a team of army and texas a&m system researchers will quickly evaluate prototypes that can be tested by soldiers in a real-world environment using a vast array of sensors and instruments at rellis achieving the goals of the agreement will result in more capable and survivable hypersonic flight systems and materials more lethal directed energy systems and more effective autonomous maneuvering vehicles texas continues to be at the epicenter of development in advanced technologies and the new bush combat development complex at texas a&m systems rellis campus is a perfect example to continue that momentum said state rep greg bonnen (r-league city) the technology which will be created and tested here will not only help advance our military but it will also keep our soldiers safer in the field the agreement between the texas a&m system and us army combat capabilities development command army research laboratory is the first step in a long-term partnership with the army futures command said sharp the combat development complex will bring together diverse partners from businesses - large and small - academia and most importantly our soldiers said gen john mike murray commanding general for the army futures command thats an important lesson weve learned here at army futures command: when we bring the team together we can innovate faster to develop game-changing solutions by testing emerging technology in an operationally relevant environment with soldiers providing feedback we can evaluate it early to ensure were getting exactly what our troops need in the field the bcdc will be a full complement of facilities equipment and instrumentation consisting of the innovation proving ground (ipg); research integration center (ric); ballistic aero-optics and materials (bam); and the technology innovation and modernization catalyst (timc) the ipg will provide a challenging outdoor test site for autonomous aerial ground and subterranean vehicles the technological systems involved are highly complex involving networks and sensors and innovative operating systems the ric will be a state-of-the-art innovation hub where researchers students industry government and the military can collaborate to create emerging technologies that will modernize the army the use of high-tech maker spaces will lead to product development that is tested and evaluated by soldiers allowing for continual and real-time design feedback the bam will be a one-of-a-kind facility in which hypersonics and directed energy research will be conducted bam will feature an above-ground tunnel that is 1 kilometer long and 2 meters in diameter with integrated sensors the bam will also have laboratories runways underground and open-air battlefields and a resilient network of sensors and systems for data collection analysis and storage in addition to bams use by the afc it will be available to other military branches and defense contractors the timc will support the management and transfer of intellectual property and technology to industry for commercial applications the facility will provide space for early stage technology ventures business services commercialization training and startup launch support services to inventors and innovators army futures command has tasked texas a&m system researchers to focus on several key areas specifically the research will address hypersonic and laser systems; materials for withstanding hypervelocity blasts; coordinated maneuvering of air and ground vehicles; and resilient computer networks for autonomous vehicles to share up-to-the-moment battlefield information the target date for completion of the bcdcs innovative proving ground and research innovation center is june 2021