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The Army\u2019s Rapid Equipping Force works to quickly get gear into soldiers\u2019 hands to fill short-term needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Col. John Ward, REF commander, sat down with Army Times at the Association of the U.S. Army\u2019s Annual Meeting & Exposition this week to discuss some of the major projects he\u2019s working on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
All fall in line with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley\u2019s priorities for current and near-future needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
They include:<\/p>\n
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- Counter-drone technologies, both mounted and dismounted.<\/li>\n
- Dismounted electronic warfare equipment.<\/li>\n
- Tethered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.<\/li>\n
- Urban operations equipment, including up-armored commercial vehicles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
REF held three competitions in recent years to fill the emerging and active counter-done need, Ward said. The office has been flooded with industry responses and has pushed many items into theater. It continues to sort through other submissions and equipment to match specific capabilities with commander needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nThe Rapid Equipping Force was established in 2002 to take immediate theater requirements and find solutions for soldier use within 180 days. Much of the work fills a temporary need while informing other programs and capabilities for the Army, Ward said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nThe colonel said that the Joint Improvised Threat Defeat Organization has picked up many of the submissions to get counter-drone capabilities to soldiers.<\/p>\n
\n\nThe force has also held other competitions and has more planned in two high-demand areas \u2014 electronic warfare and long-term, tethered ISR.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nThis year\u2019s competition focused on dismounted electronic warfare equipment while a competition early next year in Yuma, Arizona, will focus on smaller mounted electronic warfare equipment, Ward said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nThe dismounted systems, VMAX and VROD Dismounted Electronic Support\/ Attack, allow commanders to survey the invisible electronic environment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nVROD detects electronic frequencies, creating a virtual \u201cmap\u201d of the electronic environment. VMAX allows soldiers to conduct focused electronic attacks at certain frequencies in the spectrum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nSoldiers at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, including soldiers from 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 4th Infantry Division\u2019s 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, trained on the systems earlier this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nREF is also looking at increasing electronic warfare capabilities to add to the next-generation combat vehicle, including more powerful amplifiers, adjustable antennae and increased software capabilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\nThe tethered ISR work is looking at extended flight times of 100 hours or more for longer term surveillance than is offered by current models, Ward said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n