Request for Information – ROID DIRT Days (27-01)

OVERVIEW

The FY27 Rapid Operational Innovation Detachment (ROID) Driving Innovation in Realistic Training (DIRT) Days 27-01 Request for Information (RFI) invites industry partners, technology vendors, academic institutions, and government organizations to participate in a collaborative tactical validation event taking place 14-19 February 2027 at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CBJTC), FL. DIRT Days 27-01 provides a unique opportunity for vendors to demonstrate, assess, and refine emerging technologies alongside operational military units within realistic Army training environments. Through direct Soldier engagement and operational feedback, participants will contribute to the advancement of future warfighting capabilities while supporting Army tactical validation efforts focused on operational readiness, mission effectiveness, and technology transition.

ABOUT ROID

A push to speed battlefield-ready technology into the hands of U.S. forces continues as the U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Chief Technology Officer’s (CTO) office teams up with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory, the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2), and participating Army units to launch the FY 2027 ROID tactical validation campaign.

These efforts debuted with the first DIRT Days 26-01 in February 2026, followed by three additional iterations throughout the year. These tactical validation events marked the beginning of a globe-spanning series occurring approximately every 90 days in real-world training environments to accelerate technological breakthroughs for frontline Soldiers.

In FY27, DIRT Days continues to support the ROID mission, aligning with CENTCOM’s Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF) mandate to accelerate the outfitting of deployed forces with cutting-edge capabilities. The series builds on DEVCOM ARL’s, in collaboration with CMI2, infrastructure and technical expertise, to rapidly transition technologies that enhance operational readiness and mission effectiveness.

MISSION 

The ROID DIRT Days series integrates Soldiers into a structured tactical validation event aligned with CENTCOM operational priorities to rapidly assess and transition emerging technologies into operational use. Hosted by CMI2 in partnership with ARL and CENTCOM, the event provides a realistic framework for evaluating capabilities to establish and maintain continuity of sustainment operations in a contested environment within a 96-hour scenario.

Focus areas for the FY 2027 campaign include:

• Counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS)
• Electromagnetic and heat signature reduction
• Acoustic and seismic sensors
• Command and control integration platforms
• Alternative power sources
• Mobile UAS manufacturing
• Ad Hoc, mobile communication systems
• Uncrewed ground systems
• UAS

5Ws

• Who: Soldiers and Joint Service Members from a variety of units, CMI2 staff, and associated customers/stakeholders (approximately 60-70 personnel per day)
• What: Participate in ROID DIRT Days 27-01, which is the kickoff event for the FY 2027 ROID Series
• When: 14-19 February 2027
• Where: Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Florida (near Jacksonville, FL)
• Why: To conduct a tactical validation event serving as the initial technology evaluation and down selection event, leading into the rest of the 27-event series. This event will allow the team to proof newly established objective, performance-data-focused processes to better accomplish verifiable validation of selected technologies.

TACTICAL VALIDATION OBJECTIVES & GOALS 

Design and execute a tactical validation event aligned with the priorities, synchronizing CENTCOM technology requirements with contested logistics-centric scenario objectives.  

• Static or Mobile/Man-portable C-UAS Identification, Tracking, and Defeat: Inform the Army on designing scenarios to enable Soldiers to detect, identify, react, and defeat UAS using available C-UAS technologies.
• Units conduct analyses using Accelerating Future Operational Requirements, Capabilities, and Experimentation (FORCE) C-UAS technologies to execute UAS battle drills.
• Units assess C-UAS capabilities to determine whether UAS are friendly or adversarial and to engage and defeat adversarial UAS.

UAS Mobile Manufacturing at the Point of Need: Inform the Army on how to build, repair, and sustain UAS at the tactical edge and employ them in operational concepts.   

• Units conduct training and familiarization on UAS build and repair.
• Units employ organically built UAS as a red force to conduct surveillance and attack against blue forces.
• Units employ built UAS to support planning and execution of actions on objectives.

