Travis Metz to lead DIU as Owen West takes ‘leave of absence’ to help steer new AutoWarCom push
Both West and Metz will report directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a source told DefenseScoop.
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(Image credit: Northrop Grumman) Space Pentagon taps Northrop Grumman, True Anomaly for recon satellites that can monitor other space systems
The contract awards will support the GHOST-R initiative.
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(Photo source: DIU social media post on X) Weapons Pentagon unveils top performers in latest ‘Gauntlet’ for Drone Dominance Program
The department now plans to purchase a total of about 60,000 drones from those UAS vendors.
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(Left to right) Prescott Paulin, Department of Defense for Research & Engineering, Industry Engagement Director; Chief Operating Officer for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Blake Moore; and Sarah Pearson, Department of Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Director of Strategic Initiatives & the Bridge Program; moderated by Jen Judson, Bloomberg News, speaks during the 2026 Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference, in Washington, D.C. September 10, 2026. (DOD Photo by Devon Bistarkey). Tech DIU moves to prototype new contract model that will fast-track security clearances for startups
Senior officials unveiled the plan and impending solicitation, which was developed under DIU’s new Bridge Program.
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine operates a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium in New York Harbor, June 16, 2026. Coast Guard crews provided an operational tour highlighting maritime security responsibilities throughout the Port of New York and New Jersey. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sydney Phoenix) Tech Gen. Caine urges industry to lean more into ‘shared risk’ when delivering tech for U.S. military
“When you look at the price of lethality right now, it’s on an exponential decrease,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
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(Photo credit: Defense Department) Emerging Tech DIU, Honeywell Aerospace flight-test quantum sensing technology for aircraft navigation
The test involved a magnetic navigation (MagNav) system that was installed on an Embraer 170 jet that made a round-trip journey over the Pacific Ocean between Seattle’s Puget Sound and southern Alaska.
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U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 147th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron perform postflight checks on an MQ-9 Reaper drone assigned to the 147th Attack Wing, Texas Air National Guard, at Keflavík Air Base, Iceland, during exercise Northern Viking 26, Aug. 21, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Edgar Grimaldo) Weapons Air Force moves to accelerate effort to replace MQ-9 Reaper after combat losses in Iran war
“We want to bring this thing forward because of the fact that, although we have plenty of MQ-9As today, we are going through them at a rate that is concerning to us,” Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi said.
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U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force, prepare a first-person view small unmanned aircraft system during an FPV sUAS live fire demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 29, 2026. I MEF, in partnership with Defense Innovation Unit, evaluated fiber-optic drones for use in signal-degraded environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Bustamante) Tech DIU tries to transition tech to the frontlines faster with launch of new Bridge Program
The initiative marks the unit’s latest move under Owen West’s leadership to rapidly supply measurable combat power to the joint force.
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Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael and Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Dr. Joseph S. Jewell take questions from the press. following the Department of Defense Lab Day at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 05, 2026. (DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Carson Croom) Emerging Tech Pentagon’s S&T boss touts early benefits of re-org, including ‘virtuous cycles of collaboration’
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Joseph Jewell briefed DefenseScoop on the DOD’s new structure to enable innovation.
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U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brien Disbro, a crew chief assigned to the174th Attack Wing, performs post-flight maintenance on an MQ-9 Reaper on Mar. 10, 2025 at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Shane Hughes) Emerging Tech Air Force to begin concept refinement of MQ-9 replacement by end of year
The Air Force will select multiple vendors to conduct early analysis to help the service shape its requirements and cost for the Massed Modular Aircraft program.