By Tyler Barth
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - A novel battlefield technology will soon be able to address one of the more cumbersome vulnerabilities of combat – reloading.
Small unit resupply will serve to streamline Soldiers’ reengagement process, permitting infantry and non-armored units to focus on the mission ahead rather than having to count ammunition. It will automatically track ammunition consumption, and using modern technology, will detect when resupply is necessary and send a signal to the command system. The system will then discern how best to deliver a resupply, after which it will send the resupply out.
According to lead engineer Omid Panahi, the project started in 2023 as a joint effort between the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center and the DEVCOM Soldier Center. The Soldier Center’s Airdrop Technology team desired a way to bring Soldier resupply into the next generation of combat, to which the Armaments Center agreed to provide systems for consumption data and statistic aggregation.
Beyond the convenience of not having to track ammunition by pen and paper, small unit resupply also forms a complete tactical resupply loop. The system observes consumption via sensors, orients and aggregates data using visualization and contextual information in its decisions, and with support of AI, decides the best course of action for how to deliver, upon which it acts.
This technology was demonstrated during a Risk Reduction Event at Fort Dix in December in conjunction with the New Jersey National Guard and industry partners, and according to Panahi, Soldiers who tested the technology thought highly of it. Testers were asked to fill out questionnaires after the event, and Panahi said he and his fellow engineers received high-quality feedback based on a full analysis.
Currently, small unit resupply is still in the contracting and program stand-up phase, which will end this spring. The next phase should kick off by the beginning of this summer, with a hope to have a user-capable system ready for Soldiers to operationally field by the end of June 2027. After completing the transition and maturation phase, small unit resupply will be in the hands of respective Profile Acquisition Executives, likely by mid-2028.
This novel technology will be in the hands of the Soldier soon, and Panahi expressed confidence that it will not only deliver but will be a great benefit.