Army Launches New Website to Slash Tech Testing Wait Times to 30 Days

The U.S. Army is implementing a new initiative aimed at drastically reducing the time it takes for defense companies to test their military technology. Secretary Dan Driscoll announced on Friday that the service plans to cut down testing wait times from up to 18 months to just 30 days through the introduction of a dedicated scheduling website and expanded access to multiple domestic and international bases.

Driscoll, alongside Michigan officials, unveiled this ambitious plan which includes opening four domestic ranges for industry use. These ranges are located at Camp Grayling in Michigan, Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, West Cibola Range near Yuma, Arizona, and Camp Shelby in Mississippi. Additionally, the Army is partnering with Morocco to utilize the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) for overseas testing.

The new scheduling portal allows companies to request range reservations and be assigned a "dedicated concierge" to assist them throughout the process. The service emphasizes that while immediate availability cannot always be guaranteed due to capacity constraints, efforts will be made to find suitable alternatives quickly. Driscoll stressed that the Army aims to hold itself accountable to providing access within 30 days of request.

This initiative comes in response to feedback from defense vendors who highlighted lengthy delays as a significant barrier to innovation and rapid deployment of critical technologies. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has underscored the importance of timely testing for drone, counter-drone, missile, and interceptor systems, which are crucial for modern warfare scenarios.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and local congressmen Jack Bergman and Tom Barrett welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to boost the state's manufacturing sector by facilitating quicker access to testing facilities for companies like Covenant Industries, a start-up that recently tested its Anthem missile system at AMTEC in Morocco.

Driscoll emphasized that these ranges will simulate real-world electromagnetic warfare environments, such as those seen in Ukraine, which are difficult and costly for companies to replicate independently. The Army plans to host regular "special electromagnetic unreliability tests" at Camp Grayling starting this September, aiming to provide industry with realistic testing conditions more frequently.

By streamlining the process through a user-friendly portal and expanding access points across multiple locations, the Army hopes to accelerate technological advancements that can enhance soldier safety and lethality. This move is seen as a significant step towards overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and fostering closer collaboration between military services and defense contractors.