Otterpack’s participation in the U.S. Army’s MSSPIX program shows how an Israeli-developed niche technology has grown into a widely trusted solution for expeditionary water supply across defense, homeland security, and rescue organizations
Otterpack’s MSSPIX role
The Maneuver Support, Sustainment, and Protection Integration Experiments (MSSPIX) is a U.S. Army program that tests emerging technologies in realistic operational settings to measure their value for protection, sustainment, and mobility in multi-domain operations. The program also gives startup and specialized technology providers a chance to place their systems directly in soldiers’ hands for practical, mission-focused evaluation.
In 2021, the U.S. Army chose the Otterpack manpack water purification system for MSSPIX, placing it among advanced capabilities being assessed for future military use. That selection reflected the Army’s broader goal of reducing logistics burdens and improving unit survivability by enabling forces to produce essential resources, such as drinking water, at the point of need.
What the system does
Otterpack represents a unique approach to water supply processes within the military sector and offers a broad spectrum of benefits.
Otterpack is a 50-pound portable water purification system built around advanced reverse osmosis technology. It is designed for hands-free transport, quick deployment in the field, and straightforward operation by infantry personnel with limited technical training. The system can produce up to 32 gallons of safe drinking water per hour from nearly any available source, including ponds, puddles, ditches, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wells, and other local water infrastructure. It can run on a military-spec rechargeable battery, by manual crank, or in a hybrid electric-manual mode, and it can also connect to solar panels, vehicle batteries, and other renewable energy sources. The unit is designed to protect against chemical and biological contamination, including particularly toxic agents, while also providing simple water-quality monitoring and automatic alerts when the membrane needs to be replaced.
Why the Army evaluated it
Several characteristics made Otterpack a strong fit for MSSPIX evaluation.
- It supports operational independence by allowing small units to create potable water on-site, reducing reliance on water resupply convoys that are both vulnerable and resource-intensive.
- Its hybrid and energy-independent power options support extended missions in areas where fuel or grid access may be limited, matching the Army’s emphasis on resilient and distributed sustainment.
- It is well-suited to reconnaissance teams and emergency forward operating bases, where low-profile, long-duration autonomy and minimal thermal or visual signature matter.
- Its reverse osmosis process can handle water contamination deliberately caused by hostile actors, a concern that is increasingly relevant in counterterrorism and near-peer conflict environments.
MSSPIX prioritizes technologies that improve protection and sustainment without adding unnecessary cognitive or logistical burden, and Otterpack aligns with that requirement by simplifying access to one of the most essential battlefield resources.
Broader adoption
Otterpack has been adopted by more than fifteen defense forces and homeland security organizations worldwide, reflecting its relevance to both military and civil protection missions. Its appeal comes from the way its capabilities transfer across a wide range of operating environments and mission profiles.
Its applications extend beyond armed forces to police, border security, disaster-response organizations, and urban search-and-rescue units, allowing a single platform to support missions ranging from counterterrorism to major emergency response. The document also notes operational deployment by the Multinational Joint Task Force, showing that frontline paramilitary units have already integrated the system into peacekeeping and anti-terror activities.
The system is also valuable in crisis response because it can be transported by air and carried directly by responders into flooded, contaminated, or infrastructure-denied areas where immediate access to water is critical. That portability also fits with current homeland security and civil defense frameworks, which increasingly emphasize resilience, decentralized infrastructure, and rapid modular response capabilities.
As defense and homeland security organizations modernize, systems that improve survivability, strengthen logistics resilience, and support interoperability across agencies are receiving greater attention, helping explain Otterpack’s broad international uptake.
Executive statement
According to Eddie Pevzner, Otterpack’s Chief Business Officer, the company sees its manpack reverse osmosis system as having grown from a niche Israeli innovation into a trusted operational capability for defense, homeland security, and rescue organizations worldwide. He states that the combination of energy-independent operation, rapid deployment, and performance against chemical and biological threats helps frontline teams reduce logistical burdens, improve survivability, and remain mission-ready in demanding conditions, while the company continues to work with partners and end users to further strengthen the capability.
