- UASUnmanned Aircraft System
- An unmanned aircraft together with its associated ground control station, data links, and support equipment. Often called a “drone” in common usage.
- UxSUnmanned Systems
- The broader family of unmanned platforms across all domains: air (UAS), ground (UGV), surface (USV), and subsurface (UUV).
- PNTPositioning, Navigation, and Timing
- The fundamental capability to know where you are, where you’re going, and what time it is — provided primarily by GPS but increasingly requiring alternative, resilient solutions in contested environments.
- EWElectronic Warfare
- The use of the electromagnetic spectrum to attack enemy systems (Electronic Attack), protect friendly systems (Electronic Protection), or gather intelligence (Electronic Support).
- SBIRSmall Business Innovation Research
- A U.S. government program that reserves a portion of federal R&D funding for small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) to develop and commercialize innovative technologies.
- STTRSmall Business Technology Transfer
- Similar to SBIR, but requires a formal collaboration between the small business and a university or federal research laboratory.
- SOFSpecial Operations Forces
- Elite military units (Green Berets, SEALs, Rangers, and others) trained for unconventional warfare, direct action, and specialized missions; under the command of USSOCOM.
- OTA / OTOther Transaction Authority / Agreement
- A flexible government contracting mechanism (10 U.S.C. § 4021/4022) that allows DoD to award agreements outside standard FAR rules, enabling faster negotiation and commercial-friendly terms.
- CSOCommercial Solutions Opening
- DIU’s competitive solicitation process used to identify and award OT prototype agreements for commercial solutions to DoD problems; typically moves from solicitation to award in 60–90 days.
- BAABroad Agency Announcement
- A general solicitation mechanism used by DoD research organizations (DARPA, service labs) to announce interest in a broad research area and invite proposals from any eligible organization.
- CDAOChief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office
- The DoD office (established June 2022) responsible for accelerating DoD adoption of data analytics, digital tools, and artificial intelligence; operates the Maven Smart System and the Tradewinds marketplace. Official site: ai.mil.
- DIUDefense Innovation Unit
- The DoD organization (established 2015) that uses OTA and CSO to rapidly acquire commercial technology for national security applications; headquartered in Mountain View, California. Official site: diu.mil.
- DCMADefense Contract Management Agency
- The DoD agency responsible for administering and overseeing defense contracts; since December 2025, DCMA manages the Blue UAS Cleared List through its Unmanned Systems–Experimental Command.
- CUIControlled Unclassified Information
- Government information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls pursuant to law or policy, but is not classified. Relevant for companies handling government data in SBIR, OTA, or other programs.
- ITARInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations
- U.S. export-control regulations (administered by the State Department) that control the export and import of defense articles and services on the U.S. Munitions List. A critical compliance requirement for selling defense technology internationally.
- EARExport Administration Regulations
- U.S. export-control regulations (administered by the Commerce Department’s BIS) that control dual-use items on the Commerce Control List; governs many commercial defense-adjacent technologies that are not ITAR-controlled.
- LRIPLow-Rate Initial Production
- The initial limited production of a defense system, used to test manufacturing processes and validate that a design is ready for full-rate production; occurs after Milestone C in the DoD acquisition process.
- SWaP-CSize, Weight, Power, and Cost
- The standard four-factor constraint metric for military hardware, especially for unmanned systems and fielded electronics; designing for minimal SWaP-C is essential for tactical deployability.