"The G-TEAD in general, we’re fighting against a cultural problem right, an identity. What does acquisition look like in the eyes of our warfighters, which is really important at the tactical edge," Col. Christopher Hill said.
G-TEAD's objective: move TLR‑7+ tech into hands within 180 days
The Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G‑TEAD) was created as part of the service’s push for "continuous transformation" and to speed delivery of mature capabilities. The directorate targets systems at technology readiness level (TLR) seven or above — one of nine TLR levels, with seven marking when a prototype can successfully demonstrate in an operational environment — and aims to put those capabilities in warfighters' hands in 180 days or less from the publication of a white paper, Col. Christopher Hill told Breaking Defense.
Merops in Europe: field assessment to contract in 148 days
G‑TEAD has already translated that target into practice. The American-made Merops counter‑drone system, produced by Perennial Autonomy, had been used in Ukraine for more than two years and during Operation Epic Fury. On Sept. 14, shortly after a Russian incursion into Poland, senior U.S. service leaders alerted G‑TEAD that Ukrainians were employing Merops. G‑TEAD immediately sent soldiers into Ukraine to assess the system, "a contract [was] written with the company the day we showed up in Europe," and, Hill said, from that arrival to program delivery the elapsed time was about 148 days — inside the directorate’s 180‑day goal. That pace, Hill observed, "is atypical. That is not what happens within acquisition."
Acquisition model: OTAs, ACEs, and pre‑award "win agreements"
The directorate has relied on other transaction agreements (OTAs) and competitive events to compress timelines. After G‑TEAD posts a white paper for a technology area, "hundreds of companies respond" and roughly 15 are selected to participate in Accelerated Capability Events (ACEs). From those competitions, about five winners are chosen and one finalist receives the OTA; the other winners obtain agreements that make them awardable without re‑competing. To date G‑TEAD has awarded two OTAs for counter‑drone systems — Merops and a system from Mountain Horse Solutions. The Mountain Horse system is still waiting to be deployed but is on schedule to meet the directorate’s delivery goal. Hill also said an OTA for ground autonomy is set to be announced "in the coming days" and will follow the same timeframe for delivery.
Prioritization and authorities: ASCC guidance, Forge data, and RDT&E access
G‑TEAD’s technology priorities originate with the commanding generals of Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs), but the directorate also cross‑checks those priorities against broader Army capability gaps using the service’s Forge database — "a data environment facilitating the synchronization and integration of modernization processes," according to the Army. Hill emphasized that ASCCs historically had requirements but lacked acquisition authority and access to research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E). G‑TEAD brings both authorities and access to the tactical edge; Hill called that shift fundamental, saying, "Without those two would not have resulted in much, but putting us at the top of the edge and giving us that is really what’s resulting in us being us."
What this means for ASCC commanders, warfighters, and vendors
- ASCC commanders: They can now feed operational priorities directly into a pathway that includes acquisition authority and RDT&E access, improving the chance that region‑specific needs are rapidly addressed.
- Warfighters and operational units: Mature systems (TLR seven and above) can reach soldiers in the field within the directorate’s 180‑day target — demonstrated by the Merops delivery to forces on the Eastern Flank.
- Vendors such as Perennial Autonomy and Mountain Horse Solutions: Participation in ACEs can yield "win agreements" that eliminate immediate re‑competition and provide a faster route to contract awards and deployment.
G‑TEAD has established a tightly scripted pipeline — white paper, ACE, winner selection, OTA or awardable agreement — and has already applied it in Europe and Africa. Hill said the first ACE in the U.S. Army Pacific theater will occur in either November or December, extending the model to another region. The directorate’s success so far rests on three concrete changes: a cultural redefinition of acquisition at the tactical edge, explicit authority to award and fund, and direct access to RDT&E. The question left by those facts is operational and institutional: can the pace that produced a 148‑day Merops fielding be sustained and scaled so that rapid transition becomes the norm rather than the exception — especially as G‑TEAD seeks to move successful efforts into larger Army programs?
