By Sarah Hepburn, Army FUZE

– Range, resilience, and real-time awareness are essential to operating effectively across the Indo-Pacific—a region defined by vast distances and complex terrain. Recognizing the need for advanced capabilities in this theater, the Army FUZE xTech Program launched xTechPacific 2025to identify advanced technologies from nontraditional innovators. Focused on enhancing long-distance operational capabilities, the competition culminated in a live experimentation connecting cutting-edge solutions with the Soldiers who need them most.

Competition seeks tech for Indo-Pacific operational edge

xTechPacific 2025 was launched to identify and accelerate technologies that enhance the Army’s operational reach and resilience across the Indo-Pacific region. With a focus on three mission-critical areas—situational awareness, force protection, and sustained operations in contested environments —the competition sought solutions from innovators outside the traditional defense sector.

In partnership with U.S. Army Pacific and the Army’s Catalyst Pathfinder Program, the competition introduced live experimentation as a core component. Offering a prize pool of $380,000 and the opportunity to submit a Direct to Phase II SBIR proposal worth up to $2 million, xTechPacific 2025 lowered the barrier to entry for innovators to working with the Department of War while underscoring the Army’s commitment to rapidly transitioning high impact innovations from concept to combat.

“xTechPacific 2025 was designed around a focused set of operational challenges identified by USARPAC—real problems that demand real solutions,” said Dr. Matt Willis, director of Army FUZE. “By combining targeted problem sets with live experimentation, we gave nontraditional innovators a direct path into the Army and a chance to prove their tech in mission-relevant environments. That kind of immediate feedback from Soldiers and stakeholders is what accelerates meaningful innovation.”

Soldier-led experimentation drives innovation forward

Following a competitive down selection from over 130 white paper submissions, the Army selected 12 standout finalists in May to each receive $20,000 in cash prizes and advance their technologies for the ultimate proving ground—a high-stakes live experimentation event alongside Soldiers and in Honolulu, Hawaii in September.

From September 9-18,These experiments placed breakthrough solutions in the hands of Soldiers and in the heart of the environments where they are intended to operate, demanding performance under real-world conditions and ensuring that innovation is shaped by the challenges of the mission.

Soldiers weren’t just testing technologies, they were shaping them through direct, hands-on engagement and undiluted feedback. Senior Army leaders were also on site, witnessing firsthand the innovations in action and reinforcing the Army’s commitment to rapidly fielding solutions that meet operational demands.

xTechPacific 2025 marked the program’s first live experimentation event—a milestone now being scaled across future competitions. By embedding real-world testing into the competition, xTech shifted from only scouting technologies to also validating them in operational contexts, forging a direct link between innovators and end users. This approach ensures emerging solutions are refined through on-the-ground insights, accelerating their path from concept to combat-ready capability.

Four finalists rise to the top

Four winners emerged from xTechPacific 2025’s two-week experimentation event, each delivering breakthrough capabilities tailored to the Indo-Pacific mission.

FieldLine Industries Inc. was recognized for its unique system, which improves the detection of subsurface hazards in challenging environments.

Havoc and ZeroMark, Inc. each advanced maritime defense with autonomous platforms that support operational needs in challenging maritime environments.

Research Innovations Incorporated stood out for their platform, a next-generation spectrum processing solution that strengthens electronic warfare domain awareness and sensing.

Together, these technologies reflect the cutting edge of defense innovation—refined through Soldier input and backed by the Army’s commitment to rapid transition. Each winner earned a total of $55,000 in prizes and the opportunity to submit a Direct to Phase II SBIR proposal worth up to $2 million, reinforcing the path from concept to combat-ready capability.

xTech’s experimentation era takes off

The battlefield is the proving ground—and xTech is accelerating the delivery of real-world solutions that meet the mission, shaped by those who live it. Building on the success of xTechPacific 2025, the program has expanded its live experimentation moompetitions—xTechDisrupt, xTechCounter Strike, xTechOverwatch, and xTechHumanoid. Each event places innovators directly into operational environments, enabling warfighter-driven refinement that drives meaningful progress and accelerates transition.

It’s a decisive shift toward faster, more focused innovation—where collaboration replaces guesswork, and the needs of the warfighter shape the future of defense technology. This approach is not only central to the xTech Program, but a driving force behind the broader FUZE portfolio.

About the Army FUZE xTech Program

The Army xTech Program is the Army’s premier tool for scouting and accelerating dual-use technologies that directly enhance Soldier readiness and mission success. Through dynamic prize competitions like xTechSearch, xTech identifies breakthrough solutions and opens doors for nontraditional companies to engage with and deliver capabilities to the Army. Since its launch in 2018, xTech has awarded over $30 million in non-dilutive cash prizes across 46 competitions—fueling innovation pipelines and delivering transformative technologies that matter on the battlefield.

About Army FUZE

FUZE is the Army’s integrated enterprise for innovation. It brings together four flagship innovation programs – the xTech, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer (SBIR|STTR), Manufacturing Technology (ManTech), and Technology Maturation Initiative (TMI) under a coordinated and synchronized framework to accelerate advanced capabilities, strengthen the industrial base, and deliver readiness at the speed of relevance. FUZE operates with a venture capitalist mindset, scouting broadly, taking calculated risks, and scaling the most promising technologies. This approach ensures taxpayer dollars are directed toward solutions with both Army operational relevance and commercial viability, while creating clearer pathways and reduced barriers for industry participation.

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