Closing the Readiness Gap

Headlines about munitions shortages in the Iran war point to a much bigger problem: aging weapon systems, slow maintenance, and fragmented, manual processes that are straining U.S. military readiness and, with it, deterrence. In this episode of NatSec Tech, Jeanne Meserve talks with Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of AIR (formerly Govini), about what she calls the readiness gap: the widening distance between what the frontline needs and what the system actually delivers. Dougherty explains why acquisition, sustainment, maintenance, and logistics still operate in silos, and why the U.S. is spending more on readiness while getting less. She describes how AI can close the loop between a part being used and a replacement being ordered, such as swapping a 300-day part for a certified alternative with a three-day lead time, while keeping humans in charge of the critical decisions. They also cover right-to-repair fights, rebuilding domestic manufacturing, and how budget uncertainty and parochial spending in Congress make it all harder. NatSec Tech is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.