Defense Innovation Unit

The AI Evaluation Infrastructure “Mystic Depot” solicitation is now live. As AI capabilities evolve at an extraordinary pace, the government requires evaluation infrastructure that can keep pace by continuously assessing new models against mission-specific benchmarks as they are released. The @DeptofWar seeks an evaluation harness and government-specific benchmarks that together enable rigorous, reproducible, vendor-agnostic assessment of any AI system against government-defined criteria. This AOI comprises two Lines of Effort; vendors may propose for one or both. Solution briefs due by March 24 at 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Learn more and apply here:diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Ethics build trust.

DIU Director Owen West and Chief Operating Officer Travis Metz were on Capitol Hill last week, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the state of the @DeptofWar's ambitious Drone Dominance Program (DDP). They spoke alongside MG Steven Marks, Director of the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group. “Drones are the most significant battlefield innovation in generations,” West said. “Seeing this change several years ago, our adversaries today produced these systems by the millions at low costs. For too long, the U.S. was hindered by self-imposed restrictions and bureaucratic red tape while our adversaries surged ahead.” This era of hesitation is over. The DDP combines a clear demand signal to industry—$1.1 billion over the next 18 months—with four open competitions judged by military experts. The Department seeks to buy 200,000 drones by January 2028 that can dominate in the toughest battlefield environments. Phase 1 - the Gauntlet - is already complete. View the full hearing (remarks begin at 00:16:17): armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-re… Learn more about the Drone Dominance Program here: drone-dominance.io

DIU is proud to lend its expertise to “The Gauntlet” – Phase 1 of the @DeptofWar Drone Dominance Program. The first stage of this critical effort will award approximately $150 million in prototype delivery orders to the winners. By 2027, the Department will be fielding hundreds of thousands of weaponized, one way attack drones ready for combat. Learn more here: drone-dominance.io Video by the @usnda_org

Scaling and integrating drones across the joint force gives us a decisive battlefield advantage. That’s why we are UNLEASHING DRONE DOMINANCE at the War Department.

Our Portable Resilient Integrated Storage Module (PRISM solicitation is now accepting submissions. The @DeptofWar's current approach to battlefield electrical energy across the force is fragmented, lacks a framework to meet current and future battlefield power needs, and is tactically and operationally vulnerable to targetable signatures and strained supply lines in areas of contested logistics. Units currently rely on a patchwork of Government-Off-the-Shelf (GOTS) and Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) generators to both produce and distribute energy to combat systems. To address this problem, the services require a flexible, scalable, easily-portable energy storage and power conversion and distribution system, sized between 1kWh GOTS lightweight systems and heavy applications serviced by current 90kWh GOTS energy storage units. Without this capability, combat units will either be underpowered and unable to achieve their mission, or be anchored to oversized generators. Solution briefs due by March 16 at 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Learn more and apply: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Our Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) solicitation is now accepting submissions. The @DeptofWar and the @USMC need to resupply units spread over wide distances in contested littoral environments. Increased all-domain threats targeting logistics capabilities, locations, and activities limit the ability of warfighters to persist in contested environments and remain combat effective. To meet this challenge, we seek innovative solutions that provide low-cost logistics transport and enable critical inter-theater resupply within littoral environments. Submissions are due by 16 March at 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Learn more and apply here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

It's official - Owen West is the newest Director of the Defense Innovation Unit. The ceremonial handover took place earlier today at Fort Benning, Georgia. "DIU's core mission is to deliver high-tech lethality our military wants, handing off projects that have been accelerated, improved and cheapened. We are not in the business of keeping quality science projects on life support without 4-star equivalent sponsorship," he said, adding that DIU will "invest where speed, scale, and lethality intersect." Read his first full statement as Director here: lnkd.in/e5QyHeHA

At 7 p.m. Eastern Time on February 27, DIU's Cassowary Vex mission successfully took flight from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The mission consisted of a suborbital launch of a fully integrated hypersonic test platform capable of sustained, maneuverable flight at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and leveraged a modified #Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) launch vehicle from @RocketLab. This project is a significant milestone and supports the DoW’s designation of Scaled Hypersonics (SHY) as one of six critical technology areas. Learn more here: diu.mil/latest/cassowa…

