CENTCOM Unveils Rapid Employment Joint Task Force to Enhance Technological Deployment
“CENTCOM holds a distinctive vantage to catalyze innovation by leveraging premier platforms within a fluid operational milieu,” remarked Maj. Emma Thompson.
Anastasia Obis
September 26, 2025, 6:14 pm
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has inaugurated a new task force, designed to expedite the delivery of state-of-the-art combat capabilities, as announced on Tuesday.
The Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF) is fundamentally about “accelerating the introduction of new warfighting capabilities to our forces,” stated Maj. Emma Thompson, CENTCOM spokesperson, via the Federal News Network.
Joy Shanaberger, CENTCOM’s Chief Technology Officer and the driving force behind the task force, indicated in a statement that the initiative aims to deliver “combat-ready capabilities to warfighters within 60 days or fewer.”
The REJTF will foster collaboration among CENTCOM’s existing service component innovation task forces. These include Task Force 39, spearheaded by Army Central Command, which focuses on counter-drone technologies and unmanned logistics vehicles; Task Force 59, emphasizing unmanned systems and AI for maritime applications; Task Force 99, part of Air Force Central Command, testing commercial drones; and Task Force 179, specializing in digital and unmanned solutions for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Moreover, the task force will concentrate its efforts across three pivotal domains: capability development, software enhancement, and technology diplomacy.
Thompson elucidated that tech diplomacy aims to “leverage our partnerships to furnish scalable solutions for U.S. forces alongside regional allies. In collaboration with our partners, CENTCOM persistently innovates and adapts.”
The REJTF will amalgamate efforts among CENTCOM’s existing service component innovation task forces. Task Forces 39, 59, 99, and 179 will maintain operational autonomy to integrate and capitalize on novel capabilities.
In forthcoming weeks, REJTF will establish procedures, onboard staff, and continue CENTCOM’s mission of delivering innovative assets such as attritable drone systems to warfighters, Thompson stated.
This task force is anticipated to encompass a diverse array of specialists in resource allocation, assessments, information systems, data integration, procurement, logistics, and warfighter integration.
“We are committed to discovering newer, more effective, and efficient methodologies to equip our forces while working in concert with our regional partners,” Shanaberger remarked.
Details regarding the size of the task force remain ambiguous, as Thompson noted that staff assignments for the REJTF are yet to be finalized.
This initiative aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive aimed at “unleashing U.S. military drone dominance,” which seeks to reform the Pentagon’s procurement processes and accelerate the growth of its unmanned aerial systems capabilities.
CENTCOM affirmed that the REJTF will directly undergird Hegseth’s initiative.
The REJTF’s formation is about expeditiously delivering new warfighting capabilities to our forces. This supports Secretary Hegseth’s initiative to accelerate the deployment of cost-effective and impactful combat solutions.
CENTCOM is uniquely equipped to catalyze innovation by identifying and employing ‘best in breed’ platforms within an adaptive operational context, Thompson asserted.
This announcement transpires shortly after CENTCOM concluded Red Sands, the largest counter-unmanned aerial systems exercise in the Middle East. This event convened over 300 personnel who deployed 20 counter-unmanned aerial systems.
“Red Sands successfully aggregated U.S., Saudi, and industry abilities to ascertain ‘best in breed’ systems for the detection, tracking, and neutralization of contemporary drone threats,” Cooper stated.
Source link: Federalnewsnetwork.com.
