The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in collaboration with the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), seeks to identify solutions for scalable, cost-effective, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) detection, identification, and tracking.
This challenge aims to enhance the DoD’s counter-UAS (CUAS) capabilities while addressing cost and scalability limitations associated with traditional radars, optical sensors, and radio frequency detection systems.
We are proud to put all of the tools in our tool box – from our early onramp network of entrepreneurs to our deep commercial engagement and team of dual fluency experts—to work in support of NORTHCOM’s critical efforts to build DOD’s strategic C-UAS capabilities,” said DIU Director, Doug Beck. “This work will significantly enhance our ability to detect and track threats, and will help our NORTHCOM teammates secure the homeland.”
DIU Lead for Counter UAS, Matthew Way, said, “DoD needs more options for low cost cUAS sensors that can augment our more exquisite capabilities to provide earlier warnings and indicators,” said Way. “We understand there may be trade-offs in detection range and accuracy to drive down costs versus positively enabling a distributed sensing concept.”
Establishing a layered domain awareness network from seabed to space to detect and track threats approaching North America is critical to immediate and future mission requirements, because you can’t defeat what you can’t see.” said General Guillot at the Senate Hearing on the Posture of NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM for FY 2026
A team of subject matter experts will evaluate applicants and select up to 10 finalists. This group of finalists will receive a portion of the overall funding to help cover their participation in NORTHCOM’s Falcon Peak exercise in September of 2025. The top performing vendors at Falcon Peak will compete for the remaining prize funding.