REF meaning in Military and Defence ?

The Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is a United States Army organization headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The organization is charged with quickly providing Army units deployed globally with innovative government off-the-shelf and commercially available solutions that address urgent requirements within 180 days or less. The REF is able to do this through unique authorities and by maintaining a presence near the point of need. REF personnel are positioned in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait and mobile laboratories are available for quick solutions. Additionally, the REF empowers the Army at a grassroots level, enabling individual soldiers to communicate needs directly through simple request forms.

Along with leveraging existing technology to meet urgent needs of Army forces deployed globally, the REF also informs longer-term materiel development for the future force. In October 2020, the Army announced it will dissolve the Asymmetric Warfare Group and the Rapid Equipping Force, by year-end FY2021 (September 30, 2021).