The United States Army (US ARMY) recently announced that it will host the xTechPacific competition for small businesses. This initiative aims to develop innovative technological solutions to enhance U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The winner of the competition will receive $345,000, and through the Army’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, they will secure up to $6 million in Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awards.
Specifically, this event focuses on three key aspects for U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific: Detection of Buried Explosives and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in Complex Soils and Magnetically Complex Environments, Advanced Defensive and Deterrent Capabilities for Army and Commercial Watercraft, and Electronic Warfare (EW) Domain Awareness and Sensing Technologies. By addressing one of these challenges, participants will gain access to key benefits that will enable rapid progress in their projects while also providing them with closer exposure to the military technology landscape. Some of these benefits include:
- Direct access and exposure to key Army and Department of Defense stakeholders.
- Feedback from experts in multidisciplinary fields.
- Participation in live experimentation events with proof-of-concept testing.
- Opportunity to win cash prizes and submit a Direct to Phase II SBIR proposal, allowing small businesses to apply for Phase II funding without having received a Phase I grant.
In 2023, regarding its objectives, the program stated: “We must do more in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure we maintain a tactical edge over our adversaries. xTechPacific was our first time examining this topic and the solutions we received were a step in the right direction.”
The centralization of the event around the Indo-Pacific once again demonstrates the importance the United States places on the region and its projection of power, especially in a tense scenario with the People’s Republic of China. For example, earlier this year, B-1B bombers from the U.S. Air Force and KAI FA-50PH fighter jets from the Philippines conducted patrols over the South China Sea.
Image credits: xTechPacific, US Army Pacific.
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