FIELDING THE FUTURE
Soldier-centered design in other projects, including Indirect Fires Protection Capa- bility – High Energy Laser, a 300 kW-class laser prototype system that will be fielded in fiscal year 2024.
CONCLUSION RCCTO fully appreciates the criticality of the Soldier’s operational experience and is committed to soliciting and incorporating ideas and recommendations during proto- type development. Tis concept is at the heart of Soldier-centered design and has already improved the hypersonics, directed energy systems and other emerging tech- nology prototypes RCCTO will field in the coming years. By bringing Soldiers in early and often, RCCTO will ensure that in moving fast, it doesn’t move without purpose.
For more information, go to https://rapid-
capabilitiesoffice.army.mil/.
NANCY JONES-BONBREST is a public communications
specialist including multiple for RCCTO.
She has written extensively about Army modernization and acquisition for several years,
training and
testing events. She holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a frequent contributor to Army AL&T; her byline most recently appeared on “Te Making of a Packard,”in the Winter 2019 issue.
JESSICA SALMON is a senior techni- cal writer and graphics specialist for the RCCTO’s Directed Energy Project Office. She has experience writing proposals for DOD, specifically for the U.S. Army Avia- tion and Missile Command Expedited Professional and Engineering Support Services contract vehicle. She holds an M.A. in English literature with a technical writer certification and a B.A. in English, both from University of Alabama in Huntsville.
RCCTO has held two innovation days, one in McLean, Virginia, in September 2019, and the other in Austin, Texas,
in February. To
qualify to participate, companies responded to a call for white paper
INNOVATION DAYS: CONCEIVE, PROTOTYPE, DELIVER
Tech ideas fueled by Soldier expertise add up to wins for the Army.
Beyond using Soldier-centered design for its priorities of hyperson- ics and directed energy the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Tech- nologies Office (RCCTO) also hosts recurring innovation day events in various locations to find new tech- nology ideas and accelerate them into prototypes that could quickly reduce near- and mid-term opera- tional risks.
At the center of these inno- vation days, which unfold like commercial-style “pitch” days to identify the most promising concepts, are Soldiers and other technical experts who participate on the judging panels. This exper- tise, applied before selection of the proposals, helps ensure that the Army is not pursuing duplicate or unwanted technology. Even after an innovation day, Soldier feedback continues throughout the refinement of a concept and maturation of the capability.
submissions. Input grew substan- tially from the first innovation day, which had 185 submissions, to the second, which received more than 700 responses. Spanning topics as diverse as sensors, autonomy, predictive maintenance, cyber, elec- tronic warfare and fueling options, the pitches heard on innovation day are narrowed down to the most promising efforts to rapidly prototype and deliver to Soldiers. During the two events, the RCCTO- led panels evaluated more than 80 pitches.
Of the pitches heard during the events, 21 are in the process of moving forward either in concept refinement or for a possible contract award, while two are already on contract to produce a rapid prototype.
One of those on contract from
the first innovation day is TRX Systems Inc., a Maryland-based small business developing a proto- type dismounted electronic warfare sensor. The capability features a portable kit that enables alerts when electronic jamming or spoof- ing is detected and will provide a “rewind” navigation feature to
Continued on next page
INNOVATION IN ACTION
RCCTO held its second innovation day in partnership with U.S. Army Futures Command and Army Applications Laboratory at the Capital Factory in Austin, Texas, in February. (Photo courtesy of RCCTO)
https://asc.ar my.mil
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