CSO - AD CALL 001.docx

ASYMMETRIC WARFARE CSO CALL 001

FA8629-25-S-C001

AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER

Area of Interest: Unmanned Aircraft Systems

This announces Problem Statement Call 001 for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, issued under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) FA8629-25-S-C001. This is a closed, multi-phase call through which the Government intends to award one or more fixed-price instruments, either as FAR Part 12 or Other Transactions (OT) for certain prototype projects pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022, as appropriate.

For prototype efforts awarded under OT authority, successful completion of the prototype project may result in the award of a follow-on production contract without further competition, consistent with 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f). For FAR-based awards, the Government may include options for additional quantities or expanded capabilities to provide flexibility to scale a vendor’s commercial solution.

All proposals will be evaluated on their own technical merit, and the Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none for an award. Interested offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for all amendments and future announcements related to this call.

Problem Statement Recent conflicts have highlighted the asymmetric impact that low-cost, one-way unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have on the modern battlefield. The Department of War (DoW) must be able to employ low-cost precision effects at scale. Reliable, affordable, and adaptable UAS platforms that enable employment at scale will maximize operational flexibility for the Joint force.

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is seeking commercial solutions for short-range, one way attack air interdiction UAS platforms that can operate at ranges 50+ nautical miles (nmi), at speeds in excess of 200 mph, is containerized for mass fires, can launch quickly and expeditiously, navigate at low altitudes, is fire and forget with a level of mission autonomy, has software defined in-flight targeting, can coordinate in flight with other platforms, and operate beyond line-of-sight in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and low-bandwidth (DDIL) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) denied environments.

UAS System Requirements Platform & Physical Characteristics

· Category: Group 1 Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)

· Weight: Less than 20 lbs (total gross weight)

· Launch Method: Ground-launched

· Payload Capacity: 3+ lbs Performance Metrics

· Range: 50+ nmi

· Speed: 200+ mph terminal speed Operational Capabilities

· Flight Profile: Capable of high-speed, low-altitude flight.

· Command & Control: Must support Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) operations.

· Operating Environment: Must be effective in Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, or Limited (DDIL) communication environments.

· Low Observability: Must be difficult to detect and track by broad-area search systems.

Submission Guidelines This call will be conducted in three phases. Submission instructions for this call will follow the submission guidelines outlined in Section 3 of the CSO.

Phase 1 Solution Briefs: The deadline for submitting Phase 1 Solution Briefs is April 20, 2026. Submissions received after this date may be considered late and may not be reviewed in accordance with (IAW) FAR 52.212-1(c). Interested vendors may submit clarifying questions after the call is posted. The Government will publish responses to submitted questions no later than 10 days prior to the Phase 1 submission deadline.

All materials, including questions and Solution Briefs, must be sent to the Asymmetric Warfare Org Box (Inbox: usafoffensivesmalluas@groups.af.mil). Solutions Briefs will be evaluated IAW the criteria outlined in Section 3.2 of the CSO. The Government will not reimburse vendors for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a Solution Brief.

Note: Vendors may submit multiple solution briefs.

Phase 2 Pitch Sessions (Virtual or In-person): Phase 2 Pitch Sessions are expected to occur between April 21 and April 28, 2026. Following the Phase 1 evaluation, the Government may invite a select number of vendors whose Solution Briefs are deemed meritorious to present their proposed solution. Invitations to participate in Phase 2 are made at the Government's discretion and may be limited. Therefore, a solution may be technically meritorious but not selected for a pitch session.

Vendors are responsible for all cost associated with preparing for and participating in the pitch session. After the Phase 2 evaluations, vendors will be notified of the outcome. Vendors may be informed of one of the following:

(1) Their solution is not of current interest to the Government

(2) Their proposed solution is of interest, but not eligible for a proposal due to limited Government resources

(3) They are invited to participate in Phase 3 to submit a proposal for a possible FAR based contract or Prototype OTA.

Phase 2 evaluation criteria are provided in Section 3.3 of the CSO. Pitch submissions will be valid for 180 calendar days after the pitch date.

Phase 3 Proposals: Vendors that successfully complete both Phase 1 and Phase 2 may be invited to submit a Phase 3 proposal. The Phase 3 proposal will include both pricing and a technical proposal sufficient to demonstrate the proposed solution and the vendors’ ability to deliver initial quantities.

