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Owen West has been appointed to lead the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), set to begin in February or March, following recent turmoil in the organization. West, who previously worked with Elon Musk, will take over from acting director Emil Michael and is tasked with advancing the Drone Dominance program, which aims to provide low-cost drones to military units by 2027. The DIU, established in 2015, has faced criticism for slow procurement processes and challenges in integrating startup technology into the military.