Jane Edwards
The U.S. Air Force has asked industry to provide information as it seeks to create a new capability development pipeline for next-generation multirole unmanned aerial systems.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has set three focus areas for the request for information and those are air domain awareness, high value airborne asset protection and multirole UAS family of systems composed of attritable, expendable, survivable and reusable platforms, according to the RFI posted Friday on the beta SAM website.
“The focus is to quickly and efficiently deliver capabilities with a heavy focus on digital engineering, open-missions systems, machine learning, artificial intelligence, on-board edge processing, and autonomy,†the notice reads.
For the first focus area, the service wants interested stakeholders to provide information on sensors or sensor networks that offer early warning and identification of hostile air operations in highly contested environments; software, hardware and algorithms to support data sharing and integration; and resilient communications suites to support Joint All Domain Command and Control and Battle Management C2 integration.
AFLCMC has asked industry for information on sensors and other defensive systems needed to perform high value airborne asset protection and defensive counterair capabilities to protect HVAA from long-range enemy fighters and other kinetic and non-kinetic threats.
Under the third focus area, the respondents should describe procurement concepts to support near-term demonstration and prototyping opportunities and measures that could support UAS launch and recovery operations and outline how BMC2 concepts will be performed.
Responses are due April 9.
The Potomac Officers Club will hold its 3rd Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 30 to foster discussions on how to advance AI technology at speed and how private-public partnerships are key to maintaining the competitive advantage within the tech race. To register for this virtual summit and view other upcoming events, visit the Potomac Officers Club Events page.Â
