Transforming the battlespace begins with understanding the battlespace. We sat down with Mike Kushin, executive vice president of our high consequence missions sector, to discuss the importance of this distinction and why it sets our team apart in the industry.
He provides insight on the defense and intelligence business and the focus on delivering disruptive solutions with technologies that accelerate the warfighter’s decision chain to help ensure mission success.
Q: What sets Parsons apart in the defense and intelligence industry?
A: We are composed of teams that understand the depth and complexity of our customers’ needs, because many of us were once the customer. We have leaders who once conducted operations on the ground and understand the battlefield geometry where the customer is operating. This real-life experience helps us understand the requirements and the ‘ask.’ Our customers can give us a problem set without knowing the exact requirements but having historical insight into what they are asking allows us to remain lean, agile, and able to put the right people in the right places quickly and effectively. Ultimately, we understand the real mission needs of our customers. We don’t let business objectives get in the way of mission objectives.
Q: How did your time supporting special operations prepare you for working in the federal landscape?
A: In many ways, the problems our customers are facing today are the problems we were forecasting on the horizon yesterday. Now, we can leverage commercial capabilities and are not hamstrung by government restrictions or limitations. When a war fighter comes to us with a need, we are past the testing and evaluation stage and can provide practical technology, tactics, techniques, and procedures to actively solve problems.
Q: How is Parsons supporting the U.S. Special Forces?
A: Our support to special forces colors the spectrum with everything from OSINT and classified development to technical operations and cyber. We provide technology, training, subject matter experts, and advisors — touching the pulse in every discipline. Parsons is leaning forward in a critical industry that is advancing and changing every day. We are increasingly integrated — providing continuity for the government and holistic, scalable solutions to complex problems. We operate in every facet of the multidomain battlespace and address emerging threats by fusing technologies across the now-connected war fighting domains (land, air, maritime, space, and cyber).