The Defense Innovation Unit and the United Arab Emirates' Tawazun Council signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday, signaling an agreement to strengthen defense technology cooperation.
The MOU follows the signing of a letter of intent by United States and UAE military leadership to establish a new “major defense partnership,” which would see DIU in charge of facilitating potential investments in the co-development of defense technologies, according to an earlier Pentagon announcement.
The U.S.-UAE agreement resembles one the United States signed with India in 2016, most recently updated in September 2024. Like the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), the collaboration with the UAE will include bilateral prize challenges to address shared warfighter needs and lowering barriers for start-ups looking to access test and evaluation infrastructure.
“We are building a global network by fostering collaboration to stay ahead of emerging threats,” DIU Director Doug Beck said. “By co-developing technologies, converging national security and private sector expertise, and onboarding non-traditional companies, we are accelerating the integration of commercial technologies into the defense market.”