Defense Innovation Unit – The Defense Post

Apr- 2026 -

20 April

Nikon Wins DLA Contract for 3D Printing Pilot Program

Metal 3D printing company Nikon AM Synergy has secured a contract to produce defense components using additive manufacturing for the US Defense Logistics Agency.

7 April

Americas

Ethan M. Encarnacion

US Eyes ‘Tactical Moving Map’ to Supercharge Aircrew Awareness

The US is on the hunt for a prototype solution that could help its aircrews adapt to modern warfare threats.

Mar- 2026 -

26 March

Americas

Christine Casimiro

US Buys Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery System From L3Harris

The US Navy is advancing its undersea warfare capabilities with a new system that allows submarines to launch and recover autonomous underwater vehicles without surfacing.

13 March

Americas

Christine Casimiro

US Navy, DIU Select Anduril for XL Autonomous Submarine Program

The US Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit have chosen Anduril for their extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle program.

Feb- 2026 -

26 February

Air

Rojoef Manuel

Rocket Lab Cancels Maiden Launch of Hypersonic Drone for Pentagon

Rocket Lab has called off the launch of a hypersonic test vehicle for the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, citing “out-of-bounds launch commit criteria.”

12 February

Americas

A V-BAT unmanned aerial system launches aboard Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), Feb. 9, 2024. The V-BAT provides the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable (MEU(SOC)) the capability to increase maritime awareness through utilization of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with the embarked 26th MEU(SOC) is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and partner interests. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Rafael Brambila-Pelayo)

Christine Casimiro

US Navy Seeks Runway-Independent Maritime and Expeditionary Strike Drone

The US Navy is seeking a runway-independent maritime drone capable of long-range strikes to counter increasingly capable anti-ship threats.

Jan- 2026 -

20 January

Americas

A drone swarm flies against a backdrop of partially cloudy, blue sky. The mood is technological and futuristic, with drones scattered at varying heights.

Ethan M. Encarnacion

‘Voice-Controlled’ Drone Swarms? US Places $100M Bet on Concept

The Pentagon has begun shifting away from training troops to operate individual drones, instead preparing its force to command entire drone swarms through spoken instructions.

14 January

Air

Rojoef Manuel

Pentagon Task Force Awards First Replicator 2 Contract for Anti-Drone Systems

The US Department of Defense’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has made its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 initiative.

14 January

Americas

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12 Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct a patrol near Bisbee, Ariz., June 30, 2025. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Elijah Ingram)

Giulia Bernacchi

US Defense Department Reorganizes Innovation Efforts for Emerging Tech

The US Department of Defense launched a reorganization of its innovation ecosystem to accelerate the delivery of emerging technologies.

12 January

Air

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

US Army Explores GPS-Independent Navigation With ‘Unjammable’ MagNav

Magnav is a next-generation magnetic navigation system, using sensitive magnetometers to detect Earth’s magnetic field, GPS-independent, and jam-resistant.

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