Defense Innovation Unit
Every GovConFeed story on Defense Innovation Unit — contract awards, policy, enforcement, and protests, newest first.
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Policy
DIU Bridge Program Tests Faster Routes for Small Firms Into Classified Pentagon Work
The Defense Innovation Unit's Bridge Program is piloting a three-year Top Secret clearance experiment, a prime-led effort to clear up to 20 small firms in 150 days, and portable SCIFs to break the facility-clearance catch-22 that keeps nontraditional contractors out of classified programs.
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Policy
Pentagon Counter-Drone Memo Treats Approval Delays as Operational Risk
A Hegseth memo dated Sept. 28 orders Pentagon reviewers to treat delays on counter-drone requests as operational risk, names JIATF-401 the C-UAS synchronization point, orders a 30-day spectrum review and seeks a single ATO process cutting timelines from months to days or weeks.
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Policy
Hegseth Announces Four-Star Autonomous Warfare Command, Targets Oct. 1, 2027 Stand-Up
Defense Secretary Hegseth announced a four-star Autonomous Warfare Command with service-like authorities to scale drones, AI and robotics across the joint force. A memo sets Oct. 1, 2027 for stand-up, pending Congress and unanswered structure questions.
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Policy
DIU Seeks Cheap, Expendable Reaper Successor After Iran Downs Nearly 30 MQ-9s
DIU issued a July 7 solicitation for a Massed Modular Aircraft, a long-range drone built to be lost in combat, after Iran shot down nearly 30 MQ-9A Reapers during Operation Epic Fury.
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Policy
Hegseth Creates Pentagon-Wide Drone Czar, Bypassing the Services
A new Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems now controls funding, contracting and fielding decisions for every drone program across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force, reporting directly to the deputy secretary of war.
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Policy
Pentagon Consolidates Nearly All Drone and Autonomy Programs Under New 'DRPM-UxS' Portfolio Manager
A Department of War memo names a single portfolio manager, DRPM-UxS, as the joint integrator for nearly all Pentagon unmanned and autonomous programs, dual-hatting JIATF-401 and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group under it while keeping DIU as the industry interface, and reporting straight to the Deputy Secretary.
