Speed is not optional – it’s a mission imperative.
Army PIT
Army Pathway for Innovation and Technology is a critical part of the Army’s Acquisition Reform where we created the 6+1 construct with new Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE). The PIT serves as the +1 chartered to rapidly transform technology into Warfighting capability. It’s rapid innovation in the dirt, ensuring every solution is stressed, proven, and Soldier-ready.
Battlefields across the world are changing at a rapid pace… To maintain our edge, our Army will transform to a leaner, more lethal force by adapting how we fight, train, organize, and buy equipment.
HON Daniel Driscoll
Secretary of the Army
The PIT Response
The Army Pathway for Innovation & Technology (PIT) delivers on the modernization mission by optimizing, synchronizing, and accelerating innovation pipelines. PIT ensures emerging technologies are deployed faster, prototyped with Soldier feedback, and scaled for battlefield readiness.
PIT organizes its efforts into five key focus areas:
Accelerate Capability Development
Driving faster development and deployment of breakthrough capabilities to outpace global threats.
Shorten the Path from Lab to the Frontlines
Reducing time-to-field for emerging technologies through agile prototyping and rapid iteration.
Build a Smarter, Stronger Supply Chain
We leverage our FUZE-MANTECH program to greatly enhance resilience and adaptability to support a more resilient, responsive force.
Empower Soldiers at the Tactical Edge
Through our JIOP and G-TEAD organizations we rapidly advance technologies that increase lethality, survivability, and operational effectiveness.
Transform How We Transition Innovation
Scaling capability to PAEs is paramount. We accomplish this by rapidly injecting new technology and assisting companies to cross the Valley of Death to take the leap into Programs of Record.
Flexible Pathways. Faster Outcomes. Broader Access.
Uniting Our Innovation Ecosystem
The PIT is more than just a portfolio; it is a critical hub that integrates the efforts of three essential organizations within the Army innovation enterprise.
In 2025, the Army launched Army FUZE to synchronize disparate innovation programs—xTech, SBIR|STTR, Technology Maturation Initiative (TMI), and ManTech—under a single umbrella, incorporating a venture capital mindset and providing the agility to iterate and deploy innovative technologies quickly. FUZE is paired with JIOP and G-TEAD to create an embedded innovation pipeline, where acquisition professionals iterate directly with Soldiers in operational theaters and deliver impactful solutions in real time.
Army FUZE
Discovery and Alignment: Focused on identifying and accelerating dual-use technologies, FUZE synchronizes Army innovation initiatives to address operational challenges. It acts as the innovation engine within PIT.
Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP)
Bridging Industry and Command Needs: JIOP operates within key innovation ecosystems, acting as a joint connector between startups, venture capital partners, and Army Corps commands to bring concepts to capability quickly.
Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate
(G-TEAD)
Tactical Acquisition in Action: G-TEAD adapts and deploys advanced technologies to address fast-changing theater needs, providing Soldiers with the tools they need to succeed at the tactical edge.
These three entities form the PIT’s operational backbone, underpinned by a unified vision to:
See
Identify and assess emerging technologies with the potential to address critical operational needs.
Share
Develop cross-Army connections between operational units, innovators, and program managers to foster collaboration and cut redundancies.
Synchronize
Align diverse Army innovation ecosystem investments to deliver capabilities to the Soldier at speed.
Scale
Transition proven prototypes into programs of record to scale solutions for production and deployment.
The PIT’s embedded model is rooted in innovation in the dirt—where real-world Soldier requirements shape breakthroughs that are tested and proven in operational environments.
Flexible Pathways. Faster Outcomes. Broader Access.
Breaking Barriers to Innovation
The PIT revolutionizes how the Army engages innovators by leveraging flexible processes, rapid prototyping feedback loops, and simplified contracting pathways designed for both traditional and non-traditional performers.
Lowering the Threshold to Engage
PIT provides small businesses and non-traditional performers with a seamless entry point into Army programs through initiatives including:
- Soldier-Defined Problems: PIT simplifies solicitations into clear, actionable requirements that directly address Soldier-defined needs.
- Flexible Contracting Vehicles: PIT employs non-traditional tools like OTAs to make procurement faster, easier, and more accessible.
- Active Guidance: PIT acts as a mentor, “translating” Army requirements to industry startups while connecting them directly to end-user evaluations.
De-Risking Through Prototype Development
Prototyping stands as the cornerstone of PIT’s innovation strategy, enabling swift solution iterations based on real-world feedback. Through Transformation in Contact (TiC) rotations, PIT rapidly refines prototypes, ensuring solutions align with Soldiers’ operational needs.
Programs like FUZE, JIOP, and G-TEAD further amplify this approach by incorporating direct Soldier input, validating requirements in operational settings, and forging seamless pathways to connect prototypes with end-users and mission outcomes.
