Indiana National Guard’s T-REX Program Accelerates Autonomous System from Pentagon Demo to Operational Use in Record Time

Courtesy Photo | In an unprecedented demonstration of rapid innovation, the Indiana National Guard hosted the T-REX experimentation framework that was instrumental in advancing the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, also known as LUCAS, from a public demonstration to operational employment in seven months.  

UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Courtesy Story

Indiana National Guard Headquarters

INDIANAPOLIS – In an unprecedented demonstration of rapid innovation, the Indiana National Guard and Camp Atterbury hosted the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering (OUSW R&E) Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) event that was instrumental in advancing the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, also known as LUCAS, from a public demonstration to operational employment in seven months.

This achievement directly answers the call from national leadership to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the Joint Force.

In July 2025, the Department of War publicly demonstrated LUCAS in the Pentagon courtyard as a clear signal of its intent to field affordable, attritable, and autonomous capabilities at mass and scale. By February 2026, that same system was operationally employed during Operation Epic Fury, a timeline that shattered traditional defense acquisition models.

This accelerated transition from concept to combat employment was made possible by the "speed of relevance" methodology at the heart of the T-REX campaign. This unique experimentation venue, championed by OUSW R&E, fosters an environment of intentional collaboration between operators, engineers, and acquisition professionals to minimize capability gaps and allow service members to fight tonight with tomorrow’s technology.

The LUCAS exemplar serves as a powerful new model for defense innovation, showcasing how the Indiana National Guard and its partners across the Department of War are turning vision into reality.

The Rapid Assessment of Prototype Technology Readiness (RAPTR) Task Force is actively seeking new capabilities to bolster our nation’s defense at home and abroad. Innovators and industry partners ready to showcase a capability are encouraged to schedule a discovery call by contacting the Experimentation Development Team at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 04.01.2026 15:25
• Story ID: 561764
• Location: US