CI and HUMINT Equipment Program-Army (CIHEP-A)

The CI and HUMINT Equipment Program-Army (CIHEP-A) is a research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) initiative under the Army's Military Intelligence portfolio. It is specifically designed to enhance the capabilities of Counterintelligence (CI) and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) collectors. The program's primary objective is to provide Army Military Intelligence Brigades with scalable and modular expeditionary equipment kits that support a wide range of intelligence operations. These kits are intended to replace the aging Counterintelligence/Human Intelligence Automated Reporting and Collection Systems (CHARCS), which will reach its end of useful life in fiscal year 2027.

CIHEP-A's goals center on improving the Army's ability to detect and mitigate insider threats, enable military source operations (MSO), and support interrogation and debriefing activities. By equipping CI and HUMINT teams with advanced collection capabilities, the program aims to strengthen the Army's posture against adversary intelligence efforts. The kits will primarily consist of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) and Government Off-the-Shelf (GOTS) components, allowing for rapid integration and adaptability to evolving operational requirements.

In fiscal year 2025, the program is funded for system evaluation, testing, and program management activities. This supports the acquisition of initial equipment packages, the conduct of Soldier Touchpoints (user feedback events), tactical network integration, and the initiation of New Equipment Training (NET) development. The Program Office plans to procure CIHEP-A kits and will use the results of Soldier Touchpoints to inform hardware procurement decisions, ensuring that the equipment meets operational needs and user requirements.

The project line within the program element encompasses planning and management activities scheduled from Q2 FY2024 to Q2 FY2026, Soldier Touchpoints in Q1-Q2 FY2025, kit development in Q2-Q4 FY2025, and achieving Milestone C from Q4 FY2025 to Q3 FY2026, which marks the transition to full-rate production and deployment. The FY2026 funding decrease is attributed to the completion of CIHEP-A development and the realignment of resources to the Sensor Computing Environment (CE) program for better alignment of capabilities.

The acquisition strategy for CIHEP-A leverages the Adaptive Acquisition Framework to deliver sustainable software and hardware solutions that are operationally and tactically relevant. The program utilizes existing contract vehicles, including General Services Administration (GSA) schedules and open competed contracts, to procure COTS/GOTS hardware and software. This approach enables rapid assessment of systems, incorporation of operational feedback, and validation of military utility through Soldier Touchpoints and developmental solution evaluations.

A related budget line supports broader HUMINT capability development. While not directly tied to the CIHEP-A kits, this funding complements the overall modernization of Army intelligence equipment and supports the integration of new technologies and operational concepts across the CI and HUMINT enterprise.