DOD’s Kathleen Hicks Tours Kodiak Robotics Office in Push to Strengthen Ties With Tech Industry

Kodiak Robotics has announced that the deputy secretary of defense toured the company’s office in Mountain View, California, where she learned how commercial solutions could help the military.

During her visit, Kathleen Hicks, a 2023 Wash100 winner and a past Potomac Officers Club speaker, met with Kodiak’s senior leadership and rode an autonomous truck. According to Kodiak, its Kodiak Driver solution uses sensing and automation capabilities that can be used for commercial trucking and military use cases.

Hicks’ visit comes amid the DOD’s efforts, in partnership with the commercial sector, to counter U.S. adversaries’ technological advancements, Kodiak said Wednesday.

The DOD official is also focusing on other capabilities to keep the United States ahead of its adversaries.

In November, Hicks announced that she is leading the development of the Pentagon’s first commercial space integration strategy. According to a DOD spokesperson, the strategy ensures that commercial technologies are available and integrated during conflicts between the U.S. and its adversaries.

The strategy is in line with the deputy defense secretary’s comments about the importance of the private sector in maintaining a military edge.