This opposition, sometimes called an “innovation ecosystem” or “defense technology / defense tech,” has organized itself around the goal of lowering barriers to entry for smaller companies, thereby expanding the variety of options for military hardware procurement. With the January 2026 EO and the April 2025 EO, the President offers both a carrot and a stick to industry participants, demonstrating that, in the Administration’s view, the previously described “innovation ecosystem” and “defense tech” “opposition” perspective is fundamentally correct. The FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act3 demonstrates that Congress shares this sense of urgency. Instead of allowing the Defense Innovation Unit to drift, reorganizing it, or eliminating it entirely, the Trump Administration has embraced the institution and its core ethos of “innovation” being foremost a process of acquiring cutting edge technology. By emphasizing “innovation” as a product to purchase from the private sector, the Pentagon is inviting a wider array of new actors to share responsibility for national defense.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 19, 2026 18:08 UTC