Crossing the Valley to Transition
By synchronizing PIT efforts:
- FUZE delivers novel dual-use technologies.
- JIOP bridges the transition from prototype to deployable capability, ensuring innovations reach Corps operating forces quickly.
- G-TEAD matches solutions to Army Theater Command needs.
The PIT’s structure allows for calculated risk-taking and embraces a venture capital mindset. By failing fast and cheap when technologies don’t meet the need, we avoid the delays and inefficiencies of billion-dollar programs that may fail after years of development.
Measures of Success
PIT defines its success by metrics that deliver outcomes most relevant to Soldiers:
Problem Curation
Are the problems we solve high-priority and well-aligned with Army Senior Leader directives?
Speed
How quickly can we transition from validated needs to fielded prototypes?
Transition Rate
How many projects mature beyond the prototype stage into sustainable acquisition programs?
Industrial Base Expansion
Are we increasing the number of non-traditional suppliers while attracting private-sector investment for dual-use technology scaling?
Unified by Purpose. Powered by Collaboration.
Our Partners
PIT relies on robust partnerships across the innovation ecosystem to deliver transformational technology.
Soldiers and
Operational End Users
We incorporate direct Soldier feedback through TiC to ensure innovations reflect field realities. Their insights shape solution design and validate mission relevance from day one.
Industry Leaders and
Non-Traditional Startups
From defense primes to venture-backed startups, we engage companies across maturity levels, offering funding, access, and transition pathways to convert promising technologies into deployable military capabilities.
Investors and Innovation Capital Networks
Through partnerships with venture firms, startups, accelerators, and dual-use capital networks, we help shape co-investment opportunities and scale solutions beyond government markets, bridging defense relevance with commercial viability.
Army Commands &
Program Offices
We coordinate closely with Program Managers (PMs), Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs), and Army leadership to align innovation efforts with acquisition priorities, accelerating transition and maximizing operational impact.
DOW
Partners
The PIT collaborates with entities across the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) and the broader DOW innovation ecosystem to enable cross-service integration, shared technology development, and stronger joint outcomes.
Policy & Legislative
Stakeholders
We engage regularly with leaders across Congress, DOW policy offices, and the Executive Branch to inform strategy, support industrial resilience, and shape enabling legislation that strengthens the innovation pipeline.
Academic Institutions
and Research Centers
We partner with universities, national labs, and research institutions to tap into early-stage discovery, dual-use breakthroughs, and long-horizon research aligned with future operational concepts.
Manufacturing
Partners
We work with defense industrial base suppliers, advanced manufacturing firms, and transition-focused integrators to scale prototypes into production-ready solutions. These partners ensure innovations are manufacturable, cost-effective, and ready for fielding.
Research Labs and
S&T Professionals
Army PIT engages with researchers, labs, and science & technology professionals across the Army enterprise to inform technical strategy, validate feasibility, and guide long-term innovation planning. Their expertise ensures our programs are grounded in rigorous research and aligned with future capability needs.
The Defense Innovation Ecosystem
The PIT is proud to operate within a dynamic and collaborative network of Department of War organizations committed to solving the toughest challenges facing our warfighters. Together, we engage entrepreneurs, small businesses, academic researchers, and non-traditional performers to accelerate innovation and deliver operational advantage.
Office of the Secretary of War
DARPA | Defense Innovation Unit | Defense Innovation Marketplace | DEFENSEWERX | DreamPort | Doolittle Institute | ERDCWERX | MGMWERX | National Security Innovation Capital | National Security Innovation Network | Other Transaction Consortia | Rapid Innovation Fund | Rapid Reaction Technology Office | SOFWERX
Air Force & Space Force
AFWERX | Air Force Research Lab | Allied Space Accelerator | Catalyst Accelerator | DAF MIT AI Accelerator | Hyperspace Challenge | Starburst Accelerator | STRIKEWERX | T3 Accelerator
Army
Army FUZE | Army Applications Laboratory | Army Research Lab | Army SBIR|STTR | xTech | Technology Maturation Initiative (TMI) | Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) | Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP) |
Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD)
Navy & Marine Corps
NavalX | Naval Research Lab | Navy SBIR|STTR | Navy Tech Transfer | Office of Naval Research | Global Marine Innovation Unit | Unmanned Task Force
Ready to Engage?
The PIT doesn’t just talk about innovation—it delivers. It’s innovation in the dirt: practical, Soldier-driven solutions born from accelerated pipelines and mission-driven collaboration. By uniting Army FUZE, Army JIOP, and Army G-TEAD under a synchronized framework, the PIT transforms the Army’s innovation posture into a scalable ecosystem engineered for impact.
Do you have a bold idea ready to make a battlefield impact?