Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

Exciting news from the DIU Reserve team. Raj Shah is heading back to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) as the latest director of the Joint Reserve Detachment. As its JRD Director, Shah will lead the nearly 50 Guard and Reserve personnel from across the uniformed Services to  further support the growth of the National Mission Force for Innovation, a strategic goal for DIU. “Raj is both a proven leader and tested entrepreneur, having taken leading roles in commercial technology as both a founder and funder, as well as with both military combat and support operations and the details of defense acquisition," said DIU Director, Doug Beck Shah is a member of the California Air National Guard and completed three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an F-16 pilot. He served as Director of the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental from 2016-2018. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-MAr2ER Raj S.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) recently hosted Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Australian Vice Chief of the Defense Force, at our headquarters in Mountain View, California. Major General Steve Butow, DIU's Space Portfolio Director and Military Deputy, led discussions on the DIU 3.0, exploring how its agile approach to technology acquisition can be leveraged for joint defense initiatives. We engaged with representatives from the Australian Department of Defence, as well as explored collaborative opportunities with the Australian Space Agency. Other key topics included providing DIU embeds to the Australian Space Command (#ASCA) and advancing initiatives under #AUKUS Pillar 2; aiming to accelerate development in critical technologies such as space, cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Air Marshal Chipman's visit reaffirmed the shared values and objectives of the U.S. and Australian defense forces, highlighting the importance of collaboration in promoting peace and stability. Strengthening partnerships with our Australian allies is vital for driving innovation and ensuring collective security.

In a 9/30/2024 announcement, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed his commitment to the Department of Defense’s Replicator Initiative, touting its success as it prepares for its next phase. “In Replicator 1, we focused our aim on attritable autonomy, and we are on track with the Initiative 's fielding plan for next summer. This work has, in turn, helped ignite our efforts to scale autonomous systems across the force more generally,” Austin said. Replicator 2 will focus on countering the threat posed by small uncrewed aerial systems (C-sUAS), and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) leadership will continue to be deeply involved in overseeing the development and execution of Replicator. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/e7NcvxXv

Modular Space Electro-Spray for Efficient and Responsive Thrust AOI just posted! Modern spacecraft typically rely on a combination of propulsion technologies, many of which use finite liquid or gaseous chemical propellants. These limited resources must be conserved, often reserved for critical tasks like station-keeping or essential maneuvers such as collision avoidance. To enhance mission capability across commercial, civil, and national security applications, more efficient propulsion systems are needed. The Department of Defense is seeking proposals for advanced electrospray propulsion technology that demonstrates superior performance in both thrust and specific impulse. These solutions should deliver a high-performance, low-cost system capable of supporting a wide range of space missions. Solutions requested by 10/11/2024. Details here: https://lnkd.in/eHWszSVk #space

Recent conflicts have highlighted the asymmetric impact low-cost, one-way unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have on the modern battlefield. The @The The United States Department of Defense must be able to employ low-cost precision effects at extended ranges. Reliable, affordable, and adaptable long-range #UAS platforms that allow for employment at scale will maximize operational flexibility for the Joint force. DoD is seeking commercial solutions for ground-launched, one-way UAS platforms that can operate at ranges from 50-300 km+, launch quickly and expeditiously, navigate at low altitudes, carry a variety of payloads, and operate beyond line of sight in disrupted, disconnected, intermittent and low-bandwidth (DDIL) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) denied environments. Solutions requested by 10/14/2024. Full details here: https://lnkd.in/eQJa__BR Have questions? Share them with us here: https://lnkd.in/di3gFuP4 Responses will be posted on the website.

For years, automation has been deployed to enhance the effectiveness of both #cyber vulnerability analysis and reverse engineering. Speaking at the recent “Beyond the Buzz” event, Patrick Gould, Cyber & Telecoms Portfolio Director at Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), joined experts from IBM and Box to share how DIU is building on past work to leverage #GenAI for DoD cybersecurity use cases. “Security of AI and the most effective use of AI for security operations are a leading request from our constituents and partners throughout the DoD cyber and critical infrastructure security communities,” Gould said. “Our team will continue to onboard industry best AI capabilities for national security.”  The event took place at the Computer History Museum and was presented by Ars Technica.

At yesterday's Defense Ministers Meeting, companies from the U.S., Australia and the UK announced the finalists and the overall winner of the trilateral AUKUS Electronic Warfare (EW) Prize Challenge. The winner of the U.S.’s DIU-run challenge was Distributed Spectrum. The finalists each presented technologies that will help AUKUS nations leverage the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) to identify targets and track their location and movements, select and apply appropriate EMS assets and/or EMS enabled weapon systems, and assess the  effects of an attack using the EMS. Read more about the winners, including those from Australia’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA)-run challenge and the (to be announced soon) U.K.’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)-run challenge here: https://lnkd.in/echJtAgk #DefenseInnovation #AUKUS #Security

During a recent conversation with Fed Gov Today, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) AI/ML Program Manager Jaime Fitzgibbon (CTR) offered insight into the maturation of AI adoption within the #DoD and the intelligence community. “We are seeing the watermark rise. Everyone is getting a little more educated,” she said. “Now that the DoD has started to taste and see the benefits of AI, there’s more of an appetite to go and explore.” DIU is supporting #AI efforts through a number of efforts, including predictive maintenance and adversary research. Watch the full “AI: In Depth” conversation here: https://lnkd.in/er39PeYJ

Now launching - U.S.-Singapore Joint Challenge: Innovating Maritime and UAS Defense Solutions. Companies with counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) technologies may submit their capabilities for the potential to receive up to $300,000. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) U.S.-Singapore Joint Challenge is the first collaboration to come out of a Memorandum of Understanding for Defense Innovation Cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Singapore, Cap Vista Pte Ltd and the United States Department of Defense (DoD).  "We are proud to contribute to the strategically important effort to deepen bilateral cooperation with Singapore in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and look forward to working with our Singaporean partners to deliver concrete solutions that address the pressing security challenge of unauthorized drones, as well as critical support for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” said DIU Director Doug Beck. “We are eager to see what the international innovation base - starting with the great technology in Singapore and the US - delivers in support of these important missions.” Read the full release here: https://lnkd.in/e7inhSbZ Submit solutions here: https://lnkd.in/gjm5i3gc

Can't wait to share what we are up to at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) #cyber & #telecoms portfolio at tomorrow's "Beyond the Buzz" event hosted by Ars Technica at the Computer History Museum. Check out the agenda below and feel free to drop by and say hello if you are available. https://lnkd.in/gTybsYZh