Many assume the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS program focuses solely on ready-to-fly drones. “Blue,” however, consists of several distinct, but related, lines of effort. At its heart, the program exists to spur faster acquisitions of all the cyber-secure pieces and parts that enable uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations for the Department of Defense (DOD) and its federal partners. Autopilot systems rank high among these required UAS critical components. And San Diego, California-based startup ModalAI’s VOXL® family of autopilots has formed the nucleus of the Blue UAS framework, almost since its inception.