RFI - Market Research - 2026.pdf

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

Small Uncrewed Aerial System (sUAS) Research - 2026

Request for Information (RFI)

1. General: This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for market research and planning purposes only. It is not a solicitation for proposals, quotations, or abstracts and does not obligate the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise from submissions in response to this RFI or from the Government’s use of such information. Information received may be used by the Air

Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) to inform acquisition strategies, statements of work/statements of objectives, and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition-sensitive information. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this RFI and will not pay for information submitted in response.

2. Purpose:

a. The AFLCMC sUAS program office seeks information on five specific lines of effort

(LOEs) to gain knowledge of, explore, and identify potential methodologies and available capabilities in the examination of sUAS. A draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) for each of the five LOEs is attached to this RFI. The five LOEs are:

(1) Hardware

(2) Software

(3) Communications

(4) Sensors

(5) Kinetics

b. The 5 LOEs are being considered to fulfill 5 different missions. The 5 missions include:

(1) Long Range One Way Attack (OWA)

(2) Air Interdiction

(3) Medium Range OWA

(4) Air Launched Effects

(5) Medium Range Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

c. Responses to this RFI may be used by AFLCMC and other Department of Defense entities to identify potential hardware and equipment solutions for participation in the further evaluation of market information and/or ascertain potential market capacity to provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice.

3. Timeline: The AFLCMC sUAS office anticipates conducting market research from

September through November 2026 in the Greater Dayton, Ohio area. The preliminary (subject to change) schedule of events is as follows:

a. NLT 30 November 2026, 1700 Eastern Time – RFI Responses Due. Interested

Manufacturers/Vendors respond to this RFI. Submit responses by email to the Points of Contact below. Each response must include a detailed three (3) to five (5) page UNCLASSIFIED capability paper and technical description of the proposed current capabilities as described in

Section 2. If your organization has a classified capability that you believe would address one of the 5 lines of effort, please email the contacts below for communication instructions. The submission shall also include responses to attachment one (1), Focus Questions (all applicable tabs), of this RFI. Responses may address one, some, or all five of the LOEs. Title of submission should be sUAS Research 2026 – <Manufacturer/Vendor name>. Additionally, Manufacturers/Vendors may include video files no longer than three (3) minutes showing actual system performance in a lab or representative environment. Identification of the offeror’s primary point(s) of contact with phone and electronic mail information shall be included. Files shall be submitted to the Government in .docx, .pdf, .xlsx or .pptx format. All responses shall be submitted directly through the points of contact listed below. All other documents provided by the offeror shall be retained by the Government but may not be reviewed. Subject to change based upon agency need.

b. 07 December – 16 December 2026 – Vendor Oral Presentations. If the Government deems necessary, Manufacturers/Vendors will have One (1) hour to present their proposed white papers and demonstration videos via oral presentation on MS TEAMS. Selection for presentations and any subsequent engagements will be at the Government’s sole discretion based on agency needs. Subject to change based upon agency need.

c. NLT 06 November 2026 – Any questions regarding this RFI, the process, the five LOEs

& corresponding SOOs, or any other inquiries about submissions must be submitted to the Points of Contact below NLT 4:00 PM Eastern Time on 06 November 2026 using Attachment 1.

“Vendor Question Log.” Any proprietary information in questions will be removed, and questions will be consolidated and responses posted to https://sam.gov/ as soon as possible, but

NLT 20 November 2026. No further questions will be addressed on this RFI if received after the

06 November 2026 deadline. Offerors shall address any assumptions and proposed exceptions to the CO in their proposals. Please check the RFI website, https://sam.gov/, on a regular basis for updates. Any amendments to the RFI will be posted to the website.

4. Disclaimers: THERE IS NO SOLICITATION PLANNED AT THIS TIME. This request for information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market research is purely voluntary; the Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred; and the Government will not provide responses to any questions. Any submitter’s attention is directed to the fact that Government Support Contractor https://sam.gov/ personnel may review and provide support to Government personnel when reviewing submissions.

5. Points of Contact: Any questions under this RFI must be emailed to all of the below:

Christopher Simendinger

AFLCMC/WISS

Contracting Officer

Christopher.simendinger@us.af.mil

Tyran Knaff

AFLCMC/WISS

Contract Specialist tyran.knaff@us.af.mil

Aarron Sorrell

Program Manager aaron.sorrell.1@us.af.mil

Wendell Toney

Program Manager

Wendell.toney.1.ctr@us.af.mil

Attachments:

1. Vendor Question Log

2. Market Research Focus Questions

3. SOO - Hardware

4. SOO - Software

5. SOO - Communications

6. SOO - Sensors

7. SOO - Kinetics mailto:Christopher.simendinger@us.af.mil mailto:tyran.knaff@us.af.mil mailto:aaron.sorrell.1@us.af.mil mailto:Wendell.toney.1.ctr@us.af.mil