Each year, the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), hosted by the NDIA Michigan chapter, brings together Army leaders and industry and academic partners to discuss the future of military ground vehicles. This year’s symposium focused heavily on accelerating the path from requirement to prototyping, ensuring that capabilities reach the warfighter more quickly and with greater reliability.
Five themes emerged as particularly important this year, offering a clear picture of where the defense community is heading and how GS Engineering is driving these priorities to the forefront.
1. Speeding up Prototyping with Commercial and Digital Solutions
A central message from GVSETS 2025 was the need to reduce the time it takes to move from requirements to physical prototypes. Traditional acquisition cycles have often stretched over years, leaving soldiers waiting for capabilities they urgently need. To close this gap, leaders highlighted leveraging COTS for rapid fielding, accelerating innovation by adapting proven commercial tech for mission needs, and cutting the development cycle by sourcing outside the traditional defense-industrial base.
By incorporating proven commercial technologies where possible, programs can accelerate integration and avoid reinventing what already exists. Digital engineering tools and advanced modeling environments allow for rapid iteration in virtual space, helping teams identify problems early and reduce costly work. Artificial intelligence and machine learning further support this acceleration by processing large datasets, informing design decisions, and enabling predictive maintenance strategies.
The clear directive from GVSETS was that speed matters. Industry must continue building partnerships that allow rapid transitions from concept to prototype, ensuring solutions are available at the pace of modern conflict.
2. Designing with the Warfighter at the Center
Another consistent theme was user-centric design. Capabilities must be developed not only with technical excellence but also with the Soldier in mind. Systems that are complicated, unintuitive, or poorly integrated erode trust and can diminish readiness.
Events such as Soldier Touch Points have shown how iterative collaboration with end users creates solutions that align with actual needs. At GVSETS, leaders reinforced that engaging Soldiers early and often is critical to delivering equipment that can be trusted, integrated, and relied on in mission workflows.
For industry partners, this means embedding feedback loops throughout the design process. When warfighters validate a system’s usability and effectiveness from early in development, capabilities are more likely to achieve long-term success.
3. Building Trust Through Durable, Reliable, and Maintainable Systems
GVSETS 2025 also highlighted that speed alone is not enough. Solutions must earn the confidence of the warfighters who depend on them in complex, high-risk environments. To do so, systems must be durable, reliable, and easy to maintain.
Capabilities that reduce maintenance cycles directly improve readiness. Simple interfaces and intuitive controls allow soldiers to focus on mission objectives rather than troubleshooting equipment. Durability in harsh environments ensures that systems remain functional under pressure, even when exposed to vibration, dust, or extreme temperatures.
The Army’s message was clear: untrustworthy systems jeopardize readiness and survivability. Reliability and maintainability are critical factors, carrying equal weight with innovation in determining mission success.
4. Aligning Industry, Government, Academia, and the Warfighter
A recurring message at GVSETS was the importance of collaboration across all stakeholders. No single organization can deliver the breadth of capabilities needed for today’s operational demands. Programs such as Transformation in Contact (TiC) and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) were highlighted as mechanisms for aligning government, industry, academia, and Soldiers towards shared outcomes.
These partnerships reduce barriers to transition and help ensure that the right capabilities are delivered at the right time. Industry participants were encouraged to maintain open communication, pursue cooperative opportunities, and view the process not as isolated silos but as a connected ecosystem.
For companies working in the defense space, alignment is not optional. Successful capabilities are those that prioritize transparency, communication, and shared accountability across the community.
5. Embracing Risk and Iteration
Finally, GVSETS 2025 reinforced that both government and industry must continue to grow more comfortable with uncertainty. In the past, acquisition processes often tried to eliminate risk entirely, leading to long delays and higher costs. The new approach calls for managing risk through rapid iteration rather than avoiding it altogether.
Leaders urged industry to focus on developing minimum viable products quickly, then iterating with input from warfighters. This cycle of build, test, and refine allows capabilities to evolve more rapidly while still addressing critical mission needs. By balancing innovation with disciplined risk management, the defense community can deliver solutions at the speed required by today’s operational environment.
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Overall, GVSETS 2025 underscored several priorities shaping the future of ground vehicle systems:
- Speed in moving from requirement to prototype
- User-centered design and usability
- Trust built through reliability and durability
- Collaboration across government, industry, and academia
- Managing risk through iteration and agility
Together, these themes reflect a larger shift in defense acquisition, one focused on faster, more agile and more warfighter-driven capability in development.
These priorities are not just familiar to GS Engineering, they define our work. Through precision engineering, digital methods, and collaborative processes, we help partners accelerate from concept to fielded capability. Known for adaptability, reliability, and mission-focused solutions, GS Engineering delivers where speed and performance are critical.
For organizations seeking to align with the Army’s vision and deliver solutions that truly support the modern warfighter, GS Engineering is ready to help. To learn more or to start a conversation, please visit our contact page to arrange a discussion.
