The Pentagon is stepping up its efforts to strengthen technology ties with allies as part of a broader strategy to counter China’s growing military power. According to officials, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will dispatch representatives to Taiwan and Japan, with the Taiwan posting focused on drone collaboration and leveraging the island’s advanced technology industry.

A DIU spokesperson said the unit intends to place liaisons with allied innovation agencies “as quickly as personnel become available.” The deployments are part of a wider push to deepen U.S. cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, where China’s military and industrial expansion is increasingly viewed as the most significant challenge to U.S. dominance.

While initial posts will be in Taiwan and Japan, DIU is also planning to extend its presence to Europe and the Middle East, signaling Washington’s determination to integrate allied tech ecosystems into U.S. defense innovation efforts.