Camp Atterbury’s “T-REX” Event Showcased Innovation and Technology in Johnson County
Last August, Camp Atterbury served as a national hub for defense innovation during the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Technology Readiness Experimentation 2024-2, known as “T-REX”
T-REX is a 10-day demonstration of emerging military technology with significant implications for local business, workforce, and community development in Johnson County. Held from Aug. 19 to 28, the event brought together dozens of defense companies, military leaders, and engineers to test and evaluate over 80 prototype technologies.
Hosted in partnership with the Indiana National Guard, T-REX showcased everything from 3D-printed autonomous aircraft to secure battlefield communication systems.
“This is our platform and campaign of events to accelerate the innovation and modernization of future warfighting capabilities,” Lt. Col. Matt Limeberry, commander of the Indiana National Guard’s Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve task force, said in the Daily Journal. “We’re proving in real life that it is true, and we’re well beyond where we ever thought we were.”
The Department of Defense describes T-REX as a “sustained campaign of experimentation” supporting its Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) initiative. The goal: to fast-track the field-readiness of joint military technology by providing a venue for real-time testing in operational environments.
“Technology changes quickly. Threats change rapidly. Our traditional acquisition process just doesn’t often keep pace,” Marcia Holmes, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for mission capabilities, said in the Daily Journal article. “T-REX offers a pathway to transition these emerging tools from prototype to practice.”
For Johnson County, Camp Atterbury’s involvement in events like T-REX is more than symbolic. As one of Indiana’s most strategic training grounds, the installation brings defense-related investment, employment, and visibility to the local economy. The event also introduced opportunities for Indiana-based businesses to partner with federal innovation networks.
Franklin-based leaders and surrounding communities witnessed firsthand how technological experimentation ties into economic resilience. From the business development potential of defense manufacturing to expanded infrastructure use at the installation, T-REX highlighted Camp Atterbury’s regional role in national readiness.
Brett Barbee, vice president of business development at Firestorm, one of the companies featured during the open house, said his team could fabricate their Tempest 50 uncrewed aircraft platform in just 36 hours.
According to the Department of Defense’s media release, technologies assessed at Camp Atterbury included “counter-UAS systems, emergent mesh communications networks, and rapid multi-domain threat response”, tools designed to meet the evolving demands of 21st-century combat.
Camp Atterbury’s unique range space and access to active National Guard units made it an ideal test site. Soldiers already stationed in Atterbury on training can operate and evaluate the technologies. That hands-on military feedback, combined with real-world simulations, helped determine which systems might be ready for accelerated deployment.
As Indiana continues to position itself as a leader in national security innovation, the success of T-REX at Camp Atterbury shows the value of local-military partnerships. Brig. Gen. Justin Mann, director of the Indiana National Guard joint staff, said the Guard's philosophy is rooted in collaboration: “We ask, how do we get to ‘yes?’”
From defense contractors to city governments, the ripple effects of T-REX are still being felt nearly a year later. As Camp Atterbury looks ahead to future rounds of experimentation, Johnson County remains at the center of industrial tech innovation.