National Security Innovation Capital

Abstract

DIUx mission is to accelerate innovation in the commercially-focused technology sector to the warfighter. Initially, DIUx was managed by the Under Secretary of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (OUSD(AT&L)) when it was established in July 2015. In May 2016, DIUx was placed under the control of the Secretary of Defense and administratively managed by WHS. In July 2018, DIUx was realigned from WHS to the OUSD(R&E). In August 2018, DIUx was re-designated the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to signify a permanence of the program. Effective FY 2020, DIU funding will transfer from WHS to OSD consistent with the functional realignment to OUSD(R&E). The 2018 National Defense Strategy asserts that we have returned to an era of inter-state strategic competition with Russia and China, heightening the sense of urgency with which the nation, and DoD in particular, must reform our acquisition policies and approach to sustaining military-technical superiority. Adversaries are challenging the U.S. across several dimensions. Most importantly, adversaries are at par or ahead of the U.S. in critical technology areas. Consistent with the FY 2020 OMB/OSTP research and development budget priorities, this new era of competition requires technological superiority to ensure ability to project power, maintain international norms and rule of law, and to serve as a credible deterrence. Notably, the critical technologies that forge military-technical superiority are increasingly dual-use and rapidly developed by the commercial sector. The National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) will fund the commercialization and scaling dual-use, hardware-based technologies that are critical to the military. These technology areas are currently severely under-served by the private U.S. venture capital industry and often funded by strategic and persistent capital from China.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 844_0604341D8Z_4_0400_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

• Defense Technology Research and Development.
• Strategic Security Studies