Pentagon announces more than $500M in new procurements for APFIT program, including software
The latest round of awards for the U.S. military’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program has a total value exceeding half a billion dollars, including more than $70 million for software capabilities, according to a list of deals announced Tuesday.
Those totals do not include classified procurements, a Defense Department press release noted.
The APFIT initiative, which was created a few years ago and falls under the Pentagon’s Research and Engineering directorate, aims to speed the delivery of new tech to the services and combatant commands, and boost the defense industrial base by partnering with small and non-traditional vendors and venture-backed companies. According to the department, the program has already helped to deliver more than 100 capabilities to the military.
“By aligning funding with near-term operational needs, APFIT has enabled the rapid deployment of mission-critical systems across mission areas including autonomous systems, electronic warfare, expeditionary manufacturing, counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS), resilient communications, contested logistics and resilient energy,” officials wrote in a Pentagon press release issued Tuesday.
Software tools were a major part of the latest round of deals.
“This award cycle further expands APFIT’s reach into software-only capabilities, reflecting the Department’s focus on delivering adaptable, continuously improving systems. By enabling the rapid deployment of updates and enhancements, these efforts equip commanders with tools that evolve at the speed of relevance to ensure dominance across all domains of warfare,” per the press release.
The program’s “inaugural” software procurements include the ARCHER AI platform for decision advantage tool for U.S. Pacific Command, $10 million; Cybergenome AI binary analysis software for U.S. Cyber Command, $10 million; an intelligence and operations threat planning tool for the Air Force, $15.2 million; a machine assisted information sharing (MAIS) system for rapid intelligence disclosure for U.S. Space Command, $10 million; an operator tactical intranet systems (OTIS) tactical assault kit for U.S. Special Operations Command, $17 million; and SCEPTER AI-based course of action generation for U.S. Southern Command, $10 million.
Other solutions procured in the latest round of investments include a variety of uncrewed platforms, autonomous systems and counter-drone capabilities, such as the autonomous low-profile vehicle (ALPV) Liberty for the Marine Corps, $32.58 million; Drake counter-drone system for the Navy, $11.35 million; low-collateral effects interceptor and multi-mission unmanned aerial systems for the Air Force, $17.5 million; Mira highly maneuverable spacecraft for Spacecom, $19.75 million; persistent subsea autonomous profiler (PSAP) for the Navy, $30.8 million; and “Unruly” one-way attack drones for SOCOM, $31 million.
The full list of unclassified procurements for the latest round of APFIT, which raises the total value of awards issued by the program since its inception beyond the $2 billion mark, can be found here.
“APFIT has fundamentally reshaped how the Department of War accelerates the transition of innovative technologies to the warfighter,” Pentagon CTO Emil Michael said in a statement. “Our adversaries are not waiting, and neither will we. By scaling the APFIT program past $2 billion, we are equipping the Joint Force with the lethal capabilities to guarantee dominance on the battlefield.”
