VIEW ORIGINAL
WASHINGTON – As the Army accelerates its acquisition reform processes and structures, the Pathway for Innovation and Technology, is designed to rapidly field and scale technology by bridging the so-called "valley of death"- the gap between technology development and deployment.
The PIT, also known as the "Plus One" to the Army's six portfolio acquisition executives, is tasked with synchronizing the Army's broad innovation enterprise and delivering new capabilities to warfighters at unprecedented speed.
"Our mission is to rapidly inject capability into the hands of warfighters," said Col. Shermoan Daiyaan, PIT director, during a recent roundtable discussion. "Those good ideas are not going very far if they stay at a brigade or a battalion or one formation across the Army."
The initiative operates on three first principles, as outlined by Chris Manning, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology.
"Number one is speed takes priority over perfection," Manning stated. "Second is that early Soldier feedback is critical in order to make sure we're getting the right technology for the future fight, and then [third,] we want to be able to prove the demand signal before we spend big dollars on programs."
This new approach represents a cultural shift for the Army, moving away from lengthy planning cycles to a more dynamic, iterative process.
"The Army really kind of tore down a lot of our own institutional and, in my opinion, cultural barriers because we’re not waiting for perfect plans, anymore," Daiyaan explained. "Now we’re saying just go. And with doing that, I think we're going to help ourselves accelerate capability.”
The Pathway for Innovation and Technology is built on three interconnected elements: FUZE, JIOP, and G-TEAD. Together, these programs form the backbone of PIT, driving modernization and ensuring operational readiness.
- FUZE serves as the Army’s flagship innovation engine, igniting transformative change across the enterprise. By adopting a venture capitalist mindset, FUZE accelerates the discovery, development, and deployment of technologies through programs like xTech, SBIR/STTR, and ManTech. FUZE connects startups, academic institutions, and non-traditional performers with Army priorities, ensuring innovative solutions are rapidly scaled and transitioned into the hands of Soldiers.
- JIOP, Joint Integration and Operational Prototyping, focuses on rapid prototyping and integration of technologies in real-world environments. By embedding acquisition professionals at operational levels, JIOP ensures that prototypes are tested and validated under battlefield conditions. Soldier feedback plays a critical role in refining functionality and shaping requirements, ensuring solutions are practical, effective, and tailored to mission needs.
- G-TEAD (Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate) bridges the gap between urgent operational needs and capability delivery. Operating as the Army’s acquisition hub, G-TEAD empowers commanders at the tactical edge to influence the capabilities they need on the frontlines. Through its rapid fielding approach, G-TEAD delivers scalable, combat-ready solutions within 90 days, ensuring Soldiers maintain overmatch in rapidly evolving threat environments.
A key engine behind PIT is the Army FUZE program, led by Dr. Matt Willis. The FUZE program combines research and development efforts to identify and expand promising new technologies, even from companies that have never previously worked with the Department of War.
"[Army] Secretary [Daniel] Driscoll asked us when we launched the Army FUZE program to adopt a more venture capital-centric approach to our technology investments," Dr. Willis said. "That means that we're willing to take more risk up front, invest in a spectrum of different companies, scale what works, and divest what isn't working."
This model enables the PIT to move quickly. In one recent example, winners of an xTech competition were selected and had their systems in the hands of Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii within 21 days. It provided a valuable "lesson learned" for streamlining future efforts.
A cornerstone of PIT is early, consistent involvement from program offices and end-users. Selection panels include the "big three": a Portfolio Acquisition Executive or Program Manager, a PIT representative, and a warfighting unit representative.
VIEW ORIGINAL
This ensures that, from the outset, a technology is evaluated for scalability, producibility, and manufacturability, thereby preventing the classic "valley of death" in which promising prototypes fail to become fielded systems.
"We have to include the [Portfolio Acquisition Executives] earlier because it's [Program Managers] and PM shops that are going to be asking the questions of scalability, producibility, manufacturability, and those types of things," said Col. Chris Hill, director of the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate.
Ultimately, the PIT creates a direct conduit between innovators and warfighters, empowering Soldiers to provide immediate feedback and enabling commanders to make data-driven decisions about the capabilities their formations need.
"There's never been a pathway to go from a Soldier innovation idea to something that scales and becomes a capability across the Army," Hill concluded. "But now that's possible."
Social Sharing