Lynn Dugle, president, chairman and CEO of Engility, told Fortune in an interview published Monday how space assets help the military perform operations on the ground.
She said satellite communications systems work to help the military monitor the location and movement of troops as well as communicate with deployed soldiers.
“GPS and precision navigation—if we’re going to target something, we need to know where that is,†Dugle said.
“So if adversaries disable our space assets, we’re disabled on the ground as well.â€
She noted that the increase in defense budget seeks to reflect how congressional leaders recognize the need to ramp up military readiness and maintain the country’s technological edge.
Dugle, a two-time Wash100 awardee, cited how the U.S. government can leverage analytic tools, social media information and other public data to ensure national security while safeguarding privacy.