Rapid Prototyping, Experimentation and Demonstration.

The Rapid Prototyping Experimentation, and Demonstration (RPED) program aims to facilitate rapid modernization of the force by encouraging multi-component experimentation through a campaign of learning. The initiative, established in the Defense Planning Guidance for Fiscal Year 2023-2027, encourages services, agencies, and other participating organizations to identify best of breed capabilities developed among the DoD prototyping programs and execute approved projects through large-scale experiments to refine and validate the Joint Warfighting Concept (JWC). The program's specific objectives include promoting acquisition oversight and fiscal clarity of Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) initiatives, evaluating and integrating prototyped technologies in operationally relevant, multi-domain environments, and facilitating Joint Staff analysis in the evaluation of the JWC.

The RPED program supports the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) initiative by funding approved Service projects for upcoming fiscal years out of Department reserves. The program aims to quickly incorporate the most promising innovative prototypes into experiments and promptly terminate projects that fail to achieve expectations. Additionally, it seeks to incentivize a disciplined approach to rapidly identify, incorporate, and execute projects largely through the Military Services. The RPED program's efforts are focused on evaluating integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment within a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6-7 range. The program's funding decisions are based on emerging requirements and periodic assessments of project viability, with execution timelines ranging from one to two years.