Northwest Arkansas is the fastest growing region of the state, home of tier one research university and the soon to be developed Commerce & Technology Park (CTP@XNA) immediately adjacent to Arkansas National Airport (XNA), which will have access through the fence and the 8,800 feet runway. CTP@XNA will be a foreign trade zone, and in time have air cargo facilities, rail and intermodal service.

Hephaestus’ Forge® is the regional defense innovation ecosystem of Northwest Arkansas—where warfighting technologies are forged, tested, and tempered through real-world proving grounds.

Operated by the Northwest Arkansas Council and key partners, the Forge offers companies a secure, purpose-built environment to explore, fail, adapt, and ultimately win—before stepping in front of defense buyers.

At its foundation are four uniquely specialized proving grounds:

Fort Chaffee: A fully operational DoD-controlled site ideal for kinetic testing and large-scale live-fire evaluations.

Devil’s Den EMS Proving Ground (Q4 2025): Focused on electromagnetic warfare and AI-enabled spectrum operations.

ARES Proving Ground (Q1 2026): A next-gen human-machine teaming testbed for autonomous systems and warfighter integration.

Supply-Chain & Logistics Tech Proving Ground (Conceptual – Target 2027): Designed to evaluate autonomous logistics, resilient networks, and smart systems.

Hephaestus’ Forge® exists to support technology companies at all stages—by offering space to test, permission to fail, and trusted guidance to prepare for fielding, procurement, and mission use.