Contested Logistics: Units will employ technology to fill logistical gaps from point of need to forward line of troops.  

• Units will employ autonomous ground and air vehicles.

Mobile Alternative Power Sources: Inform the Army on the development, integration, and employment of portable, reliable, and sustainable energy systems that support operations in remote, contested, or infrastructure-limited environments. Reduce dependence on traditional fuel logistics and fixed electrical grids for forward-deployed Soldiers during large-scale combat operations.  

• Units assess and employ advanced battery technologies to improve energy density, durability, recharge speed, and operational resilience.
• Units evaluate hydrogen or other composition fuel cells as portable and sustainable power solutions for tactical operations.
• Units employ solar power systems to extend operational endurance and reduce reliance on conventional fuel sources.
• Units assess hybrid generators, kinetic energy harvesting, and compact nuclear or thermal solutions to support expeditionary and distributed operations.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

ROID DD 27-01 CALL FOR TECHNOLOGY/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY, ACADEMIC, AND GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:  

Vendors, academic research teams, and government laboratory organizations interested in participating in the ROID DIRT Days event series are invited to apply by scanning the QR code below and submitting the brief registration form no later than 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Selected vendors must provide additional capabilities information by November 20, 2026. Final selections will help shape future tactical validation and collaboration opportunities.

Submission Requirements

Potential vendors will provide a proposal of no more than 10 pages to include:

• Vendor name, address, principal investigators, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, facility clearance level, or other pertinent administrative information.
• Vendor’s previous experience with government agencies or the Department of War (DOW).
• Technology Operational Viewpoint (OV-1)/high-level operational concept graphic and technology description. Descriptions must include power requirements, employment concepts, mobility needs, support equipment, and the physical deployment method.
• Operational impact, end user demand signals, or value proposition for the technology.
• The Operational Capability Status of the technology: the technology’s current fully operational capacity (FOC) status, or if the technology is at Initial Operational Capability (IOC), include the Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
• Estimated total costs for tactical validation.   NOTE: Estimated costs should be related to logistics and operational expenses related to the logistics and operational costs associated with the technology representatives planning for and attending the DIRT Days tactical validation event. CMI2 is not proposing the purchase of participating systems or equipment.

Evaluation Scoring 

• Technical Merit-60%
• Schedule-20%
• Budget-20%

Submission Form

Company/Organization *

Point of Contact *

First

Last

Email *

Phone *

Website / URL *

Request for Information Submission *

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Proposals must be submitted in PDF format and may not exceed 10 pages in length. All submissions are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on 15 NOVEMBER 2026.

1. Please select the topic area that best fits your technology or proposal. *

• Autonomous watercraft
• C-UAS sensing
• C-UAS kinetic or electronic defeat
• Autonomous resupply (air or ground)
• Electronic warfare (EW) signature characterization
• EW signature minimization

2. Does your technology require the ability to transmit radio frequency (RF)? *

• Yes
• No

3. Does your technology require airspace to operate? *

• Yes
• No

4. Does your technology require the ability to fire ballistics? *

• Yes
• No

5. Does your technology require the ability to create intentional interference (i.e. jam, spoof)? *

• Yes
• No

6. Does your technology require the ability to emit microwaves? *

• Yes
• No

7. Does your technology require the ability to use lasers? *

• Yes
• No

8. Is your company compliant with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements, and does your organization have the necessary systems and security controls in place to securely handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)? *

• Yes
• No

Submit

ABOUT DIRT DAYS 

DIRT Days is a series of hands-on tactical validation events designed to place emerging technologies directly into Soldiers’ hands for rapid testing, feedback, and refinement. By leveraging realistic training environments, DIRT Days accelerates the transition of innovative capabilities from concept to fielded solutions, boosting readiness and shortening deployment timelines. Each DIRT Days event centers on Soldier-driven evaluation, ensuring that new technologies evolve based on direct, day-to-day operational feedback. This bottom-up approach strengthens tactical relevance and helps ensure innovations meet real-world mission demands