Army Plans Up to 6 Prototype Agreements After Hawaii Test

According to MeriTalk coverage on Friday, the U.S. Army is looking to issue a maximum of six prototype contracts following trials of autonomous resupply systems in Hawaii.

Officials stated the military will use a subsequent operational assessment to determine which technologies it will buy for forces operating across the Indo-Pacific.

Soldiers tested equipment from six companies during the U.S. Army Pacific Accelerated Capability Event. The competition was organized by the Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), and the Army FUZE xTech Program.

The competition took place from November 4 to 13 in Honolulu. Trials evaluated how robotic ground platforms and their corresponding command-and-control functions could haul supplies, transport wounded personnel, and alleviate physical strain on troops.

Army expects prototype awards and refinement timelines

Potential follow-on prototype awards are valued at up to $2 million each, according to the Army. Developers will be given roughly a 45-day window to update their equipment utilizing critiques from participating troops and the Army Test and Evaluation Command prior to an operational assessment.

Col. Christopher M. Hill Sr., director of G-TEAD, discussed the upcoming adjustments during a media briefing. “It is 100% our expectation that the next time we see these systems, they are better than what we just saw during this demonstration,” Hill told MeriTalk.

Hill said that the service could ultimately purchase prototype hardware from one, two, or three different vendors, depending on the results of operational evaluations and the preferences of theater leadership. Procurement deals stemming from these trials might additionally facilitate acquisitions by other geographic commands if a given design fulfills their operational requirements.

Sustaining dispersed forces across difficult terrain

Col. Jeremy R. Schunke, director of concepts for U.S. Army Pacific, said that the Accelerated Capability Event tackled the challenge of keeping scattered units supplied over extended ranges and rugged country while supply chains remain vulnerable to interruption.

“We need to move further, move faster, and with less risk to our soldiers,” Schunke told MeriTalk.

Schunke described platforms of varying sizes, including one built on a Polaris four-wheeler with autonomous driving capability. Such systems could carry ammunition, water, food, or a casualty, and potentially perform limited reconnaissance.

Casualty evacuation is a particular concern, he noted. Moving one wounded soldier can require four additional soldiers, which is a physically demanding task over long distances in Pacific heat.

Terrain limitations and power trade-offs

Testing also exposed limitations during the evaluation period. Col. Shermoan Daiyan, director of the Army’s Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT), said that evaluators had seen systems that lacked sufficient mobility or carried their weight too high to remain stable.

Daiyan mentioned to MeriTalk that equipment failing to perform well in Hawaiian jungles might still prove advantageous in alternative environments, such as European theaters. The Army is collecting data across events to help identify where particular capabilities would fit.

Power presents another trade-off for developers. Schunke said that transporting batteries across the Pacific and maintaining their performance in Arctic cold complicates their use. According to him, certain troops expressed a preference for combustion motors running on JP-8 fuel until battery technology advances, even though the noise from those engines introduces tactical drawbacks.

Acquisition approach and soldier feedback

Beyond the vehicles, the competition is testing an acquisition approach that embeds contracting expertise alongside operational commands. Hill said that selections incorporate technical evaluations, producibility, cost, company pitches, and soldier feedback.

Soldiers have the largest voice in determining which companies advance, he said. Daiyan explained that PIT likewise engages program managers and requirements authorities early in the workflow to ready successful platforms for wider service implementation.

The forthcoming operational evaluations will integrate self-governing platforms into scenarios tailored alongside individual units, supplying commanders with tangible proof to determine which tools to procure.