Update
4 min read
2026-11-03 10:00:53
Operationalizing Tactical Resupply: Inside the USARPAC ACE 27-01 Soldier Demonstration
G-TEAD PIT Defense Innovation Disruptive Technology
By Sarah Hepburn, Office of Army Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT)
HONOLULU — The Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), in partnership with U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and the Army FUZE xTech Program, will host an intensive live Soldier demonstration and competitive pitch event from November 4–13, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Serving as the operational capstone of the G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech, the event bridges commercial innovation and frontline operations. Six finalists selected from an initial white paper phase will train Soldiers to demonstrate and evaluate their autonomous platforms in the exact tropical, multi-island environments where the systems are intended to operate.
Finalists received an initial $25,000 upon selection and will receive an additional $25,000 after successfully integrating into the demonstration. Up to five top performers stand to earn $150,000 each in non-dilutive xTech cash prizes, along with opportunities for follow-on Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype awards from G-TEAD valued at up to $2 million each.
Army FUZE xTech & USARPAC’s Partnership
Building on the operational success of xTech|Pacific and xTech|Disrupt in 2025, the Army FUZE xTech Program is returning to Hawaii to accelerate warfighter innovation across the Indo-Pacific theater.
xTech|Pacific 2025 established a new benchmark for field evaluation as the program’s inaugural Soldier demonstration event. Conducted in partnership with USARPAC and the Army’s Catalyst Pathfinder Program, the competition targeted three critical operational imperatives: situational awareness, force protection, and sustained operations in contested environments. Following a competitive down-select, twelve industry finalists deployed to Hawaii to place breakthrough commercial prototypes directly into the hands of warfighters. Operating under austere, mission-representative conditions, Soldiers provided direct, unfiltered tactical feedback—actively shaping and refining technologies to match frontline operational realities.
This momentum continued with xTech|Disrupt at the 2025 Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., which targeted electronic warfare, tactical power generation and storage, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and counter-UAS. Winning innovators transitioned directly into live-fire training exercises at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC), hosted by the 25th Infantry Division. JPMRC provided an immersive, combat-representative proving ground where frontline units integrated and evaluated commercial capabilities during active tactical maneuvers.
Now, with G-TEAD, xTech, and USARPAC joining forces, the combined innovation enterprise bridges competitive discovery directly with rapid contracting and transition authorities—delivering warfighter-validated modernization to the Indo-Pacific at operational speed.
Inside the ACE Framework
Sustaining dispersed, agile combat teams across expansive island chains represents a defining operational focus in the Indo-Pacific theater. Projecting supply across thousands of miles of open maritime terrain demands adaptive, resilient distribution networks that complement traditional logistics capabilities and ensure persistent readiness at the tactical edge.
To meet these unique geographical and logistical demands, G-TEAD, xTech, and USARPAC launched this autonomous sustainment focused event under G-TEAD’s Accelerated Capability Event (ACE) framework.
Operating alongside major regional exercises, including the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) training windows, USARPAC ACE 27-01 serves as a high-tempo tactical proving ground. The event is purpose-built to deliver solutions not just for the theater’s unique littoral demands, but as scalable blueprints for Army Service Component Commands worldwide.
The Soldier Demonstration: Beyond the Static Showcase
The Hawaii demonstration embeds nontraditional innovators directly alongside frontline warfighters. Over the course of the event, Soldiers will evaluate emerging capabilities across both autonomous air and ground domains, stress-testing low-signature uncrewed aircraft capable of reaching austere landing zones without risking aircrews, as well as uncrewed ground vehicles navigating rugged jungle corridors for tactical last-mile resupply.
The evaluation kicks off November 4 with hands-on training, where industry teams train warfighters on their technology solutions. From November 7–9, Soldiers take full operational ownership during realistic tactical lane evaluations, rigorously challenging system survivability and operational fit in Pacific terrain.
The event then transitions from proving ground to live pitch. On November 12, innovators will pitch their platforms to Army and Department of War subject matter experts. The demonstration culminates on November 13 with a Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day, where senior leaders will observe static displays of the technologies tested. Closing out the DV Day, up to five winners will be selected to win the ACE, receiving $150,000 cash prizes each and an OTA valued at up to $2 million.
Operational Assessment & The Path to Transition
The Honolulu event is only the catalyst. Within 45 days of winning USARPAC ACE 27-01, the five selected OTA awardees are expected to rapidly iterate their designs based directly on Soldier feedback captured in Hawaii to prepare for transition into formal Operational Assessments.
Evaluators from the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), operational unit leaders, and Portfolio Acquisition Executive transition partners will collect rigorous performance data to determine transition readiness and inform broader enterprise procurement recommendations for senior leadership.
Accelerating Value for the Warfighter and Industry
USARPAC ACE 27-01 establishes a repeatable blueprint for rapid defense modernization. For the warfighter, the event bypasses protracted requirements cycles by giving Soldiers direct input into system design, ensuring fielded platforms solve acute tactical pain points before scaled production. For industry partners, the ACE delivers non-dilutive capital, rare end-user operational data and feedback, and access to a clear pathway toward transition.