HII to Advance Airdrop Technologies for U.S. Army Soldier Sustainment
A new five-year Army task order extends HII’s role in R&D for advanced airdrop and soldier sustainment technologies under the IAC MAC program.
Rhea-AI Summary
HII (HII) has received a five-year task order to research improved airdrop and combat feeding techniques supporting U.S. Army soldier sustainment.
The Mission Technologies division will develop new cargo and personnel airdrop technologies for precision-guided and conventional aerial delivery across manned and unmanned aircraft. Work will focus on enhancing equipment reliability, safety, interoperability, sensing technologies, autonomous capabilities and cybersecurity protections against environmental and operational threats. The task order was issued under the Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract managed by the Defense Technical Information Center, where HII currently has nearly 60 active task orders.
Positive
- Five-year task order to advance airdrop and combat feeding technologies for U.S. Army soldier sustainment
- Nearly 60 active task orders on the IAC MAC program, showing ongoing demand for HII’s soldier sustainment expertise
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
- Task Order Duration
- 5 years
- U.S. Army soldier sustainment research task order
- Active IAC MAC Task Orders
- Nearly 60
- HII active task orders on the IAC MAC program
Key Terms
precision-guided technical
interoperability technical
cybersecurity technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Mission Technologies division announced today that it was awarded a task order to research improved airdrop and combat feeding techniques to support U.S. Army soldier sustainment.
Under the five-year task order, HII will advance new cargo and personnel airdrop technologies for precision-guided and conventional aerial delivery systems across manned and unmanned aircraft. The effort encompasses improving equipment reliability, safety and interoperability between systems while advancing sensing technologies, autonomous capabilities and cybersecurity protections to mitigate environmental and operational threats.
“Our troops’ safety and mission success depend on their ability to stay supplied and mobile even in the most difficult and austere environments,” said Todd Gentry, president of Mission Technologies’ All-Domain Operations group. “Driven by innovation, our team is uniting cutting-edge research, engineering, and an operator’s mindset to tackle these critical challenges, ensuring our forces are always ready wherever duty calls.”
The task order was awarded under the Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract, administered by the Defense Technical Information Center for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center. HII has extensive expertise in soldier sustainment technologies, with nearly 60 active task orders on the IAC MAC program.
An image accompanying this release is available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-to-advance-airdrop-technologies-for-us-army-soldier-sustainment/.
About HII
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 45,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
About the DoWIAC Program
The DoWIAC, sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center, provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users. Established in 1946, the IAC program serves the DoW science & technology (S&T) and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader S&T community.
PREFERRED USE OF DoWIAC CONTRACTS
The Preferred Use of DoWIAC Contract Memorandum was signed by Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology (S&T) on 19 December 2024. In it, Dr. Ericsson recognizes the DoWIAC program as a model for rapid acquisition of advanced Research and Development services and encourages Requiring Officers and Contracting Officers to use the IACs as best value vehicles to acquire R&D and research and analysis services.
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE PR2026-3713
Contact:
Greg McCarthy
(202) 264-7126
gregory.j.mccarthy@hii-co.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0440df20-432b-49d6-9ce5-cf141045f522
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What specific technologies will HII work on under this new task order?
The effort includes advancing cargo and personnel airdrop technologies for both precision-guided and conventional aerial delivery systems, across manned and unmanned aircraft. The work will improve equipment reliability, safety and interoperability while advancing sensing technologies, autonomous capabilities and cybersecurity protections to address environmental and operational threats.
Under what contract vehicle was this HII task order awarded?
The task order was awarded under the Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (IAC MAC), which is administered by the Defense Technical Information Center for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center.
What is the DoWIAC program mentioned in the announcement?
The DoWIAC, sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center, provides technical data management and research support for the Department of Defense and other federal government users. Established in 1946, the IAC program serves defense science and technology and acquisition communities by driving innovation and technological developments through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination.
Why are DoWIAC contracts described as preferred-use vehicles?
The Preferred Use of DoWIAC Contract Memorandum, signed on 19 December 2024 by Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson, recognizes the DoWIAC program as a model for rapid acquisition of advanced research and development services and encourages Requiring Officers and Contracting Officers to use the IACs as best value vehicles to obtain R&D and research and analysis services.