Pentagon Innovation Chief Doug Beck Resigns Amid Leadership Shake-Up

Doug Beck stepped down on 25 August as director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, ending a two-year tenure at the organization that links commercial technology firms with the U.S. military. In an email to staff viewed by multiple outlets, he called the post "the greatest honor of my life" and said he would assist the unit "from my private capacity" during the handover. People familiar with the matter said the Department of Defense had earlier raised questions about political donations Beck made to Democratic candidates, though no official reason for his departure was provided. His exit follows a series of senior-level changes ordered this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including removals at the Defense Intelligence Agency and Naval Special Warfare Command. Emil Michael, the under secretary for research and engineering, will supervise DIU until a new director is named. Appointed in May 2023 after 13 years as a vice-president at Apple, Beck launched the "DIU 3.0" reform effort and positioned the unit as a key player in the Pentagon’s Replicator program, which aims to deploy thousands of autonomous drones and maritime systems to counter China. The Silicon Valley-based office received nearly $1 billion in last year’s defense authorization and is viewed as critical to accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence, cyber tools and other emerging technologies across the armed services.