DIU picks 5 commercial companies to help military deal with threat from small drones

Summary: The Defense Department sees the threat from unmanned aerial vehicles as one of its fastest-evolving challenges. But there are several well-funded commercial companies who have already been working on the problem for years. The Defense Innovation Unit is trying to incorporate some of those technologies into the military’s portfolio. It’s just awarded five new prototype contracts to see how the systems will work – and DIU has made some adaptations to its Commercial Solutions Opening process along the way. Lt. Colonel David Willard is the program manager in charge of DIU’s counter-UAS portfolio. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about what DoD is learning from the prototyping process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices