The War Department announced the first round of Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) projects for Fiscal Year 2026 on December 22, 2025. The program has awarded more than $1 billion to small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors, with this initial batch targeting the transition of technologies from development to fielding and initial production.
What it means
The awards distribute funding across multiple service branches, including the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. The average FY 2026 award exceeds $30 million per project. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, said crossing the billion-dollar threshold underscores APFIT’s commitment to America’s small business innovators and that the department is proud to accelerate the delivery of these critical capabilities to warfighters.
The program aims to expand opportunity for small businesses in every region, including traditionally underrepresented and remote states. The highest single APFIT award to date is $49.7 million, issued just under the APFIT maximum statutory cap of $50 million. Additional FY 2026 projects will be announced throughout the fiscal year.
Key facts
- Fiscal Year 2026: First round of APFIT projects announced
- $1 billion+: Total awarded by APFIT to small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors
- $30 million+: Average FY 2026 award per project
- $49.7 million: Highest single APFIT award to date
- $50 million: APFIT maximum statutory cap
- $49.70 million: Real-Time Command and Control at the Tactical Edge, U.S. Army
- $48.50 million: Augmented Maneuver Vehicle for Satellites, U.S. Space Force
- $35.00 million: Gremlin Low-Cost Munition, U.S. Marine Corps
- $35.00 million: Trolling Uncrewed Navigation Assistant (TUNA) Seeker, U.S. Marine Corps
- $33.00 million: Kraken 18 Communications Pod, U.S. Navy
- $29.49 million: Whaleshark Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV), U.S. Marine Corps
- $28.00 million: Domestic High Performance UAS Batteries, U.S. Navy
- $25.00 million: Mobile Smart Manufacturing for Airframe Spares, U.S. Air Force
- $24.00 million: Small Uncrewed Maritime Vessels, U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps
- $22.15 million: Deployable, Attritable Optical Systems, U.S. Space Force
- $21.66 million: High Frequency Intercept Direction Finding and Exploitation (HIDES), U.S. Army
- $20.00 million: Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Ground Based Air Defense, U.S. Marine Corps
- $20.00 million: Miniaturized Gyroscope for Resilient Navigation, U.S. Marine Corps
- $10.00 million: Tactical High-Bandwidth, Low-Latency, high-capacity data network, U.S. Marine Corps
Source: War Department news release (war.gov)