Rapid Prototyping Program

The Rapid Prototyping Program, managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is designed to support strategic initiatives by quickly developing prototypes to address urgent needs identified by the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, or through guidance from the Secretary of Defense. The program aims to deliver these prototypes within a 12-to-24-month timeframe, focusing on technologies that have reached technical readiness levels 7-9. Its objectives include modernizing cross-cutting Joint technology areas and providing fieldable end-to-end mission capabilities for joint applications. It also seeks to inform disparate programs of record and deliver capabilities more swiftly than traditional acquisition processes.

The program supports various agencies, including the Strategic Capabilities Office, Defense Innovation Unit, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and military services. It emphasizes reducing technical and integration risks across services and accelerating capabilities to programs of record and future experimentation efforts. The Rapid Prototyping Program aligns project selection with priority Joint mission threads and technology areas such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, autonomous systems, hypersonics, electronic warfare, sensors for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and resilient communications.

Several key projects under this program include the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFIRE), a joint U.S.-Australia initiative focused on developing an air-launched hypersonic weapon prototype. Another significant project is the Joint Fires Network (JFN), which aims to connect sensors and weapon systems using advanced information technology to enhance target engagement efficiency across multi-domain forces. Additionally, the Wolfpack project focuses on developing multi-domain prototypes capable of delivering various payloads from small launchers using swarming unmanned systems.

The Rapid Prototyping Program is structured to facilitate rapid response to emergent threats by leveraging efficient acquisition strategies such as Other Transaction Authorities and existing contract vehicles. This approach allows for agile project selection and implementation in response to new opportunities or threats as they arise. The program's overarching goal is to bridge the gap between research activities and fieldable solutions while supporting critical technology areas outlined by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.