Emerging Technology Initiatives

Mission — Guam Defense System - Management source

The Guam Defense System (GDS) Joint Program Office (JPO) develops a 360-degree Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense (EIAMD) capability that will defend the people, infrastructure, and territory of Guam from advanced ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats. The GDS is a joint, system of systems that are developed, manned and sustained by the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, and the Missile Defense Agency. The GDS provides strategic deterrence in the INDOPACIFIC region and supports the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI). In response to section 1660(b) of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the US Army was designated as the Service Acquisition Executive (SAE) for the Joint Special Interest Acquisition Category (ACAT) ID program and, subsequently, the GDS JPO was established. The PB2026 architecture consists of Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense [IAMD] Battle Command System (IBCS), PATRIOT Launchers, Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Launchers, Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) systems, low-cost foreign radars, Joint Integrated Battle Management, Tactical Operations Center - Light (TOC-L), and the Aegis Guam System comprised of MK-41 Vertical Launching Systems (VLS), Army/Navy Transportable Radar (AN/TPY-6), Command and Control Battle Management and Communication (C2BMC). Early Operational Capability (Increment 1) will occur in CY2027, Initial Operational Capability (Increment 2) will occur in CY2029, and Full Operational Capability will occur in CY2032. FY2026 funds continue the operations of the GDS JPO, Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Personnel, Facility-Policy (DOTMLPF-P) integration, development of the Joint Integrated Battle Manager, and initiates the acquisition of low-cost foreign radars for testing and experimentation.

Mission — Rapid Capability Support source

This project funds rapid prototyping and delivery of residual combat capability to enable the Army Modernization Priorities and the National Defense Strategy. These efforts include long range precision fires, air and missile defense, robotics, ground, aviation, Soldier, cyber, and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (C4ISR) missions. The primary goal is to deliver experimental prototypes to a unit of action through a collaborative and accelerated acquisition process. Technologies will be demonstrated in relevant environments, performing tactical/operational scenarios. Efforts will focus on high-priority, threat-based projects with the intent to deliver an operationally effective capability in the near- and mid-terms. Efforts will include accelerated materiel development and competitive prototyping based on anticipated and emerging threats and opportunities. This project provides the Army an improved mechanism to effectively confront emerging threats and advance America's military dominance in accordance with the National Defense Strategy. Efforts include development, acquisition, assessment, maturation, and transition of prototype technologies to acquisition programs in Directed Energy; Long Range Precision Fires; Air and Missile Defense; Cyber; Artificial Intelligence; Signals Intelligence (SIGINT); Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter UAS (C-UAS); Communications; Survivability; and other high priority emerging threats and opportunities as designated by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) Board of Directors. Funds may also allow for acceleration of critical program of record capabilities to counter urgent and emerging threats. Funding may also be used to acquire specialized expertise as needed. The Army RCCTO expedites the fielding of critical combat materiel capabilities to the Warfighter to meet urgent needs and support the Army modernization strategy. RCCTO assesses Commercial-Off-The Shelf (COTS), Government Off-The- Shelf (GOTS), and Non-Developmental Item (NDI) (non-standard equipment) solutions for modification and/or integration to address changes in contested environments with enduring materiel solutions for forces deployed globally. RCCTO integrates prototypes and evaluates solutions to field residual combat capability to a unit of action and transition the capability to an acquisition program for production and sustainment.

Mission — Emerging Technology Initiatives source

Emerging Technology Initiatives funds prototyping and demonstration, fielding and sustainment of selected technology enabled capabilities to defeat emerging threats against ground, aviation, command, control, communications & reconnaissance systems and equipment, precision weapons, and Soldier equipment. Funding facilitates maturation and demonstration of emerging technologies and systems in relevant varied environments and tactical/operational scenarios. The primary goal is to deliver experimental prototypes for residual combat capability through a collaborative and accelerated acquisition process for transition to a program of record in an Army or DoD Program Management Office. Technologies will be demonstrated in operational environments, performing tactical/operational scenarios. Additionally, funds support the Air & Missile Defense (AMD) Army Modernization Priority. The FY 2026 request for Emerging Technology Initiatives includes $57,546 thousand of discretionary and $87,000 thousand of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $144,546 thousand. The mandatory funds the GDS Joint Program Office which integrates and coordinates the fielding of GDS elements through architecture development, configuration management, integrated testing, Joint Integrated Battle Management (JIBM) development, DOTMLPF-P synchronization, and foreign radar acquisition for testing and potential incorporation into the GDS architecture. Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Section 20003 (Missile Defense) of the Reconciliation Exhibit. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.532 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative."

Mission — Rapid Capability Development and Maturation source

This project funds high-priority, threat-based projects with the intent to deliver an operationally effective capability in the near- and mid-terms. Efforts will include accelerated materiel development and prototyping based on anticipated and emerging threats and opportunities. Efforts include development, acquisition, assessment, maturation, and transition of prototype technologies to acquisition programs. Efforts include Directed Energy; Long Range Precision Fires; Air and Missile Defense; Cyber; Artificial Intelligence; Signals Intelligence (SIGINT); Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter UAS (C-UAS); Communications; Survivability; Robotics; Advanced Ground and Aviation Systems; and other high priority emerging threats and opportunities. Funds may also allow for acceleration of critical capabilities to counter urgent and emerging threats for transition to programs of record. Funding may also be used to acquire specialized expertise as needed. Prototypes Human Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF) that exploits advances in robotics and leverages integration enablers of automation and connectivity to enable an agile, dispersed, logistically resilient, lethal formation that can rapidly converge effects to defeat a near-peer enemy with precision and speed. This will prototype and integrate operationally prioritized payloads for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and lethality with ground and air robotic platforms and formation enablers of networking, command and control, and autonomy to deliver both light unit and heavy unit variants within the HMIF materiel solution. HMIF Increment 1 (Security and Reconnaissance) success in delivering reconnaissance capabilities will inform the suppression capabilities being developed, ensuring program continuity, extensibility and scalability. Conducts technical assessments of technologies, capabilities, and potential solutions. Such areas include but not limited to Operational Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, Autonomy Systems, Robotic Platforms, Advanced Sensing Systems, Decoy Capabilities, Extending Communications, Long Range Persistent Surveillance, Advanced Mobile Weapon Systems, and Modular Open System Architectures (MOSA). Develops the transition plan to accelerate priority efforts and other concepts to capabilities for program offices. Continues identification of emerging priority operational gaps that align to technologies that support Army Service Components (ASCs), and operational line units with prototype solutions identified through coordination with US Army Programs of Record, Science and Technology (S&T) programs, and industry partners. The Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) expedites delivery of residual combat materiel capabilities to the Warfighter to provide critical capability in support of the Army modernization strategy and transitions the capability to an acquisition program for production and fielding as an enduring need. RCCTO assesses Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS), and Non-Developmental Item (NDI) (non-standard equipment) solutions for modification and/or integration to address changes in contested environments with materiel solutions for forces deployed globally. RCCTO engages with industry to identify innovative solutions to high priority problem sets and funds quick turn analysis, modeling and prototyping efforts through this project to demonstrate cross-cutting military utility.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (11)