Companies can request U.S. or allied range access through online marketplace
The U.S. Army said the new process will allow private companies to seek testing space in the United States or at ranges belonging to allies abroad. Driscoll announced the initiative Friday at Camp Grayling, a military testing range in Michigan.
Companies will submit requests through an online marketplace that went live Friday. Driscoll said the Army would aim to provide access within 30 days of a request.
The timetable is intended to shorten the period between weapons development and battlefield procurement. Driscoll said a company seeking to test equipment can otherwise wait 12 to 18 months.
“It can take 12 to 18 months for a company that wants to go test the thing that can make a soldier’s life better, that can increase their lethality and that can keep them safer,” Driscoll said. “That is not sufficient.”
The Army’s announcement comes as drones feature prominently in conflicts involving the United States and its partners. The source reported that Iran launched Shahed drones against American forces in the Middle East and that Ukraine has developed drone technology while defending against Russia’s invasion.
The initiative also coincides with pressure on U.S. weapons supplies. The Pentagon is dealing with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished stockpiles of advanced weapons.
Some of those weapons can cost millions of dollars for a single missile or interceptor, according to the source. The Army’s new testing-access process is aimed at companies developing missiles, drones and other weapons for battlefield use.