Defense Unicorns

Software Delivery Shouldn’t Be the Mission Bottleneck. But for too many DoD teams, it still is. Manual approvals. Missing metadata. Platforms that falter in disconnected environments. UDS Registry is built to fix that head-on. 🧩 What makes it different? - CVE scanning in real-time – Know your risk profile before you deploy. - Full SBOM continuity – Every artifact. Every environment. Even airgap. - Minimal footprint – 0.13 CPU & 27MB RAM. Lightweight and efficient. - API-native design – Automate, integrate, and move fast without waiting on manual steps . “When artifacts lose metadata, so does your audit trail. UDS Registry keeps that trail intact.” — 🦄 Jeff McCoy, Co-Founder & CTO. 🛡 Built with operators in mind. From on-prem, in the cloud, or at the edge, UDS Registry supports secure, mission-aligned delivery in environments where most tools can’t keep up. 📆 Coming Soon Want early access or have use cases to share? Drop a comment or DM us. We're building this with the mission in mind—and we want your voice in the process.

📱Running a cluster on a phone? It’s not a meme — it’s what Harry R. actually did. What used to take a server rack now runs in the palm of your hand. This isn’t just a cool demo. It’s a real example of how software delivery is evolving: portable, edge-native, and airgap-ready, powered by UDS Tactical Edge. Running containers on a phone is proof that with the right platform, you can deliver and manage mission-critical software anywhere the mission takes you. Thanks to Razzle, we’re seeing just how far we can push: - UDS runs on limited resources (as little as 4GB RAM — think Raspberry Pi 5) - Works in disconnected and classified environments - Empowers warfighters to operate software without specialized systems admin training - Built from the ground up for airgap environments In a world where speed, resilience, and portability define mission success, this matters. We’re on a mission to make software a strategic deterrent. And moments like this remind us just how possible that is.

Are you at #SSC Cyber Expo? Keep an eye out for one of our 🦄’s! (They have drink tickets for the Happy Hour, and they’re not afraid to share.) 🥂 We're skipping the booth this year and going straight for great conversations at the happy hour. Find Patrick “Ralph” Lookabaugh, Phil Cole, or Rob Sullivan—grab a ticket, enjoy a drink, and let's chat about tackling the toughest challenges in software delivery, especially in edge, secure, or downright wild environments. 📍 SSC Cyber Expo | LA AFB📅 April 22–23

"We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training." — Archilochus, 650 BC. Bryan Finster doesn't deal in hypotheticals. He's earned the scars—late-night deployments, pager panic, and the grind of enterprise delivery done the hard way. What he learned through it all? 👉 Continuous Delivery isn't about speed. 🚨 It's about readiness—to deploy, to respond, to win. This isn't theory. It's playing out on today's digital battlefields. When Starlink adapted to Russian jamming in hours, it wasn't luck. When the U.S. Navy updates combat systems mid-operation, it's not magic. That's disciplined DevSecOps. That's strategic capability. That's the kind of muscle memory we need when lives and missions are on the line. But let's be clear ✅ DevSecOps is a mission-first mindset. ✅ It's platform-enabled cohesion. ✅ It's the daily discipline of shipping, improving, and preparing for anything. At Defense Unicorns, we're not just here to modernize. We're on a mission to make software a strategic deterrent. 🇺🇸 That means platforms like UDS—airgap native, portable, distributed—powering teams to deliver, secure, and scale software anywhere the mission takes them. Bryan's new blog captures exactly why CD isn't optional—it's essential. If your software delivery isn't building readiness, it's building risk. 🔗 to the blog in the comments.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky - Michael Scott" Meet Nicholas Adkins, our App Integration Product Manager. Before joining Defense Unicorns, Nick worked as a financial analyst in his first professional career for five years. Then, from 2018 to 2024, he was an Air Force civilian at United States Strategic Command, where he helped manage the targeting cycle in the Operations Directorate's Joint Fires Element. Additionally, Nick has been a member of the Air National Guard for 18 years. For his first eight years, he served as an F-16 ammo troop (bomb builder) and made three deployments to the desert. Nick has been a targeting intel officer for the last 10 years, which has taken him to the Indo-Pacific and European Areas of Operation. "My 'why' is defense and national security - helping ensure that the United States and its citizens can live safely and happily. Working in the Air Force, either in uniform or as a government civilian, I learned a lot about geopolitics, operational warfare, and deterrence. I also learned that the DoD, which is inextricably linked with the Defense Industrial Base, deters conflict by winning in the competition continuum. I wanted to work with a fast-moving and enthusiastic group of people who are interested in arming the DoD with the tools necessary to win in that competition continuum, and Defense Unicorns is EXACTLY that." - Nicholas Adkins. Fun Facts About Nick 🦍 He is the world's #1 fan of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium 🍕 His favorite food is Costco Wholesale Pizza 🛠️ He fancies himself a DIY guy ✨ We're thrilled to have you on our team, Nick! ✨

