:

Navy/USMC

DIU And Navy Award Three MCM Modernization Prize Winners

Thursday, October 1st, 2026

SHARE:

DIU And Navy Award Three MCM Modernization Prize Winners

A pair of Skelmir 6 autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles being carried by a small boat. Photo: Vatn Systems

The Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Department of the Navy Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) on Thursday announced BeeX, AEVEX Corp.'s [AVEX] BlackSea Technologies, and Vatn Systems as the winners of a mine countermeasure (MCM) modernization prize challenge. DIU and the Navy launched the prize challenge in May aiming to add more tools to neutralize underwater mines via unmanned systems in contested environments. The challenge focused on three operational tracks: near-surface mine…

Budget

Hegseth Pushes For Reconciliation With At Least $350 Billion For Defense ‘Regardless’ Of Midterms Outcome

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the Trump administration plans to continue its push for at least $350 billion in defense funds via the reconciliation process “regardless of what happens […]

Congress

Bipartisan Push in Senate to Hasten Export of 155 mm, GMLRS, HIMARS for Ukraine

A small, bipartisan group of senators is backing the Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine’s Defense Act, S. 5175, to hasten the export of allied buys of U.S. munitions for […]

Congress

Rep. Himes Signals Increased Contractor Oversight, if Democrats Win House

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, plans to increase the committee’s contractor oversight if the Democrats win control of the House […]

Congress

CBO Estimates Loss of One-Half to Two-Thirds of U.S. Missile Interceptors Since June Last Year

A new Congressional Budget Office report estimates the cost of the Iran war through Aug. 1 as $38 billion and says that the U.S. has likely depleted between one-half and […]