{"id":37925,"date":"2025-08-26T14:45:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T14:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2025\/08\/26\/pentagon-cto-to-oversee-defense-innovation-unit-following-becks-exit\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:24:29","slug":"pentagon-cto-to-oversee-defense-innovation-unit-following-becks-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2025\/08\/26\/pentagon-cto-to-oversee-defense-innovation-unit-following-becks-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon CTO to oversee Defense Innovation Unit following Beck\u2019s exit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael will lead the Defense Innovation Unit in an acting capacity following former director Doug Beck\u2019s resignation Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon confirmed the personnel change in a statement to Defense News, adding that Michael Dodd, the incoming assistant secretary of defense for critical technologies, will be the acting deputy director of the commercial innovation hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTogether, both are laser-focused on driving innovation and enhancing the department\u2019s ability to deliver groundbreaking commercial technologies to empower the American warfighter,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beck\u2019s resignation<\/a> follows more than two years in the DIU director role, where he oversaw the organization\u2019s transition from a small, largely experimental office to one focused on helping the Defense Department scale commercial technology for operators in the field<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIU and Beck have played a key role in major Pentagon programs like Replicator<\/a>, an effort to change the way the DOD prioritizes, tests and buys high-need technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, DIU took on a more prominent role in the defense technology ecosystem, triggered largely by a nearly $1 billion funding increase from Congress and a decision by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to have the office report directly to him. DIU previously fell under the oversight of the undersecretary for research and engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\t