Feature: US forces, industry facing small UAS acquisition challenges
A Black Widow UAV, made by US firm Teal Drones. (Teal Drones)
The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) aims to make it easier for the US armed forces to choose from the thousands of different unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) available. Nonetheless, the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) have struggled to build up their small UAS fleets in recent years.
The Blue UAS project was designed to show potential government customers which systems complied with Department of Defense (DoD) standards, but confusion about the programme's criteria and vetting process has made acquisition challenging, industry and government officials told Janes . This could ultimately impact the US aim to significantly ramp up its production of autonomous systems and field tactically relevant unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Blue UAS programme reduces āadministrative burden on end-usersā by eliminating the need for officials to get an Exception to Policy (ETP) to buy a small UAS (sUAS), according to DIU's website. However, it āis not an exclusive path for government validationā as programmes of record and ETPs are also possible.
While āit is built with the intention of being the fastest and most cost-effective method available for sUAS to be purchased within DoDā, according to the DIU's website, it is difficult to determine if that goal is being met, industry and government officials told Janes .
It is difficult for the DIU to internally assess its impact on DoD's ability to get technologies in the hands of service members, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in February 2025 found. Though DIU officials told GAO that the unit would set metrics and goals in the future, it currently does not have any, making it difficult to measure performance, according to the report.
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