Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

Phase 3 of the Drone Dominance Program is live, and we’re raising the stakes once again. We’re allocating $450 million toward roughly 60,000 drones, split evenly across two mission sets, with an option to buy up to 40,000 more. The same Deep Strike and Close Quarter Battle (CQB) mission sets return from Phase 2, this time with tougher scenarios and a faster pace. Both will be tested in GNSS- and comms-denied environments.  Deep Strike is about finding, fixing, and finishing targets from a stand-off position out to about 20 kilometers. CQB is about finding, fixing, and finishing targets in rapid succession during close-quarters operations in support of ground maneuver. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/ei7wmK-P

The United States Department of War seeks low-cost Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over land, littoral, and maritime regions. Systems should be capable of collecting and transmitting sensor data to support real-time operations and targeting. Both medium-endurance and long-endurance solutions are requested. Bring us your mature technology; not concepts. We want to maximize aggregate mission coverage and operational effect at the lowest total lifecycle cost, enabling affordable mass and scalable ISR operations. This challenge will award a total prize and initial follow-on pool of $100 million, with an additional $250M budgeted to support further development and production. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/egiMTB85

In its pursuit of American Drone Dominance, the Department of War cannot expect its adversaries to supply critical drone parts - either now or in times of conflict. We applaud the DoW's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program for its recent $75M grant to Amprius Technologies, Inc. to establish a high-volume, commercially viable U.S. manufacturing supply chain for advanced battery systems for UAS. DIU first awarded a contract to Amprius in 2025 to develop NDAA-compliant batteries for sUAS/drones, an effort that continues to deliver results to the DoW. https://lnkd.in/gCkge3MP

The United States Department of War relies on the ability to rapidly transport and distribute fuel assets across contested and austere environments. To solve this critical obstacle, DIU and our partners at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Support Equipment & Vehicles Division at Robins AFB, have awarded supply Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts to four vendors on the Agile Fuel Management project. These awards follow completed successful prototypes. CANFLEX (USA) INC and AEF llc were awarded contracts for next-gen collapsible fuel bladders. Stephens Pneumatics and GTA Containers, LLC. were awarded contracts for state-of-the-art Agile Fuel Systems (AFS) pumps. This rapid transition from prototype to fielding establishes a secure, redundant supply chain that accelerates operational deployment timelines down to just 1–2 years, bypassing traditional 5–10-year defense acquisition cycles. "The Agile Fuel Management solution successfully delivers a modernized, ruggedized, and air-deployable resupply capability that completely changes the paradigm of distributed combat operations," said Andrew Higier Ph.D. Higier, DIU Deputy Portfolio Director. "By putting these resilient systems directly into the hands of our warfighters, we have resolved a critical logistical pressure point, reinforcing our rapid response capabilities to global contingencies in contested environments."

The United States Department of War relies on nontraditional companies to solve its most critical challenges. But the requirement for a facility clearance is too often a barrier to entry to vendors looking to compete for classified contracts. DIU is uniquely positioned to solve this problem. The DIU Bridge Program is announcing the Classified Access to Address Critical Technology “CLASS ACT” solicitation, a new pathway to increase the number of cleared nontraditional companies working with the DoW. Through CLASS ACT, selected participants will be sponsored for a facility clearance to perform against classified Department needs. The inaugural solicitation seeks investors and technology companies that enable DoW to counter unmanned systems in maritime environments. Read the entire CLASS ACT Solicitation on sam.gov to learn more about eligibility requirements and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eUpkJFH. https://lnkd.in/emh4ZXnt

DIU Deputy Director and COO Travis Metz spoke earlier today at the U.S. Small Business Administration's Inaugural Drone Summit. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of a robust, domestic industrial base in driving Drone Dominance across the United States Department of War. The event was the first in the SBA's new Defense Industrial Base Series.

Next up for the Drone Dominance Program: the Phase 2.5 Bomber Qualifier at Camp Grayling. The October event will test 17 unique drones in three missions across two stages: a vendor-operated bomber qualifier and a military-operated bomber Gauntlet to identify the most capable systems. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gcAHh8ac

A partnership built to move commercial technology closer to the mission.   On September 18th during Creative Disruptors Foundation’s Disruptors by the Lakes, Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU) Director Owen West and Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalizing a partnership between DIU and the Minnesota National Guard. This partnership will enable commercial and nontraditional companies through the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Minnesota to rapidly access, test, and validate their technology in operationally relevant environments on Minnesota National Guard installations, such as Camp Ripley. Thank you to Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), Maj. Gen. Manke, the Minnesota National Guard, the OnRamp Hub: Minnesota, and our many ecosystem partners that have helped turn this partnership into action.

DIU and Space Systems Command (SSC) are taking the next step to deliver Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) reconnaissance capabilities to the United States Department of War.   The project, known as “GHOST-R,” leverages commercially developed space vehicles, buses, and electro-optical payloads to deliver high-resolution space-to-space imagery for characterizing resident space objects in GEO.   Scheduled for a 2028 delivery, the GHOST-R program supports the SSC RG-XX office by developing lower-cost, reconnaissance-focused satellites for the constellation.   “Collaborating with DIU on GHOST-R is a true force multiplier. We are leveraging rapid prototyping to push the envelope of what commercial tech can deliver to the RG-XX program,” said Col. Bryon McClain, acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Space Combat Power. “This approach burns down technical risk, drives down lifecycle costs, and gets vital capability to the warfighter faster to ensure a more resilient architecture. Successful prototypes will have a direct path to transition into the program of record.”   This SSC/DIU partnership operates under a synchronized "customer and accelerator" model. By deliberately streamlining standard defense acquisition overhead and trading rigid, extensive requirements for rapid deployment velocity, DIU enables the joint enterprise to compress acquisition timelines and field prototype capability years ahead of conventional procurement cycles. We’ve awarded prototype contracts to True Anomaly and Northrop Grumman to drive down costs and accelerate timelines in this critical area. To build these next-generation reconnaissance vehicles, our vendors are leveraging proven commercial buses and integrating cutting-edge electro-optical payloads. Launching directly to GEO by 2028, these reconnaissance prototypes are on a rapid path to transition, performing fully government-owned and operated missions for the United States Space Force by 2029. Photo 1 courtesy of True Anomaly Photo 2 courtesy of Northrop Grumman

We’ve reached another milestone in the United States Department of War's race for American Drone Dominance. The Drone Dominance Program Gauntlet II wrapped up just weeks ago at Fort Carson, Colorado. Participating companies were scored based on their performance in the event, evaluations by military operators, and demonstrated production and supply chain capabilities. We have selected the top five performers in both Deep Strike and Close Quarters Battle mission areas. Each will receive orders from a pool of 60,000 drones – 3x the scale of Gauntlet I. These drones are also cheaper, more capable, and sourced from a supply chain more closely tied to the American industrial base. View the winning companies and the updated leaderboard here: https://lnkd.in/eqffT9Dp.