The Defense Innovation Unit has established the Recognized Assesors group to evaluate unmanned aerial systems and associated components for compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act.
Accelerating Military Use of Drone Platforms
The DIU said Friday the new group, which expands the Blue UAS program, aims to fast-track the adoption of secure UAS for military applications. It is intended to optimize the drones’ certification process while also streamlining their procurement for the Department of Defense. The group is composed of the following third-party organizations:
- Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
- Dark Wolf Solutions
- Edgesource
- Legion X
- Modern Technology Solutions Inc.
- SpiderOak
These assessors are tasked with evaluating commercial drones to determine whether they will be included in the Blue List. After a proposal is submitted through the Blue UAS program, the assessors estimate the expenses and timeline needed to complete the evaluation. The submitter can then decide on their best option.
The group will also conduct NDAA compliance assessments on significant components, verify ownership and interest stakes, and review supply chain provenance and technical artifacts to ensure adherence to laws and policies. They produce standardized reports submitted to the government via DIU for certification, while maintaining independence, integrity and technical rigor throughout the process.
Related Articles
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dario Gil as the under secretary for science and innovation at the Department of Energy and Conner Prochaska as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E. The upper chamber confirmed the top two DOE leaders, along with dozens of other nominees for federal government positions, through an en bloc vote of 51-47. Who Is Dario Gil? Gil most recently served as senior vice president and director of research at IBM. In this capacity, he directed innovation strategies in hybrid cloud, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and exploratory science. He was also responsible for
Jason Richards, a 20-year FBI veteran, has been named the agency’s assistant director of the IT applications and data division, or ITADD. Richards shared his appointment on LinkedIn. Learn about the latest intelligence community IT trends and technologies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit, which is specifically designed for intel community GovCons with tech offerings! Register here for the Oct. 2 event now. In this capacity, Richards will oversee the development and maintenance of enterprise software systems, data and cloud infrastructure, and cross-domain services supporting national security and law enforcement operations. He will leverage his extensive experience in developing,
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has issued new model deviation text for Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or RFO, initiative. The FAR Council said Thursday it will accept feedback on the updated FAR Part 13 through Nov. 3. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling to amend FAR to streamline the federal procurement process and eliminate barriers to doing business with the government. The latest move came a week after the council released changes to four parts of the FAR, including those concerning special contracting methods and intellectual property