Skyborg Prototyping, Experimentation and Autonomy Development (SPEAD)

The Skyborg Prototyping, Experimentation and Autonomy Development (SPEAD) Master Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is a multiple-award vehicle focused on developing autonomous unmanned aerial systems for the United States Air Force. The contract aims to prototype, experiment with, and advance autonomous aircraft technologies capable of achieving diverse mission sets and enabling manned/unmanned teaming capabilities. Specifically, the vehicle supports the development of modular hardware and software payloads incorporating an autonomy core system that can be integrated into experimental unmanned aircraft platforms.

Task orders under this SPEAD contract have predominantly focused on developing experimental host aircraft with major aerospace and defense contractors. Key task orders include awards to Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems ($37.8 million), Boeing ($25.7 million), and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems ($16.1 million), with performance primarily occurring in California locations such as Sacramento, Poway, and Tehachapi. The delivery orders are typically cost-plus fixed fee or firm-fixed-price, with durations ranging from six weeks for initial kick-off meetings to approximately two years for prototype development. No socioeconomic set-asides were utilized in the observed task orders, and the Department of the Air Force is the consistent funding agency. The contract's shared ceiling is $400 million, with task order values observed ranging from $3,000 for initial coordination meetings to nearly $38 million for more comprehensive prototype development efforts.