Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Warns of Urgent Military Innovation Needs

By September 12, 2026, at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv, former Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll made his first public appearance since departing the Trump administration. He warned about a significant shift in warfare, stating that the world’s largest militaries are not adopting the necessary speed and innovation. Driscoll spoke alongside Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO now leading Perennial Autonomy, an American defense firm active in Ukraine. The discussion was moderated by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

Driscoll and Schmidt commended Kyiv’s wartime innovations, particularly praising ‘DELTA,’ a Ukrainian software platform. This technology allows military leaders to compile data from radars, sensors, and soldiers, providing a comprehensive view of the battlefield. Driscoll asserted that DELTA surpasses any technology currently in use by the U.S. military.

Driscoll highlighted Ukraine’s progress in processing power and AI capabilities, foreseeing an opportunity for Ukraine to outpace and innovate beyond Russia. He stated, ‘Your nation can outrun the Russians, out-innovate them, and out-partner to crush them.’

During his tenure as Army Secretary, Driscoll advocated for incorporating lessons from Ukraine’s war into U.S. military practices. One initiative was procurement reform to expedite weapon distribution to soldiers. The urgency became evident during the war with Iran when the U.S. needed defenses against Iranian Shahed drones. Notably, Eric Schmidt’s Perennial Autonomy swiftly provided 13,000 ‘Merops’ interceptor drones and 10,000 ‘Bumblebee’ reconnaissance drones, both used by Ukraine.

Driscoll emphasized learning from Ukraine’s adaptive, rapid innovation approach. This resonated with the audience of Ukrainian, European, and American officials. Fareed Zakaria mentioned the discrepancy between planned U.S. drone purchases and Ukraine’s production, with former CIA Director David Petraeus estimating Ukraine’s figure closer to 10 million drones.

Despite efforts, Driscoll noted the U.S. shift away from lessons learned in Ukraine. In August, a U.S. Army drone battalion meant to study Ukraine’s drone warfare was dissolved. Driscoll did not comment on related personnel changes but defended ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine, acknowledging it has not fully met Kyiv’s expectations.

Concluding, Driscoll believed his contributions could be more impactful outside the government. He stated, ‘My highest and best use to make the world a little bit safer at this very scary time was to do it on the outside.’