AUGUST 7, 2025 – On July 29th, Picatinny Arsenal hosted an Industry Day focused on the Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit (CLIK), bringing together over 300 industry and government experts in uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and Lethality related technologies. More than 70 companies specializing in munitions, UAS, and supporting technologies participated in the event.
“This industry day is not just about the technical architecture and specifications of Picatinny CLIK; it is about aligning with the Army’s strategic vision of future warfare and is a key part of the Army’s UAS Strategy 2025-2040,” said Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) and Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General.
In the same way that the Picatinny Rail is an essential interface for scopes and other weapon accessories carried by Soldiers, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center identified the need to safely and effectively pair lethal payloads with UASs, leading to the development of the Picatinny CLIK.
The Picatinny Rail serves as a standardized interface for mounting accessories like scopes to Soldier weapons. Recognizing a similar need for UAS, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center developed the Picatinny CLIK – a safe and effective method for integrating lethal payloads with UAS platforms.
The Armaments Center is applying decades of armaments system expertise to create a robust ecosystem of modular lethal payloads optimized for UAS but also seeks to identify potential industry partners capable of supporting Picatinny CLIK development by providing expertise in modular physical interfaces, communication protocols, safety features, and interoperability solutions for UAS payload integration.
As such, the Armaments Center announced the first public release of the Picatinny CLIK Design Standard in September, which defines the key characteristics of a platform-agnostic common interface. Available to all industry partners, Picatinny CLIK is central to accelerating modular lethal payloads across all uncrewed platforms. JPEO A&A will follow the release of Picatinny CLIK Design Standard with a Sources Sought Notice for Munition Payloads in October. JPEO A&A intends to transition Picatinny CLIK in 2027.
“The development of the Picatinny CLIK comes at a perfect time, as we balance the need for safer integration between Soldier, UAS, and payload with the accelerated fielding of small drones, including weaponized types, across the entire U.S. military,” said Reim.
With the increasing use of UAS, there’s a growing need for experts in counter-UAS (c-UAS) technologies, which involve detecting, identifying, and mitigating threats from unauthorized or malicious drones.
“I think one of the great advantages here for the folks in the audience is you know this provides the opportunity to expand the Defense Industrial Base beyond the traditional defense suppliers, so now any small supplier can be a defense supplier for the DoD just by implementing this standard and putting forward your technology,” said Chris Grassano, Director, DEVCOM Armaments Center.
The Industry Day panel openly addressed challenges related to acquisition timelines, incorporating Soldier feedback, and ensuring consistent messaging between the military and industry partners. This transparency was positively received, signaling the Army’s commitment to evolving acquisition processes to enable faster delivery of cutting-edge solutions to the warfighter.
Military and civilian leaders highlighted key Armaments Center capabilities supporting the development of the Picatinny CLIK and offered resources to assist industry in successful product development and implementation.
“The Industry Day was a critical step in building a collaborative ecosystem around the Picatinny CLIK standard, driving innovation, and accelerating the deployment of advanced UAS capabilities to our servicemembers,” said Nicholas Lacko, a mechanical engineer assigned to the Armaments Center.
“It was about communicating the vision, soliciting feedback, and forging partnerships to achieve a common goal.”
By Eric Kowal