The Department of War has initiated efforts to transform and unify its innovation ecosystem to rapidly deliver technological capabilities to warfighters.
“We are rolling out the red carpet for innovators who want to work with the War Department,” Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering, said in a statement published
“This new structure creates a stronger identity for our innovation ecosystem and gives industry a more direct path to move technology into the hands of the American warfighter,” added Michael, who also serves as DOW’s chief technology officer.
Michael will take part in an in-person fireside chat at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29. Join Michael and other senior defense and industry leaders as they share their insights on the latest strategies and defense innovation aimed at helping the U.S. maintain its technological edge in an increasingly contested environment. Save your seat today!
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What Organizations Have Been Designated as DOW Field Activities?
DOW has designated the Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, and the Strategic Capabilities Office, or SCO, as field activities to streamline innovation efforts and accelerate the delivery of advanced technologies to warfighters.
Who Leads the Defense Innovation Unit?
Owen West, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former energy trader at Goldman Sachs, has been named director of DIU, which will continue to provide rapid contracting, technology scouting and commercial adoption services as it works with the Mission Engineering and Integration Activity to align operational problems with commercial solutions.
West, who previously served as assistant secretary of war for special operations and low-intensity conflict, will directly report to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a previous Wash100 awardee, as a principal staff assistant.
What Is the Role of SCO as a DOW Field Activity?
As a DOW field activity, SCO will continue to prototype disruptive and near-term capabilities that deliver strategic impact. While it will retain its statutory reporting relationship to the DOW deputy secretary, SCO will operate under the CTO to eliminate duplication and sharpen its focus on rapid capability delivery.
Who Is Cameron Stanley?
As part of the realignment, Cameron Stanley, a defense technology executive, has been appointed as DOW’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, or CDAO. In this capacity, he will lead AI adoption efforts across intelligence, warfighting and enterprise use cases.
Stanley most recently served as national security digital transformation lead at Amazon Web Services, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Before joining AWS, he served as AI development and oversight lead and head of Project Maven within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
The U.S. Air Force Academy graduate also served as U.S. Southern Command’s senior science and tech adviser and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s liaison to the U.K.
What Are the 6 Execution Organizations Operating Under the DOW CTO?
As part of the realignment, six execution organizations will operate under the DOW CTO. They are the CDAO Office, DIU, SCO, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Office of Strategic Capital and the Test Resource Management Center.
Meanwhile, a newly created CTO Action Group, or CAG, will coordinate innovation alignment, improve accountability, remove legacy barriers and enhance transparency on transition decisions. In support of CAG, military services will reorganize their innovation efforts and submit service innovation plans to better align research, experimentation and acquisition with innovation outcomes.
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