{"id":31593,"date":"2021-02-24T20:17:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T20:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/24\/dod-innovation-purchase-arm-offered-much-needed-secure-drones-to-the-federal-government\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:13:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:13:12","slug":"dod-innovation-purchase-arm-offered-much-needed-secure-drones-to-the-federal-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2021\/02\/24\/dod-innovation-purchase-arm-offered-much-needed-secure-drones-to-the-federal-government\/","title":{"rendered":"DoD innovation arm delivers much-needed secure drones to the federal government"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 For the first time, the Defense Department\u2019s emerging technology acquisition arm made a product available to the entire federal government \u2014 small drones as a more secure alternative to dominant Chinese suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/artificial-intelligence\/2020\/09\/22\/what-does-military-ai-need-to-detect-covid-data-from-wearables\/\" target=_blank>Defense Innovation Unit<\/a>, the DoD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifthdomain.com\/dod\/2020\/05\/12\/diu-awards-45m-contract-for-weapon-systems-cybersecurity\/\" target=_blank>Silicon Valley-based organization<\/a> that works with nontraditional contractors, offered the drones across the DoD as well in 2020, according to its annual report. The drones can be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in tactical environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization released small unmanned aerial systems made by five companies through the General Services Administration\u2019s schedule, allowing agencies across the government to purchase them, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese sUAS are the first DIU-facilitated product made available not only across DoD but also across the U.S. government,\u201d the document stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commercial drones available through DIU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/unmanned\/2020\/08\/20\/department-of-defense-can-now-buy-us-manufactured-small-drones-from-these-five-companies\/\" target=_blank>Blue sUAS program<\/a> provide domestically produced unmanned systems, a critical need because the drone market is dominated by a Chinese maker DJI, a company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/12\/23\/22193660\/us-government-dji-drone-entity-list-export-ban-effects\" target=_blank>designated <\/a>a national security threat late last year due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federaltimes.com\/unmanned\/2019\/11\/01\/interior-department-grounds-drones-made-in-china\/\" target=_blank>concerns <\/a>about adversaries\u2019 ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/unmanned\/2019\/12\/16\/official-navy-memo-on-dji-drones-noted-cheap-cost-risk\/\" target=_blank>access a drones\u2019 data or even take over control<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Blue sUAS program provides the DoD and Federal government with trusted sUAS capabilities at commercially comparable unit costs on the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule to ensure ease of procurement and signals aggregate government demand to strengthen the domestic sUAS industrial base,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. makers are Altavian Inc., Skydio Inc., Vantage Robotics, Teal Drones Inc. and Parrot. Secure, domestic options are cheaper for the DoD and civilian agencies that have to rely on \u201cless capable, more expensive government-developed systems or on cyber vulnerable commercial sUAS,\u201d the report stated. The original prototype value was $18 million, and the project transitioned to the GSA schedule last September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Blue sUAS is one of 11 projects that DIU transitioned to the department in 2020, up from nine last year. Those projects span DIU\u2019s well-established portfolio covering space, artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber and human systems. DIU added a sixth technological area focused on advance energy and materials in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2020, DIU awarded 56 prototype other transaction contracts to commercial vendors, down slightly from 63 in 2019. The organization saw increases in several other areas, posting 23 solicitations in 2020, up from 17. It had a 50 percent increase over 2019 in the average number of proposals received from industry on each proposal request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis level of growth is a result of the depth and breadth of DIU\u2019s relationships with U.S. innovation ecosystems, bolstered by a strong team of individuals with diverse commercial and military backgrounds; our offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, and Austin; and our ability to build a trusted, repeatable process to do business with DoD that yields annual recurring revenue,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DIU slipped in the time from the close of a solicitation to contract award. The innovation arm hopes to reduce that timeline to 60 to 90 days, but 2020 saw an increase to 149 days, up from 127 days in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis slowdown is primarily attributed to increasing project throughput and the growing number of company proposals per solicitation. However, speed to award is important to us, and DIU will continue to strive toward a goal of 60 to 90 days to contract award,\u201d the annual report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DIU also tackled projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a $1.8 million effort to use commercial wearables to collect and analyze users\u2019 biometric data to warn of potential infection. The effort, called Rapid Analysis of Threat Exposure, transitioned to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in March and was scaled to 7,000 users. At the point when the annual report was written, the wearables had a success rate topping 65 percent for COVID-19 detection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking forward, DIU outlined several ongoing priority projects across its technology portfolios. To combat COVID-19, the organization is working with the Naval Medical Research Center\u2019s Advanced Medical Development Program Office to prototype tools that can mitigate the spread of respiratory diseases. It\u2019s also working on a predictive health effort with DoD components, including the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and Defense Health Agency, that would use AI and augmented reality to assist in diagnosing health problems such as cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the drone space, DIU is prioritizing two counter-UAS projects to defend installations using radio frequency and non-radio frequency to detect and defeat capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its space portfolio, DIU is prioritizing an effort to improve space situational awareness during peacetime, the report says. The project seeks capabilities that can provide warnings during the daytime, nighttime and during all weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis capability will help facilitate timely analysis of emerging threats, allowing the Joint Force to respond quickly, optimize the deployment of exquisite capabilities, and share unclassified data and insights with allies and partners,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the report, DIU has 51 ongoing projects that eligible for transition to the department if successfully completed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the first time the Defense Innovation Unit made a program available to the whole federal 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