Our AI Assisted Triage & Treatment Prize Challenge is now accepting submissions. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with Project Manager Soldier Medical Devices and other DoW stakeholders, seek innovative, deployable solutions to monitor and assess hemodynamic status in forward combat medical environments. Following submission, solutions will be evaluated through a government-led, multi-phase process, including pitch sessions with selected teams. Up to eight finalists will be awarded a share of a total prize pool of $999,000 and invited to demonstrate their technologies during the Sword operational exercise scheduled for May 2026. An "Ask Me Anything" session will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Feb. 26. Register here: lnkd.in/gASFCuXH The Prize Challenge closes on March 2 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Learn more and apply here: lnkd.in/gehPSBdQ

Our Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-Based Tactical Reconnaissance (GHOST-R) solicitation is now live. The @DeptofWar faces a critical capability gap in its ability to monitor space, which is becoming an increasingly contested warfighting domain. Adversaries are escalating threats against the very systems the U.S. relies on for strategic deterrence and decision-making. Specifically, the DoW lacks sufficient satellites capable of providing high-resolution space-to-space imagery and maintaining custody of both friendly and adversarial satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). To meet this challenge, the DoW seeks commercial advancements to create affordable and scalable GEO reconnaissance systems. “As the Space Force accelerates adoption of commercial capabilities, we’re excited to partner with Space Systems Command to help operationalize a shift from exquisite, long-development satellite architectures toward more resilient, distributed space capabilities,” says Alex Thomas, Space Portfolio Program Manager at DIU. Submissions are due by 03 March at 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Learn more and apply here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Our Counter UAS Sensing for Homeland and Mobile Defense solicitation is now live. DIU and the US Army, in partnership with JIATF -401, is utilizing lessons learned from the 2025 Low Cost Sensing Prize challenge that was part of Falcon Peak 25.2 to focus on more specific use cases for improved Sensing, including homeland defense and unit common sensors for maneuver forces. While these may seem like nuanced changes from the LCS prize challenge, the problem focus areas and sought after solutions require more specific performance in terms of detection ranges and the ability to support "on the move" units requiring counter small UAS protection. Submissions requested by 26 Feb at 23:59:59 Eastern Time. Learn more and apply here: lnkd.in/eDRY_n3k

Our Runway Independent Maritime & Expeditionary Strike (RIMES) solicitation is now accepting solution briefs. Long range, anti-ship weapons present a growing threat to US Navy ships and degrade their ability to accomplish a mission. To address this problem, DIU and the @USNavy desire a UAS capable of supporting Naval surface combatants through executing long range strikes with standard munition payloads while providing tactical flexibility by operating from expeditionary locations with minimal infrastructure, or from ships without large flight decks. Solution briefs accepted through 27 Feb at 11:59:59 ET. Learn more and apply here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Our Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS) solicitation is now live. The @DeptofWar seeks innovative solutions that enable the storage, rapid deployment, and management of multi-agent systems to provide either persistent UAS coverage over extended periods or massed effects within a single geographic region and time. Solution briefs due by 17 Feb at 23:59:59 p.m. Learn more and apply here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Our Sensors and Seekers for Fire Control solicitation is now accepting solution briefs. The @DeptofWar seeks to leverage advancements in commercial sensing and processing to prototype technologies that support endo-atmospheric and/or exo-atmospheric engagements. Apply now through Feb 17 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Learn more here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

Our Deorbit as a Service solicitation is now accepting solution briefs. The @DeptofWar seeks capabilities that enable the rapid, safe, and reliable deorbit of unprepared satellites. Apply now through Feb 13 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. diu.mil/work-with-us/s…

The @DeptofWar has selected 25 vendors to compete in the “Gauntlet,” – the first phase of its Drone Dominance Program (DDP). A priority of SecWar, the $1.1B project will span four phases, beginning on Feb. 18 at Ft. Benning. Learn more: war.gov/News/Releases/…

We joined the local defense innovation community in Bozeman, MT on Friday to mark the opening of our newest OnRamp Hub. OnRamp Hub: Montana will create opportunities for collaboration across communities and connect those that might not traditionally work in national security.

We're seeking long-duration, reusable aerial systems for high-quality magnetic field data collection. This is key to scaling Magnetic Navigation & giving the Joint Force an accurate, GPS-independent positioning system. Submit your solution brief here: diu.mil/work-with-us/s…