Fourth Consecutive Win at U.S. Military’s Innovation Challenge
For the fourth consecutive iteration, an innovation initiated with the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), with development support from the Marne Innovation Center, a collaborative U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) and Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) Design, Innovation, Research, and Technology (DIRT) Lab, won the XVIII Airborne Corps Dragon’s Lair competition.
Tactical innovation solutions developed and designed by Soldiers with support of the DEVCOM ARL and CMI2’s Pathfinder Program and its Marne Innovation Center have successfully won Dragon’s Lair VII, VIII, IX and now X.
“The tactical innovation solutions generated from Soldiers, not only at the 3ID but throughout the Army’s collaborative Pathfinder Program, are tremendous,” said James C. Clevenger, CMI2 Pathfinder Program Manager. “The final list of selected products and the ultimate winner of this latest Dragon’s Lair competition highlights Pathfinder’s commitment to empowering Soldiers by giving them the tools, materials, and expert support they need to not only get their ideas on the Dragon’s Lair stage, but more importantly to drive innovation for our warfighters.”
Dragon’s Lair X was held the first week in September in Stuttgart, Germany. SFC Nathan Lopez and the Vehicle-Integrated Camouflage System (VICS) came out on top in the competition.
The initial concept and project forerunner for the VICS was a ground-based camouflage system. SFC Lopez utilized the VICS product concept of ground camouflage to translate it and develop an option for vehicle support, with the guidance and support of the engineering team at the Marne Innovation Center.
Since 2022, Fort Stewart and the Marne Innovation Center’s efforts to coordinate Soldier-engagement and collaboration are led by Randy Emert, CMI2’s DIRT Lab Manager and Innovation Engineer embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division as part of the Pathfinder program.
“The collaboration between Soldiers at Fort Stewart and our innovation partners at the Marne Innovation Center, is outstanding,” said Major General Christopher R. Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart. “Since the opening of our DIRT Lab at Fort Stewart in 2022, we have seen a significant increase in tactical innovation ideas and engagement, and we appreciate DEVCOM ARL and CMI2 for making that happen.”
The Pathfinder programs focus on soldier-inspired tactical innovation has allowed soldiers to influence design of prototypes and participate in CMI2-led experimentation events to challenge their effectiveness.
In August 2020, the XVIII Airborne Corps, known as America’s Contingency Corps, developed Dragon’s Lair, a “Shark Tank”-style competition, to give service members of all ranks a platform to convey their innovative ideas and concepts to civilian technical experts and senior military leaders.
