The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Blue UAS Framework has taken on a life of its own. A logical outgrowth of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) need for modular, interoperable and cyber secure equipment and architectures, “Blue,” as we know it, was truly born when Congress passed Section 848 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). That section essentially forbade the DOD from operating or procuring Chinese uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) or related components.
Several years later, and two-iterations into the project, only a handful of companies can boast of being true Blue. ModalAI is one of those companies. In this interview, Chad Sweet, ModalAI’s CEO, and Matthew Borowski, the Program Manager for DIU’s Blue UAS Framework Program, provide some insights into what it takes to become blue.
Topics: Blue UAS Program, DIU, Defense Innovation Unit, Modal AI, VOXL 2 Autopilot, Chad Sweet, Matthew Borowski, Blue Framework