Rapid Capabilities Assessment (RCA) 17

U.S. Citizens Only

Purpose

SOFWERX and ICWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM’s Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T), will host the seventeenth Rapid Capability Assessment event (RCA17) in Chantilly, VA, with the theme “Field-Forward Operations – Future Challenges for SOF and the CIA in Data Dense Environments”.

Participants at RCA17 will develop, describe, and assess capabilities for the future needs of SOF and CIA operators and analysts in the 2035 timeframe for global forward, potentially austere, areas.

Background

USSOCOM S&T has developed and refined a unique process, the Innovation Cycle, to engage technology pioneers and leaders to discover and develop high-risk, innovative, and disruptive concepts, capabilities, and technologies for future onboarding.

A predecessor event, Innovation Foundry 17 (IF17), was the first phase of the Innovation Cycle and was focused on idea generation. RCA17 will build upon this foundation by bringing together experts from industry, academia, and national laboratories to collaborate with Special Operations Forces (SOF) and CIA personnel to decompose the IF17 outputs through facilitated exercises using systems engineering frameworks.

Problem Statement

Field-forward operations refer to the real-time or near real-time collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence information in the field or at the source to support mission planning and tactical decision-making. These activities rely on advanced technologies, including diverse sensors, smart systems, distributed networks, communication platforms, and AI-driven analytical suites. While these technologies offer significant advantages by providing actionable insights in real-time, they also introduce vulnerabilities (e.g., data reliability and accuracy, cybersecurity, processing speed, and energy efficiency). Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial for maximizing the potential of these technologies while minimizing risks, thereby enabling mission success. To address these challenges, SOF & the CIA will need to:

• Develop a vision for the future challenges posed by data-dense intelligence operations
• Identify and understand risks, vulnerabilities, and adversarial actions that threaten these operations and take appropriate measures with partners and allies at machine speed
• Develop plans and policies to enable operational advantage in global field environments and exploit dual-use capabilities
• Identify, recruit, and train for the skillsets required to conduct future interagency field-forward operations

Focus Areas

Five (5) areas of focus have been identified by the stakeholders for the RCA17 event. Participants will be assigned to teams, each of which will address challenges in one of these focus areas. Participants will also have the opportunity to provide input to other teams who are working in other focus areas.

1. Advanced Analytics: Explores how Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)-like systems and Mixture of Experts models can assist with intelligence analysis, with a focus on ethical and secure deployment.
2. Mapping Building Infrastructure: Investigates conventional and unconventional methods of integration with intelligent building systems such as lighting, fire suppression, and HVAC.
3. Novel Energy Sources: Focuses on efficiently generating, storing, and managing power in low-profile installations, including heat mitigation techniques for confined or off-grid environments.
4. Data Communications/Exfiltration: This focus area has two prongs: one focuses on globally dispersed, low-power edge sensors that can operate independently while triggering more complex systems through tipping and cueing; the second explores secure, high-throughput, and low-signature data transmission in both fixed and mobile environments.    
5. Edge Device Optimization: Focuses on maximizing processing efficiency of globally dispersed, low-power edge sensors that can operate independently while triggering more complex systems through alerting, tipping, and ranging.

Participant Tasks

RCA17 participants will systematically decompose the concepts inspired by IF17 through application of systems engineering and functional analysis to inform development of future technology roadmaps. The outputs from RCA17 include:

• A subsystem-level architectural breakdown of the capabilities developed during the event
• Identified risks, constraints, policies, regulations, etc., impacting the capability
• Analysis of the ways and means through which the capability may achieve desired effects
• Initial market research of potential technology performers with appropriate expertise
• A technology development roadmap to identify potential paths forward to implementation

Please do not submit or discuss any proprietary or trade secret information (intellectual property) during the RCA event. The outputs and proceedings ofRCA17 are accessible and usable by the Government sponsors, which may include any intellectual property provided by you and/or your company. You may wish to consult your attorney should you have intellectual property concerns.

Why You Should Participate

The event will be a compelling opportunity for technical experts, to include engineers, scientists, technologists, and developers in industry, academia, labs, and government, as well as subject matter experts (SMEs) to collaborate with other experts.

During RCA17, selected participants will develop key outputs to support technical sprints and evaluation for the future needs of SOF and CIA operators and analysts.

Who Should Participate?

We are interested in applications associated with the following areas of expertise:

• Advanced Energy Systems
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
• Communications Technologies
• Data Science
• Edge Computing
• Electrical Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Information Technology
• Material Science and Engineering
• Red Teaming/Penetration Testing
• Robotics and Autonomous Systems
• Sensors
• Smart Buildings and Infrastructure
• SOF and CIA Operations
• Subterranean Environments
• Surveillance and Reconnaissance
• Wearable Technologies

Event Timeline

Phase 1 – 06 February 2026 to 26 February 2026 Submissions Open: Developers, technologists, engineers, and others from Industry, Academia, Government and National Labs who are experts in the areas of interest listed above and those who are specialized in SOF or CIA Missions are invitedto participate in the RCA17 event. Please submit an application that includes a CV* (Curriculum Vitae) NLT 26 February 2026.

*Please note: Each individual must submit their own CV for possible SME selection for the event.

Phase 2 – 27 February 2026 to 20 March 2026 SME Review and Downselection: Based on stakeholder review submissions, selected participants will be invited to take part in RCA17. All applicants will be notified around 20 March 2026.

Phase 3 – 20 April 2026 to 24 April 2026 RCA17 Event: During the event, selected participants will collaborate and ideate with fellow SMEs and the USSOCOM and CIA S&T Directorate on the concept areas above. Selectees should plan for workdays from 0800-1700 Eastern Time. The RCA17 event will be held in person, in Chantilly, VA.

Path Forward

After completion of the Rapid Capability Assessment 17 event, USSOCOM S&T and/or CIA DS&T will prioritize capability concepts, which may progress into a follow-on phase for Technology Sprints and Evaluation (TSE). After completion of the RCA17 event and/or the TSE, USSOCOM S&T and/or CIA DS&T may contact organizations to negotiate awards which fall under any combination of the following:

• Business-to-business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX or ICWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S.C. § 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S.C §§ 4021, 4022, 50 U.S.C § 3024)
• An award under 10 U. S.C. § 4022 or 50 U.S.C. § 3024 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award based upon successful prototype criteria, which will be determined for each prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S.C. § 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S.C. § 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S.C. § 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S.C. § 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

Notes:

• Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in non-federal systems and organizations.
• This event/activity does not guarantee that the organizers will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) or award your organization a contract or agreement.

Who Should Participate?

‍Industry, Academia, Government, and National Lab Participants

Request to Attend as an SME: Click Here to Request to Attend (NLT 26 February 2026)

Questions?

For event-related questions, please contact the RCA17 Team