Pentagon Innovation Chief Doug Beck Resigns Amid Leadership Shake-Up

Doug Beck resigned on Monday as director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, ending a two-year tenure in which he sought to speed the military’s adoption of commercial technologies such as autonomous drones and artificial intelligence. In an email to staff, Beck called the post “the greatest honor of my life” but did not explain his departure, according to people who saw the message. Three people familiar with the matter said some Defense Department officials had earlier raised concerns about political donations Beck made to Democratic candidates. His exit is the latest in a string of senior leadership changes at the Pentagon under President Donald Trump; the heads of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Naval Reserve and Naval Special Warfare Command were removed last week. The Silicon Valley-based DIU, founded in 2015, received nearly $1 billion under last year’s National Defense Authorization Act to channel emerging technology from startups into military programs. Beck, a former Apple vice president and Navy Reserve captain, launched the “DIU 3.0” reorganization and helped steer the Replicator initiative aimed at fielding thousands of autonomous systems to counter China. Oversight of the unit will shift to Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael while the department searches for a permanent successor.