Army offers cash prizes for tech to disrupt enemy networks, keep troops connected

The U.S. Army is seeking new electronic warfare technology to destroy enemy command hubs while protecting American troops from similar attacks in Europe. Staff Sgt. Trevor Cheatwood of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment operates tactical electronic warfare equipment during exercise Spectrum Blitz at the Hohenfels Training Area in the German state of Bavaria on June 23, 2026. The Army is seeking new systems for soldiers to test in Germany next year. (Thomas Dixon/U.S. Army) The initiative is offering up to $1.5 million in competition prizes and $16 million in potential follow-on acquisition opportunities for technologies that prove effective, the service said in a solicitation posting Wednesday. The effort by U.S. Army Europe and Africa calls for testing of the new technology early next year with soldiers at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in the German state of Bavaria.

V Corps must be able to coordinate forces and carry out operations even when an adversary is trying to disrupt its battlefield networks, the Army said. The requirements coincide with lessons from the battlefields of Ukraine, where electronic warfare has become a major feature of combat in the ongoing fight that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. They also are in line with NATO’s new Theory of Victory concept of waging war, unveiled this week by U.S. European Command’s Gen. Alexus Grynkewich. The plan