Overview
- The Army posted a Special Notice on Feb. 20 and set a Secret-level Industry Day for March 23–24 at Redstone Arsenal with personal electronic devices barred in briefing areas.
- A Request for Solutions is planned for April 2026, using a two-step downselect process, and companies must register for Industry Day by March 13.
- The rapid-prototyping effort follows a four-phase path using OTA authorities: architecture research, operational prototypes, system qualification, then potential production awards.
- The fly-off in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2028 will assess closed-loop lethal performance for missiles that exceed 1,000 km, integrate with HIMARS/MLRS, and engage moving maritime plus relocatable land targets without GPS.
- Reporting places Increment 4 within a broader push for ground-based maritime strike in the Indo-Pacific, with wide deployment options via HIMARS mobility and a previously projected initial operational capacity in late 2029.