Combating Terrorism Technology Support
Abstract
The Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) supports the National Defense Strategy (NDS), the Irregular Warfare Annex, and will increase the priority of addressing capability gaps between U.S. military forces and peer and near-peer threats. This program recognizes that many of the existing requirements already support many of the high interest areas, to include increasing lethal capability of U.S. forces at the squad and small unit level; developing lethal drones; countering Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones); operating in deeply buried and hardened facilities; novel body and vehicle armor; detecting, protecting against, and mitigating novel and wartime CBRNE threats; telematics; covert communications; and of special interest, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the capability of systems used by the military and lessen the workload on the individual users. IWTSD will continue to focus its R&D activities rapidly to fill the immediate, emerging and critical capability gaps of special operations forces, other military operators, intelligence analysts, and first responders that are at the leading edge of the fight or response. The number of projects has been reduced due to the increased cost of incorporating artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyber hardening, and meeting safety testing requirements for an increasing number of systems. The focus on increased lethality has also driven up costs in to meet Defense safety and testing requirements. Post COVID-19, IWTSD has resumed near normal, in-person collaboration and coordination with users, industry, and international partners. However, contracts with vendors are still being extended due to the impacts of the supply chain, lack of personnel, and the availability of laboratories for testing. From a broader perspective, projects remain distributed among 10 mission categories: •Advanced Analytics •Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives •Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Explosive Operations •Expeditionary Force Protection •Forensic Exploitation and Identity Operations •Human Performance and Training •Indirect Influence and Competition •Protection, Survivability, and Recovery •Surveillance, Collection, and Operations Support •Tactical Offensive Support Each of these programs have long held strong R&D partnerships with the components of USSOCOM, the Services, and many Defense Agencies. While supporting the NDS by filling capability gaps for great power competition, the IWTSD program will also continue to identify capabilities to combat terrorism and irregular adversaries and quickly deliver these capabilities to U.S. Defense and interagency users, as well as international partners through rapid research and development, advanced studies, and technical innovation. The IWTSD continues to expand its partnerships with other Defense and the Interagency components, as well as with our foreign partners’ rapid development and acquisition organizations to leverage their expertise and reduce unnecessary duplication as it tries to expedite and transition new and innovative capabilities. IWTSD is unique in its approach, annually obtaining joint requirements directly from military operators, intelligence analyst, and first responders and discussing those requirements with industry even before the requirements are released in a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The IWTSD program continues to be a diverse, advanced technology development effort that capitalizes on interagency and international participation to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of technology when applied to combating peer or near-peer forces, emerging threats, and combating terrorism requirements. This includes rapid technology development, safety testing, proof-of-concept demonstrations, operational test and evaluations of prototypes in the field, and coordinating the transition from development to production and operational use. Beginning with the FY 2021 plan, the time from requirements to contracts was shortened to ensure the IWTSD was addressing the most near-term, identified needs. As such, the FY 2024 Program Requirements Meetings with users will take place in January, 2023 and contract awards will begin in October or November 2023 (the start of FY 2024). The IWTSD normally manages approximately 220 individual projects and international task plans; while also reviewing proposals and negotiating contracts for another 70 requirements for the next fiscal year. The IWTSD program justified in the R-2 exhibit identifies the projects fully or partially funded by Congressional appropriations for the IWTSD program. However, IWTSD also develops technology and provides support using external funds provided by other DoD and federal departments and international partnerships. The funds for these projects and support activities are not reflected in this justification R-2; but the number of activities does reflect positively on the trust and competence that IWTSD has earned throughout the Department of Defense and interagency to rapidly conduct critical RDT&E and provide innovative products to fill their capability gaps.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- 0603122D8Z_3_0400_PB_2024
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY 2024 minimal program increase to address capability gaps between U.S. military forces and peer and near-peer threats.
- Service Agency Name
- Office of the Secretary Of Defense
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
Related Documents
- Child Project: Combating Terrorism Technology Support (CTTS)
- Child Accomplishment: Advanced Analytic Capabilities (AAC)
- Child Accomplishment: CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR, AND EXPLOSIVES (CBRNE)
- Child Accomplishment: Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Explosive Operations (EOD/EXO)
- Child Accomplishment: FORENSIC Exploitation and Identity Operations (FEIO)
- Child Accomplishment: Indirect Influence and Competition (I2C)
- Child Accomplishment: Protection, Survivability, and Recovery (PSR)
- Child Accomplishment: Expeditionary Force Protection (EFP)
- Child Accomplishment: SURVEILLANCE, COLLECTION AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT
- Child Accomplishment: Tactical Offensive Support (TOS)
- Child Accomplishment: Human Performance and Training (HPT)