Concepts Experimentation Program

The Concepts Experimentation Program (PE 0605326A) is a critical Army research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) initiative designed to support the development and assessment of current and future Army concepts and capabilities. The program's overarching goal is to explore, validate, and refine operational concepts and requirements across the Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) domains. By leveraging live, virtual, and constructive environments, the program seeks to clarify and mitigate risks for both current and future forces. This approach helps ensure the Army remains adaptable and prepared for evolving threats.

Army/Joint Experimentation (Project 312) focuses on developing and integrating new concepts and capabilities in alignment with the Army Vision and Modernization Strategy. This project employs a variety of experimentation methods, including live field exercises, simulation-based experiments, and table-top exercises, to assess and validate operational and organizational concepts. Key activities include the Joint Warfighting Assessment, Army Focused Warfighting Experiment, and Concept Focused Warfighting Experiment, which collectively inform the design of future Army formations and capabilities. The project also coordinates with Army Battle Laboratories, operational units, industry, and academia to ensure comprehensive analysis and development.

Current Force Capability Gaps (Project 317) addresses the identification and resolution of critical capability gaps within the operational force. This project supports the Capability Development and Integration Directorate Battle Lab experimentation, enabling the Army to synchronize requirements and solutions for modernization. Activities include requirements determination and documentation, battle lab experimentation, and the maintenance of the Army Capability-based Architecture Development and Integration Environment. This environment serves as the authoritative source for architecture data, supporting the development and validation of operational architectures for major Brigade Combat Team formations and future multi-domain formations.

Soldier-Centered Analyses for Future Force (Project 33B) is dedicated to integrating human performance considerations into the development of Soldier-focused requirements. This project utilizes modeling tools, design analyses, constructive simulations, and Soldier-in-the-loop assessments to ensure that manpower, workload, and skill demands are appropriately addressed. The goal is to optimize Soldier performance and avoid information or physical task overloads. These efforts support the development of an affordable and effective Future Force and align with broader Army strategic planning and modernization objectives.

Project Convergence (PC1) represents the Army's flagship campaign of learning and experimentation, aimed at advancing and integrating Army contributions to Joint Force overmatch. Project Convergence is a multi-year, joint and coalition experimentation effort that brings together concepts, technologies, requirements, and gap analyses through a series of structured demonstrations and experiments. The Capstone event within Project Convergence integrates these elements at scale, focusing on operational challenges in both the Indo-Pacific and European theaters. The project emphasizes rapid integration of select technologies, multi-domain operations, and interoperability with other services and multinational partners.

The Concepts Experimentation Program also supports the Army's Continuous Learning Campaign, ensuring that lessons learned from experimentation are rapidly incorporated into capability development and acquisition decisions. The program is closely linked to the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, providing critical support to Program Executive Offices and Program Managers for acquisition milestone decisions. By serving as the voice of the warfighter and complementing materiel developers, the program ensures that DOTMLPF solutions are fully integrated and responsive to operational needs.