The US Army is actively seeking innovative solutions for operations in the Air-Ground Littoral zone, an area that extends from the ground up to several thousand feet, where the deployment of small drones and unmanned ground vehicles is becoming increasingly prevalent. This open solicitation particularly emphasizes the need for unmanned ground vehicles that focus on mine clearance and mobility, alongside advanced drone swarm systems, sensor-to-shooter targeting, fire coordination, and attack operations.
Proposed technologies must demonstrate compatibility with the Army’s NGC2 command-and-control system, which is designed to enhance decision-making speed and efficiency. NGC2 is a modular and open-architecture platform that integrates various sensors, vehicles, command posts, and personnel, ensuring a cohesive operational framework.
Submissions for this initiative are currently being accepted and will remain open until September 5, 2025. Technologies that are selected will be deployed to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, in early 2026.
The Army has highlighted its commitment to fostering contributions from across the industry, particularly encouraging input from small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors. This initiative utilizes flexible acquisition authorities to advance rapid prototyping, iterative development, and potential future procurement strategies.
Soldiers will utilize these technologies in various training scenarios, including a combat training center rotation. The evaluation criteria will concentrate on usability, mission effectiveness, and interoperability with the NGC2 system. Solutions that demonstrate significant potential may be considered for further development, prototyping, or collaborative testing.
The initiative focuses on eight critical capability areas aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness in combat, intelligence, sustainment, and cyber domains.
For movement and maneuver, the Army seeks unmanned systems that can facilitate route clearance, breaching, and the concealment of friendly forces. In terms of mission command technologies, the expectation is for solutions that improve data-driven decision-making, enhance communication capabilities, and automate the common operating picture for military personnel.
Intelligence tools are also a primary focus, seeking solutions that incorporate sensor networks, loitering platforms, and predictive analysis of information streams. These tools will be bolstered by reconnaissance and target acquisition systems that provide low-signature early warning and forward observation capabilities.
In the fires domain, the Army aims to incorporate advanced technologies such as drone swarms, sensor-to-soldier targeting mechanisms, and autonomous direct-fire platforms. Sustainment efforts will target autonomous systems for casualty evacuation, resupply missions, predictive maintenance, and warehouse automation.
Protection capabilities are critical, focusing not only on counter-unmanned aircraft systems but also on the detection of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. The information domain will address challenges related to network vulnerability detection, penetration testing, and automatically monitoring disinformation efforts.
Through this open call, the US Army aims to cultivate a more integrated and effective operational landscape, harnessing the innovative capabilities of the defense industry to enhance mission readiness and effectiveness.
