Australian Army issues RFI for autonomy in littoral environments

The Australian Army has released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking innovative technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-6 under the theme of Autonomous Mass in Littoral Warfare.

It is seeking autonomous systems that operate collaboratively in contested littoral environments, while offering scalability and affordability, enabling small units to generate mass without exposing soldiers to enemy observation or direct fire. Successful systems may deliver sense, strike, electronic warfare, mobility, and logistics effects, with a focus on human-on-the-loop operations, according to Defence.

This challenge reflects key priorities outlined in the National Defence Strategy 2026, including the adoption of autonomous systems, the generation of mass at scale, and the need to operate effectively in contested littoral environments, Defence adds.

Following the RFI, Defence says it may invite organisations to take part in a range of activities associated with Army Innovation Day 2026:

1. Land Forces 2026. Organisations may be invited, at Defence’s discretion, to participate within the Army Innovation Day 2026 (AID26) exhibition space. Defence adds that participation in AID26 activities does not involve any payment, financial support, or provision of value by Defence.
2. Dedicated Field Experimentation. Organisations may be invited to participate in an Army-led experimentation and demonstration event to be held at a variety of military establishments in the Adelaide Region over the period 2-13 November 2026. This event will be an opportunity to work directly with Army in an operationally representative environment to experiment with, develop, and innovate your system or platform.

These events are designed not only to showcase technologies, but to deliver tangible value to participating organisations through structured assessment, direct user interaction, and exposure to Defence stakeholders. Specifically, AID26 will enable:

• Participation in a unique, high-tempo experimentation activity designed to accelerate innovation
• Networking with Defence stakeholders, operators, and decision-makers in an innovation focused environment
• A Technology Assessment Report, which will provide participants with formal Army-level feedback on their capability’s strengths, limitations, potential employment concepts and opportunities for future integration; clear, actionable insight into how your systems performed in operationally relevant conditions; early validation against real warfighter requirements, reducing reliance on assumptions; and improved positioning for follow-on experimentation, procurement consideration, or transition into service.

Responses will open in July 2026 and invitations to participate in AID26 activities will be issued from 17 August 2026. Further details are on the Aus Tender web site (www.tenders.gov.au)

Army says that while participation in this RFI does not guarantee an invitation to AID26, it helps Defence better understand the technologies and ideas being developed across industry and academia.