Jamie Bennet
The innovation arm of the Department of Defense is inviting vendors to submit proposals for an initiative to convert existing military vehicles into unmanned tactical or transport systems.
The commercial solutions opening is part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Ground Expeditionary Autonomy Retrofit System project, the agency said.
DOD is looking to modify its vehicles into autonomous transport systems and deploy them to the U.S. Army’s Palletized Load System. The project’s goal is to reduce the risk faced by service members while improving operational tactics for moving supplies, especially in a fast-paced conflict.
The agency will award contracts to vendors capable of converting a maximum of six vehicles over 12 months, and at least 50 vehicles within a 30-month period.
The companies selected for prototyping will be given government-furnished equipment and information, which include autonomous navigation software and interfaces, modeling and simulation tools and safety computing systems.
The deadline for CSO applications is on June 13.
