An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News

Stories from around the Defense Department.

This is a simulated response.

Latest News

DoD’s Innovation Initiative Remains Top Priority, Mattis Says

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters yesterday that maintaining the Defense Department’s innovation initiative for the warfighter is a top priority for him, just as it was for his predecessor.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tours the Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific Missile Assembly Building.
On the first day of a two-day trip to Washington and California, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tours the Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific Missile Assembly Building at Naval Base Kitsap, in Bangor, Wash., Aug. 9, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tours the Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific Missile Assembly Building.
Mattis Tours
On the first day of a two-day trip to Washington and California, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tours the Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific Missile Assembly Building at Naval Base Kitsap, in Bangor, Wash., Aug. 9, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr
Photo By: Jette Carr
VIRIN: 170809-D-GY869-125

En route to Seattle on a two-day trip to Washington and California -- where the secretary will stop in Silicon Valley to visit the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental, or DIUx -- Mattis emphasized that he deals with a military that's engaged in existing, active operations.

Critical to Readiness

“It's an equal obligation for me not just to maintain the current readiness, but to make certain that the secretary of defense after next has the same advantages … the same competitive edge that I enjoyed growing up in this country,” he told reporters traveling with him.

“So, I rate [DoD’s innovation initiative] as a top-level priority,” Mattis said.

DIUx is DoD’s effort to seek commercial innovation to solve mission-critical problems facing the military services, combatant commands and other DoD components, according to a DIUx release.

Since June 2016, DIUx has awarded $100 million in contracts for 45 pilot projects in such key areas as autonomy, artificial intelligence, human systems, information technology and space. DIU-x usually awards pilot contracts within 60 to 90 days of receiving responses to specific DoD problems, the release said.

Congressional Backing

The secretary said he was impressed when Congress called for DoD to reorganize to support innovation initiatives for the warfighter.

“[What] struck me was how well [Congress] had defined the problem of trying to keep our troops in the field with everything they needed -- acquisition, technology [and] logistics,” he said.

“Meanwhile, we expect that same organization to be looking 20 years down the road,” Mattis said. “And they had defined the problem so well that, when I came in, after reviewing it critically, I embraced it 100 percent.”

(Follow Terri Moon Cronk on Twitter: @MoonCronkDoD)

From The Services

Three soldiers stand behind a grassy hill while two others walk near them as purple smoke is before them.
Army

Dragon 24 Strengthens NATO Allyship

Dragon 24 Strengthens NATO Allyship
Two people stand atop a low-profile water vessel. Warehouses and other buildings are on the shore.
Marine Corps

Project Convergence Advances Corps Capacities

Project Convergence Advances Corps Capacities
A student holds a soldering gun to a device next to a magnifying glass on a wooden table in a classroom.
Navy

Sailors Inspire STEM Students

Sailors Inspire STEM Students
A stone entry sign that says "U.S. Air Force Beal Air Force Base" with the Air Force insignia and trees in the backdrop.
Air Force

Beale to Welcome New Squadron

Beale to Welcome New Squadron
Military officials testify before a committee.
Space Force

Leaders Testify on Service Member, Family Care

Leaders Testify on Service Member, Family Care
A soldier kneels in grass while holding a weapon.
National Guard

Southern Strike Concludes in Mississippi

Southern Strike Concludes in Mississippi