Unit X How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are transforming the future of war

Unit X documents the founding, growth, and struggles of the US Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). This unit was tasked with modernizing both military equipment and procurement processes in response to advances in commercial technology that have far outpaced advances in military technology. The book has a casual tone and includes details and stories that are not directly relevant for scholars of economics or defense. Still, it includes many details that those working on innovation studies, defense economics, and public choice will find interesting and useful for their own work. Some of the information in the book must be viewed skeptically, as the authors were also the core leadership of DIU and have since become enmeshed in the types of venture capital funds that DIU works with. Nevertheless, Unit X provides a unique insight into a niche but important ongoing struggle in national defense. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through faculty. --Garrett Wood, Virginia Wesleyan University

Technology with national security implications has been advancing at an incredible pace. Previously research and development done by the Department of Defense was adopted outside of the military. Shah and Kirchhoff started an organization within the DoD, the Defense Innovation Unit (experimental), or DIUx, that aimed to work in the other direction and bring outside advances inside. Their plan to bring Silicon Valley start-ups into the defense industry and battlefield-changing technologies into the hands of soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines, required considerable disruption, reform, bureaucratic shake-ups, and a great deal of perseverance on all sides. This is the story of Shah and Kirchhoff's journey and a detailed and absorbing examination of how the government operates. The authors succeed in making an account of a computer program that streamlines aerial refueling processes exciting. They do the same for AI-powered satellites, drones of every shape and purpose, next-generation sensors, and the processing power that borders on magic that makes it all work. Unit X is a must-read in this age of renewed great-power competition, shining light on the future of defense technology.