Rolling into SSC Cyber Expo next week? Keep an eye out for the Unicorns. 🦄 We’re not posted up in a booth—but we will be around, and yes, we’re armed with drink tickets for the happy hour. 🥂 Why find us? We’re always down to talk about how we can help tackle the hard, mission-critical challenges of getting software where it needs to be, especially in edge, secure, or just plain wild environments. More than anything, we’re just looking forward to good convos with smart folks doing meaningful work. 📍 SSC Cyber Expo | LA AFB 📅 April 22–23 🎟️ Come grab a drink ticket from Phil Cole, Patrick “Ralph” Lookabaugh, or Rob Sullivan—and let’s catch up. Link to the event in the comments. 👇

"No signal." Not a failure—just another day at the edge. Disconnected operations are no longer exceptions. They are expected. And while many talk about edge deployments, few deliver them without rework, without specialists, and without connectivity. That's where UDS Tactical Edge stands apart. In our recent LinkedIn Live, we showcased a real-world drone deployment from Eastern Europe—run by a warfighter, not a DevOps engineer. Watch the full session to see: - How software was delivered with zero network access - The mobile app that puts deployment power in the hands of operators - How UDS runs on limited resources (as little as 4GB RAM—think Raspberry Pi 5) - Why this isn't theory—it's a tested, fielded capability 📺 Watch the LinkedIn Live replay — featuring the full mission demo and how to get started. (Link in comments)

🚨 NEW RELEASE ALERT 🚨 UDS Core v0.40.0 – “ɴᴇᴏɴ ɴᴇᴍʙʀᴏᴛʜᴀ” has officially crawled out of the reef and into production! 🐌💥 This glowing beauty is our first release supporting Istio Ambient mode per-Package, giving teams a powerful, opt-in approach to modern mesh that lightens the load without compromising on mission capability. ✨ Here’s what’s packed into v0.40.0: 🔹 Ambient Mode Opt-in: Turn it on per-Package with a simple flag: 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌.𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔.𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚎𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚑.𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎: 𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 🔹 Prometheus Stack running in Ambient Mode – Less sidecar, more signal. 🔹 Updated dependencies: • Istio 1.25.1 • Loki 3.4.3 • Vector 0.46.0 🚨 BREAKING CHANGES: 1️⃣ Only one Package CR per namespace – UDS Core is enforcing clarity at scale. 2️⃣ Istio Ambient components are now included by default. 3️⃣ Pod & ServiceMonitors will have their Istio TLS configs scrubbed if needed – make sure your templates are clean. Why Ambient? It’s about getting more performance with less friction—no sidecar bloat, simpler ops, and greater flexibility as we scale UDS to the Tactical Edge. This is another big step toward the airgap native, highly distributable, and portable software delivery we promised. And yes, UDS makes service mesh mission-ready. If you’re operating in disconnected, multi-classification, or tactically constrained environments, UDS Core is built for you. Link to the release in the comments. 👇

At Defense Unicorns, we believe the best way to keep our nation safe is to provide open-source tools and free information on leveraging them effectively. A couple of years ago, some of us got together to create the free "Introduction to DevSecOps for Managers" course for The Linux Foundation to help people understand DevSecOps. Since then, we’ve received constant feedback on how valuable the course has been to people working to modernize their software delivery, both in the DoD and commercial sectors. DevSecOps is much more than automation. Check out the topics, sign up, and tell us what you think! Chapter 1. DevSecOps Background and Historical Perspective Chapter 2. Tech Like I’m Ten Chapter 3. Value Stream Management Chapter 4. Platform as Product Chapter 5. Continuous Delivery (CD) Basics Chapter 6. The Power of Culture Chapter 7. The Right Metrics Chapter 8. Agile Contracting Chapter 9. Cybersecurity Check out the link to the course in the comments. You can even get a nifty certification!

Always proud when one of our Unicorns gets the spotlight 🔥 Austen Bryan recently joined Ildiko Vancsa and Phil Robb on the #MyOpenSourceExperience podcast to talk about something we care deeply about at Defense Unicorns—how to build a real business around open source. Open source isn’t the differentiator. Value is. Austen brings a unique perspective to the conversation—software engineer, MBA, and former U.S. Air Force acquisitions officer. He’s seen the inside of the DoD’s software supply chain and now helps us architect solutions built for and with open source… at the speed of mission. In this episode, Austen, Ildiko, and Phil explore: - Why Defense Unicorns built an open-source-first business model - Where the true value lies when the code is available to everyone - What non-financial benefits open source software unlocks - How to decide if you should open-source your own projects This is one of those “pause and take notes” conversations for anyone in GovTech, open source, or national security. 🎧 Check it out here. https://lnkd.in/giKshAnJ