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WASHINGTON — A new “campaign of experimentation” started this week by the Pentagon’s chief technology officer aims to support future joint requirements for the department and is a key to informing the DoD’s quick tech development Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) initiative.
The Technology Readiness Experimentation 2023 (TREX 23), which started May 16 and runs through May 24 at Camp Atterbury with the Indiana National Guard, is a “full-scale” exercise that includes testing six technologies through tactical scenario demonstrations and a “disaster scenario” where resilient communications are disrupted, according to a DoD press release.
“The assessed technologies include signal devices, cyber protection, counterintelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance,” the press release says. “These will be needed to operate in the disaster scenario, to protect their operators and ensure a successful evacuation of non-combatants.”
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is also participating in the experiments to “strengthen” command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence capabilities.
A portion of the experiment will include opportunities for industry to showcase their tech through a prototype technology display.
“Large and small businesses will have the opportunity to present innovative prototypes that align with RDER Joint Warfighting Concepts, including, but not limited to, fires, command and control, logistics, and capabilities that will drive information advantage,” according to the release. “This display is an exciting chance to learn about the latest RDER-themed prototypes, and for companies to help shape the development of front-line military technologies.”
The RDER effort was first introduced in 2021 as a way to address joint capability gaps and deliver emerging technologies quicker to warfighters. The effort is being spearheaded by Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu, who proposed 32 areas of experimentation under the effort.
In March, Shyu said that the first round of RDER experiments will begin this year. She wants to hold two “sprints” per year, starting with the areas of long-range fires, predictive logistics and base defense. In the first sprint, Shyu said that her office has joint project lined up with the UK and Australia.
TREX 23 is billed as a “key RDER event,” according to the release. Thomas Browning, deputy chief technology officer for mission capabilities in office of the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, said “TREX is integral to the success of this enduring campaign of experiments.”
“A key attribute of RDER is the focus on a campaign of experimentation that enables the collection of a body of evidence to accelerate technology transition to the field,” he said.
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