how the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are transforming the future of war Shah, Raj M. 1984- creator Kirchhoff, Christopher 1979- text bibliography nyu 2024 First Scribner hardcover edition. monographic eng xiii, 319 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm "A riveting inside look at an elite unit within the Pentagon--the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), also known as Unit X--whose mission is to bring Silicon Valley's cutting-edge technology to America's military: from the two men who launched the unit. Until recently, the Pentagon was known for its uncomfortable relationship with Silicon Valley and for slow-moving processes that acted as a brake on innovation. Unit X was specifically designed as a bridge to Valley technologists that would accelerate bringing state of the art software and hardware to the battle space. Given authority to cut through red tape and function almost as a venture capital firm, Shah, Kirchhoff, and others in the Unit who came after were tasked particularly with meeting immediate military needs with technology from Valley startups rather than from so-called "primes"--behemoth companies like Lockheed, Raytheon, and Boeing. Taking us inside AI labs, drone workshops, and battle command centers--and, also, overseas to Ukraine's frontlines--Shah and Kirchhoff paint a fascinating picture of what it takes to stay dominant in a fast-changing and often precarious geopolitical landscape" -- Introduction: slow burn Unit X Zeroized The gonkulator A new kill chain for North Korea Unit X loses the X Washington and the rise of the machines Venture capital goes to war Ukraine and the battlefield of the future From steel to silicon Raj M. Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff. Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-265) and index. n-us--- United States. Defense Innovation Unit. Estados Unidos. Unidad de Innovación de Defensa (DIU) Military art and science Technological innovations United States Arte y ciencia militar Innovaciones tecnológicas Estados Unidos Military-industrial complex United States Complejos militares industriales Estados Unidos Defense industries Technological innovations United States Industrias de defensa Innovaciones tecnológicas Estados Unidos U 390 S525u 2024 355.07 9781668031384 (hardcover) 1668031388 (hardcover) 2024402855 YDX 240813 20250728121419.0 23824263 eng