📋 Tender Overview
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, alongside Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, visited the Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) site in Powidz, Poland on February 15, 2025.
The visit highlighted the U.S. Armys commitment to equipping its forces with cutting-edge technology and bolstering deterrence in Eastern Europe, particularly through the V Corps leading role in the Transforming in Contact (TiC) initiative.
During their visit, Secretary Hegseth and Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz met with Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. The Soldiers showcased new military equipment recently tested during the Combined Resolve 25-1 exercise, emphasizing the impact of the TiC program. This initiative aims to provide Soldiers with the latest technology, allowing them to experiment and provide valuable feedback for shaping the future force.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by 1st Sgt. Jacob Connor)
WASHINGTON -- The Armys 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, shared insights gained from its nine-month European rotational deployment as the Armys only Transformation in Contact 1.0 unit in an active theater during a media roundtable May 5, 2025, at the Pentagon.
The brigade is one of three brigades with an initiative to integrate technological advancements into equipment and force structure.
Unique to the Soldiers experience was that they were the first Army brigade to transform in contact while forward deployed. Transforming in Contact, or TiC, is how the Army is adapting its organization and delivering new technologies into the hands of Soldiers so they can experiment, innovate and be ready to fight on a modern battlefield. It accelerates fielding of necessary capabilities and leverages commercial off-the-shelf products to get new capabilities to the force fast.
Col. Josh Glonek, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, said when their deployment began nine months ago along NATOs eastern flank from the Baltics to the Black Sea region, the Army asked them to do two things: become more mobile and more lethal.
A Skydio X2D drone assigned to 317th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division sits prepared for launch during exercise Combined Resolve 25-1 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, Jan. 15, 2025. Able to be employed in less than a minute, the Skydio is an American-made Small Unmanned Aircraft System intended for the platoon echelon, rucksack portable and capable of high-resolution video to enable day/night aerial reconnaissance out to three kilometers. During Combined Resolve 25-1, the U.S. Army is implementing its Transforming in Contact initiative, utilizing new technologies and systems designed to enhance its warfighting readiness and ability to respond to crisis or conflict.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Chandler Coats)
Lessons learned
The unique brigade applied lessons learned from the war in Ukraine to advance Army efforts in unmanned aerial systems employment, electronic warfare, ground mobility, deception, command and control, survivability and more.
The brigade operated in challenging terrain in complex environments, during winter conditions, Glonek said during Combined Resolve 25-01 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany.
The difficult terrain and weather tested equipment and Soldiers, leading to crucial adjustments in tactics, he said. The European weather -- cloud cover, fog, icing -- presented significant challenges to drone operations. We need to develop technologies and tactics that can operate effectively in these conditions.
Although the terrain and weather were difficult, he said the Soldiers proved their resiliency.
Our Soldiers are proving that they can adapt and overcome, even in the most demanding environments, Glonek said.
The colonel said the unique brigade also successfully fielded new equipment across five NATO countries.
The 3/10 has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies like advanced drones (Skydio, Vector, Darkhive), new vehicles such as Infantry Squad Vehicles, or ISVs, and networked communication systems. This isnt just about having new gear. Its about how were using it to enhance our capabilities.
Glonek said the integration of Infantry Squad Vehicles, unmanned systems -- including lethal drones -- and redesigned Strike Companies has increased the brigades ability to maneuver quickly, find the enemy, and deliver decisive firepower. He said ISVs and Soldier Mounted Equipment Transports significantly improved the light infantrys mobility, reducing their reliance on traditional support units.
Ninety percent of the brigade-initiated fire missions were observed by the UAS, significantly increasing accuracy and reducing risk to Soldiers, he said. The integration of Strike Companies, equipped with scouts, mortars and unmanned systems proved effective in finding, fixing and locating enemy forces.
Through this, weve learned the importance of maintaining dedicated reconnaissance, Glonek said.
A Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) system assigned to 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division stands loaded with equipment during exercise Combined Resolve 25-1 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, Jan. 15, 2025. The SMET system is an eight-wheeled robotic payload carrier operated by a single-hand remote control designed to lighten Soldiers loads. Though intended as an equipment-carrying robotic mule, it has built-in flexibility for a wide range of combat functions. During Combined Resolve 25-1, the U.S. Army is implementing its Transforming-In-Contact initiative, utilizing new technologies and systems designed to enhance its warfighting readiness and ability to respond to crisis or conflict.
