xTech|Kinetic Reach Competition
SBIR Opportunity Analysis
The U.S. Army’s FUZE xTech Program, working with U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate, is using the xTech|Kinetic Reach competition to identify small-business technologies for autonomous and minimally manned sustainment and recovery in contested environments. The competition focuses on uncrewed ground and aerial payload transport, autonomous container handling, future power generation, autonomous forward arming and refueling, and automated ground recovery capabilities that can support dispersed formations with low signatures and integrated command and control. It emphasizes performance in GPS- and communications-degraded conditions and in high-threat environments where current manned sustainment methods are vulnerable, with finalists expected to participate in a live Soldier exercise. The Army intends to award up to $1.5 million in cash prizes, with up to 15 finalists and up to five final winners, and qualifying U.S. small businesses may submit a Direct to Phase II Army SBIR proposal worth up to $2 million; the competition is listed as pre-release with an open date of November 25, 2026 and a close/application due date of December 23, 2026.