WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2025) – The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Joint Counter-small UAS Office (JCO), announced a new solicitation today for low-collateral defeat (LCD) options in support of Replicator 2 that can scale across the joint force and integrate into existing Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS) programs of record. As part of the Replicator initiative, the call for novel capabilities builds on multiple efforts to deliver strategic capability and to build new innovative muscle for the Department of Defense.
As drones rapidly evolve from slow, easily identifiable commercial systems operating on known frequencies-to faster, custom-built systems, the call for LCD capabilities is a key effort geared toward supporting warfighters with the most effective defeat options. These systems help to minimize risk to friendly forces, civilians, and infrastructure in the homeland and abroad.
“DIU continues to work with partners across DoD to accelerate efforts to address UAS threats in both combat environments and highly populated areas,” said DIU Director, Doug Beck. “In addition to providing a critical capability to our forces around the world and helping protect the nation here at home; we are focused on working with industry’s most agile commercial companies to meet the evolving challenges in countering UAS and on scaling those solutions to the level required by the evolving threat.”
By leveraging DIU's commercial solutions opening (CSO), a process that emphasizes speed, flexibility, scalability, and execution, this effort aims to add urgency to defense innovation and clear systemic roadblocks related to LCD acquisitions.
Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command hosted distinguished visitors at Falcon Peak on Fort Carson, Colorado in October 2024. (U.S. Department of Defense photos by Josh Armstrong)
“North America faces a variety of non-traditional threats, and key among these is the use of small uncrewed aircraft systems operating near installations and critical infrastructure – addressing these threats is a top priority and essential task,” said Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot. “Partnering with DIU to employ low-collateral defeat capabilities is one example of how we are developing the forward-looking capabilities and policies necessary to ensure a seamless and well-coordinated defensive enterprise.”
The solicitation is open for industry submissions until May 19, 2025. Solution providers should expect to participate in shared testing events with other vendors, operators and government developers from each service and be prepared to rapidly scale and integrate into service Program of Record C-sUAS systems.
This solicitation aligns with E.O. 14269 – Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Industrial Base, which focuses on streamlining acquisitions to accelerate defense procurement, ensures the Armed Forces have decisive advantages now and into the future.
As part of the Replicator initiative, this call for novel capabilities also builds on multiple efforts underway elsewhere in the Department of Defense, to include the Military Services, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the Office of the Under Secretary of Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD A&S), and collaborative work with the United Kingdom.
“This project is a key step in our joint solutions approach to address the growing threats and challenges of all-domain drone warfare,” said Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office Director, Maj. Gen. David Stewart. “We are focused on accelerating capability development, while introducing novel operating concepts.”