“What I want to bet on is the ability of the United States and our Western allies to out-innovate adversaries,” says Mike Griffin, undersecretary of Defense for research and engineering.

“My integrity and belief in SCO’s mission is more important to me than my friendship over many years with Mike (Griffin).”

“I’ve never seen a Congress more on our side than it is today,” Griffin said. “In every meeting on the Hill, I am asked, ‘what relief do you need? What legal remedies do you require? What can we do to help you move faster?’ So if you are bound by legal impediments…I need bring those forward, because I am perfectly willing to go to Congress.”

The new head of Pentagon R&D delivered a scathing critique of how the military develops and buys equipment. “I did not take this job to reach parity with adversaries,” Griffin said. “I want to make them worry about catching up with us again.”