’s defense ecosystem, the two argue, is the speed of its feedback loop. Soldiers move between the battlefield and startups, rapidly iterating on real-world problems.
“There are plenty of stories of Israelis in Gaza who also own or are in some way affiliated with a defense technology startup, go home and iterate, and then integrate that new iteration when they return to reserve duty in Gaza,” Flesch said.
That kind of loop is difficult to replicate in the United States. And it is one of the gaps DTA is trying to close.
Goldberg pointed to the growing role of AI in transforming how wars are fought, especially in intelligence and targeting.
“If you're in the special operator community and you're on a raid, there's a company that can take images or real-time video; they can take all kinds of evidence that you have in front of you, and AI applications can let you see all of it in real time, know exactly what you’ve got there, and give you new battlefield objectives right there and then,” he said.
These capabilities are not theoretical. “Some of this technology we understand was used in hostage rescues during the war in Gaza,” Goldberg added.
Beyond AI, both pointed to a wide range of emerging areas, from sensors and communications to counter drone systems. Goldberg also highlighted Israel’s growing role in quantum computing. “Israel is already the per capita leader in quantum computing startups,” he said. “A lot of that is going to - at some point - have incredible application to defense technology.”
Despite this, significant barriers remain. On the U.S. side, the issue is often cultural and bureaucratic. “We just don't think about our defense planning in this way,” Goldberg said. “It just needs to change.”
On the Israeli side, the challenge is different. Many companies simply do not know how to enter the U.S. market.
“You could have brilliant technology and brilliant innovators who have really come up with something special on the battlefield, but they really don't even know who to talk to or what to do to make it to the United States,” Goldberg said.
DTA aims to address both sides of the equation. One part of its work focuses on Washington, educating policymakers and pushing for regulatory changes. The other is more hands on, helping startups navigate the path into the U.S. defense market.
“We want to provide an educational program to help them come here,” Flesch said. “Most companies want to get to the U.S. market; we want to provide an educational program to help them come here.”
Success, he said, will be measured in tangible outcomes. “At some point, 6, 12, 18 months down the line, any of those companies will have secured either a contract with DoD, being a sub to some sort of U.S. company, or certainly getting venture capital interest on the U.S. side.”
At the same time, DTA is also trying to influence how the U.S. system itself evolves. “It is helping shape the conversation and make a real impact to the [policymakers, regulators and procurement officials.]”
For Goldberg, the stakes go beyond any single partnership. The goal is a broader integration of allied innovation into U.S. defense planning.
“We're going to need a full integration with the full suite of technological innovations that our democratic partners are producing,” he said.
That includes not only Israel, but also Ukraine and other countries operating on the front lines of modern conflict. The idea is to turn those real world experiences into a strategic advantage.
At a practical level, success may also look more visible. “The more you see Israeli defense companies represented at industry events, at conferences, I think that will reflect the growth of the sector,” Goldberg said.
For now, both acknowledge that the effort is still in its early stages. But with active conflicts driving rapid innovation, they see a narrow window to act.
“DTA's ultimate mission is to get the best technology from our allies and partners in the hands of the U.S. warfighter to advance U.S. national security,” Flesch said.
