The Pentagon has a new doctrine: AI is not a support function, it is a weapons capability. The DoD's Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO) — stood up in 2022 and now operating with full directive authority across the services — is mandating AI integration into warfighting systems under the Department's "Responsible AI" framework and its broader Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy. The mechanism is straightforward: CDAO issues policy, the combatant commands and program offices must comply, and contracts flow to whoever already has the infrastructure embedded in classified environments. That last qualifier is the moat.