By the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Public Affairs Office

WASHINGTON – TRX Systems and Carol Politi, president and CEO, focus on delivering cutting-edge science and technology that will keep Soldiers safe and steps ahead of adversaries. When Politi’s small business won xTechSearch 3, an open-topic competition in 2020, the company demonstrated its new assured position, navigation and timing capabilities and is now in the process of transitioning this technology to Soldiers.

In 2010, Politi joined TRX Systems, headquartered in Maryland, where a small group of entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists were developing a unique indoor location technology for firefighters, a natural form of GPS denial experienced by frontline workers. Soldiers, who are frequently underground or indoors and confront intentional attacks on GPS, had an even broader need for the technology. Politi and her team at TRX began to focus on introducing TRX’s capabilities to the military.

“GPS is a low-powered signal that can be jammed or denied in a wartime scenario,” said Politi. “Our technology uses a variety of position sources to extend that location when your GPS has been intentionally denied, interfered with by adversaries, or is naturally denied because you don’t have a clear view of the sky.”

Providing PNT for Soldiers enables them to navigate and supports operations that increase mission success and safety. In 2019, TRX Systems submitted a proposal to xTechSearch 3 and was named the grand-prize winner of the competition, receiving more than $380,000 in cash prizes to continue developing its technology for mission effectiveness. xTechSearch is a competition sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology that encourages small businesses to uncover novel dual-use science and technology solutions to tackle the Army’s most critical modernization challenges. Finalists receive awards that help fund research and development efforts.

“xTech was a terrific combination of competition, teamwork and networking,” said Politi. “One of the additional benefits was the support and development of materials from distribution channels that allowed us to get visibility because that’s so hard for a young company.”

Riding the wave of their xTech win, TRX Systems continues to make big impacts in the Army ecosystem. This past January, the company announced that it had been selected by the Army to provide a dismounted assured PNT system, a lightweight, Soldier-worn device that will allow dismounted Soldiers to conduct effective operations when GPS is denied or degraded. Politi is hopeful that this technology transition will occur in mid-2022.

“Our team pulled together to develop a new product that took advantage of a number of new technologies that could increase assurance,” said Politi. “We were pleased we were able to meet Army needs and are enthusiastic about being able to deliver this essential technology for the warfighter.”

TRX Systems has kicked off the new year with another major milestone, announcing in January that it had been acquired by the ACR Group, a leader in satellite communication and assured PNT technologies. TRX, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the ACR Group, will continue to serve TRX customers with the same team, products and brand. The small business will benefit significantly from the increased resources to support its transitioning technologies.

For more information on TRX Systems, including its upcoming technology transition, visit the website at www.trxsystems.com.