The Government will provide the date and time for Phase 3 submissions in the invitation to submit a proposal. Detailed proposal preparation and submission instructions are provided in Section 3.4 of the CSO. Awards resulting from this phase may be issued as FAR Part 12 contracts and/or Other Transaction for prototype projects, as appropriate. Vendors that successfully complete Phase 3 will be eligible for award consideration, however the government reserves the right to award some, none, or all eligible vendors during this phase.

Eligibility This call under CSO FA8629-25-S-C001 is open to both U.S. and international vendors. Any company selected for an award that does not possess a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code or Dunn and Bradstreet (DUNS) number will be required by the Department of Defense (DoD) to register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Prospective companies are strongly encouraged to initiate the SAM registration process as early as possible to avoid potential delays.

Contact Any questions regarding this Area of Interest or Problem Statement Call may be directed to the following POCs:

· Org Box: usafoffensivesmalluas@groups.af.mil

· Attn/Cc: Capt Joseph Alexander, Contracting Officer, joseph.alexander@us.af.mil Lt Kristian Kiburz, Program Manager, kristian.kiburz@us.af.mil Wendell Toney, Program Manager, wendell.toney.1.ctr@us.af.mil Additional Considerations We strongly recommend all Phase 1 proposals be formatted as presentations, no more than 12 slides in length.

Solution Briefings should detail the launch mechanism, the concept for mass-launch containers, the anticipated launch rate per group, and the required operational setup. Furthermore, the briefing should outline training curriculums for operators and describe a plan for production scalability.

Additionally, the briefings should describe long range passive sensing capabilities. This includes specifying all sensor modalities (e.g. RF, EO/IR, acoustic, etc.), their effective detection and tracking ranges, data outputs formats, interface standards, and their current maturity level. Please state whether the sensing and engagement system is integrated. Ideally, the system would be seamlessly integrated with existing US Air Force Special Operations Forces communications networks and situational awareness tools such as the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK).

DDIL Operations: We expect solutions to operate in DDIL environments. The UAS should be able to execute its mission without continuous communication from an operator, though solutions that provide multiple pathways and mechanisms for two-way communications are desired. Solution Briefings will describe the ability of the platform to perform terminal guidance in denied environments and the capabilities available on the platform to support such maneuvers.

Mission Planning Software: Solution Briefings must discuss the mission planning software that will be made available with the submitted platform. Mission planning software should be intuitive and integrate other first- and third-party platforms.

Hardware/Software Integration: The solution will be assessed for its ability to quickly (on the order of hours) integrate third-party software and hardware components (including payloads) in a modular, warm-swappable manner. Solutions must utilize open hardware and software interfaces that allow for seamless integration of third-party systems. Proprietary interfaces, message formatting, or hardware that require vendor-specific licensing are not permitted.

Existing Test and Evaluation Findings: Solution Briefings must provide details on the precision, accuracy, and reliability of the proposed solution, number of flight tests conducted to date with your platform, as well as any information about testing environments, production facilities, and projected production capacities.

Data Rights Assertions: The Solution Brief will identify any IP involved in the effort and associated restrictions on the Government’s use of that IP.

Security Requirements: The base effort (Phase 1 and 2) for this call is unclassified. However, Phase 3 awards and subsequent demonstrations may require access to classified information up to the SECRET level. Should classified access be required, a DD Form 254, Contract Security Classification Specification, will be issued, and the successful offeror must possess a valid Facility Clearance (FCL) and have personnel with appropriate Personnel Clearances (PCL) at the time of award. Offerors who do not currently meet these requirements may still submit a proposal, but must be eligible to obtain the necessary clearances.

Miscellaneous Vendors can be expected to discuss trade space, component selection, and design choices through the lens of price with the aim of minimizing future production bottlenecks. Multiple vehicle types may be selected for prototyping and multiple variants may be developed following a successful demonstration. Designs that enable geographically distributed, scalable manufacturing with minimal reliance on specialized tooling or equipment are preferred.

Regulatory Requirements and Teaming Considerations All solutions must comply with the Fiscal Year 2020 NDAA Section 848, the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA Section 817, the 2024 American Security Drone Act, and be able to meet a cyber-security evaluation conducted in accordance with DoD Instruction 8510.01 Risk Management Framework for DoD Systems.