DIU launches Project G.I. to speed UAS development with $20M prize pool
“Today, warfighters lack the unmanned systems needed to train for combat and prevail if called upon to use them,” DIU director Doug Beck said.
Sgt. 1st Class Alfred Little, assigned to 188th Infantry Brigade, mans the Parrot ANAFI USA Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) during field training on Fort Stewart, Georgia. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Marlana Cureton)
WASHINGTON — In another effort to speed up drone acquisition, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is using a “new and agile” process to develop and deploy uncrewed systems at faster speeds and larger scales, the agency announced today.
The new process, dubbed Project G.I., aims to include more feedback and hands-on experience from troops operating uncrewed systems at each stage of the development process. As part of the program, interested parties will “rapidly identify, assess, iterate and then integrate ‘ready now’ autonomous solutions at scale for participating units,” according to a DIU release. The agency is specifically looking for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and “supporting items.”
There’s a prize pool worth up to $20 million, which will be awarded across three design reference missions.
“Today, warfighters lack the unmanned systems needed to train for combat and prevail if called upon to use them,” DIU director Doug Beck said in the release.
“DIU is laser focused on getting best-of-breed technology in the hands of the warfighter today and scaling it for training, adoption, and readiness. Our team continues to partner with military operators for hands on testing, evaluation, and feedback. Doing this at speed will in turn help catalyze the necessary scaling and readiness through major acquisition and training efforts across the Services that will deliver strategic impact — and will simultaneously support the flywheel of American private sector dynamism in delivering against that strategic need.”
The release stated that Project G.I. will build upon current programs of record, but did not specify which ones. It did, however, say that the project entails looking for high Technical Readiness Level (TRL) solutions for small and medium UAS, “with a focus on less exquisite platforms well suited for rapid adaptation to military needs.”
The hunt for “less exquisite,” or inexpensive drones is also part of the Pentagon’s sprawling Replicator initiative — its program launched nearly two years ago aimed at fielding thousands attritable unmanned systems in multiple domains to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific.
Companies interested in joining Project G.I. have until Dec. 31, 2025, to submit their ideas on how to speed up drone development, which should include “mature, mission-ready capabilities that can participate in live evaluations within three months of this solicitation’s release,” per the DIU.
