The US Army Futures Command has issued a call to industry for existing technologies to enhance the service’s capabilities in the „Air-Ground Littoral,” a domain characterized by the increasing proliferation of drones.
Addressing Emerging Threats
The „call for solution” solicitation defines the Air-Ground Littoral as the space between the ground and a few thousand feet, noting the growing presence of low-cost, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), and related technologies. This domain presents both offensive opportunities and defensive challenges.
Eight Capability Focus Areas
The solicitation is broad, seeking technologies for use in eight capability focus areas, including unmanned mine-clearers to aid movement and maneuver and drone swarm or sensor-to-shooter systems for target acquisition and attack.
Rapid Experimentation
Two main conditions apply: the technology must be ready for experimentation by the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) at Fort Carson, Colorado, by next year, and the solutions should be open to integration with the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype ecosystem within 18 months.
Flexible Acquisition
The solicitation emphasizes the use of flexible acquisition authorities to enable rapid prototyping, iterative development, and potential pathways to future acquisition. The Army encourages participation from all sectors, particularly small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors.
Lessons from Ukraine
This call comes as the US military races to incorporate unmanned technology and counter-drone capabilities, spurred by the effectiveness of small drones in tactical combat in Ukraine.
„Unleashing” Drones
In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order to „unleash” the use of small drones, including a directive to equip each Army squad with expendable drones.
Technet Augusta Discussions
The solicitation also coincides with Technet Augusta, a key gathering of military and industry tech leaders, where networks like the NGC2 system are expected to be a central topic of discussion.
