HII to Advance Airdrop Technologies for U.S. Army Soldier Sustainment

McLEAN, Va., (Sept. 15, 2026) — 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.

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