By Brian Landon

WASHINGTON — Three businesses are the latest recipients of cash prizes awarded through the U.S. Army xTech Program after presenting and testing their innovative solutions during the xTechCMFF Integration Fest competition finals.

As finalists, the winning businesses tested their products in a tactically relevant environment to evaluate the ruggedness and durability of their prototypes. The competition focused on providing input to industry partners for improving their current modular open suite of standards for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare technologies, known as CMOSS, in preparation for an Other Transaction Authority contract planned for release in fiscal year 2024. This focus helps the Army understand the capabilities of current CMOSS technologies in the commercial sector and how industry can work to improve their solutions to meet the requirements of the Army.

Each company conducted a live pitch to Department of Defense subject matter experts, followed by a two-hour in-vehicle swap analysis of their technologies with subsequent environmental testing. The U.S. Army xTech Program recognized the winners at an award ceremony held at the C5ISR Prototype Integration Facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on November 18 and awarded $25,000 in cash prizes to each company.

The winners of the xTechCMFF Integration Fest are:

• L3 Harris, Salt Lake City, Utah, “L3Harris RASOR Ecosystem”
• Mercury Mission Systems, Torrance, Calif, “Demonstrating Mercury’s PEO Army Aviation Reuse to Support Integration Fest”
• Pacific Defense, El Segundo, Calif., “Pacific Defense SX-3000 Multifunction CMOSS System”

“The award ceremony for this competition was an opportunity to recognize the winners for their innovative solutions, and also helped to continue the growth of relationships between the Army and these businesses and non-traditional industry leaders,” said Dr. Matt Willis, director of Army Prize Competitions and Army Applied SBIR Program within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “Relationship-building between the Army and our nation’s top innovators is critical to injecting cutting-edge technology into government programs.”

Supported by Army’s DEVCOM C5ISR Center; Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical; PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors; PEO Ground Combat Systems; and the Network Cross-Functional Team, xTechCMFF Integration Fest opened in June with a call for industry to submit their technology solutions for common challenges with communications system integration — such as heat dissipation in certain environments; vibration and shock profiles of tactically relevant vehicles; and vehicular size, weight, power and cooling constraints.

During the environmental testing phase, the companies had the opportunity to test their products while receiving feedback from a panel of relevant technical experts from across the DOD ecosystem on how they could improve their solutions for Army use.

“The xTechCMFF Integration Fest winners have directly supported the Army’s goal for the competition — to refine and inform future requirements for the CMFF System.” Tom Aitken, Program Officer for CMFF, Project Manager Mission Command, Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical said. “This competition not only provided industry partners valuable experience inside the latest PEO GCS platforms, it also provided actionable data the Army required to refine the SWAP constraints and environmental requirements for CMFF.”

Established in 2018, the Army xTech Program strives to integrate small businesses and non-traditional vendors into the Army’s science and technology ecosystem by providing opportunities for direct exposure to laboratories, program executive offices and program managers from across the Army. Participants receive detailed feedback from Army and DOD stakeholders and have access to training, mentorship, and other support infrastructure as they progress through the competition to determine how best to align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army.

The xTech Program holds several competitions per year, from open-topic competitions such as xTechSearch, to technology-specific competitions targeting specific Army needs and challenges. For all competition information, go to https://www.xtech.army.mil/.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology provides the American Soldier with a decisive advantage in any mission by developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining the world’s finest equipment and services, and by leveraging technologies and capabilities to meet current and future Army needs. For more information, go to https://www.army.mil/asaalt/.