Acquisition of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for U. S. Embassy Quito, Ecuador

The Department of State Office of Acquisition Management seeks acquisition of a Group 3 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, with proposals due September 20, 2026, at 1500 hours Central European Time. This is a firm fixed price purchase order issued as RFQ 19GE5026Q0131 under FAR Part 12 (commercial items), with no set-aside. Amendment 0002, issued September 10, 2026, extends the deadline and provides answers to 52 clarifying questions submitted by offerors; offerors must acknowledge receipt of the amendment with proposals.

Place of performance is Ecuador, with delivery to Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta. The procurement requires three Group 3 VTOL unmanned aircraft capable of maritime interdiction from Ecuadorian Navy and Coast Guard vessels and land-based operations. Mandatory technical requirements include 10+ hour endurance while carrying combined EO/IR payloads, 15,000-foot service ceiling, 225-pound maximum gross takeoff weight, heavy-fuel (JP-5/JP-8) compatibility, shipboard VTOL launch and recovery capability up to 25 knots vessel speed, BVLOS SATCOM datalink with AES-256 encryption, assembly/disassembly by two personnel in 30/15 minutes, and hand-carry capability by two personnel. The Government requires proven international military airworthiness and five years of Western Hemisphere operational history. Deliverables include two ground control stations, sensor payloads (EO/IR imaging and synthetic aperture radar options), spare parts and consumables for 2,000+ flight hours per aircraft, training for up to 12 personnel as pilots and maintainers in Spanish, and one-year warranty with 24/7 technical support and 24-hour response time. Delivery must occur within 180 calendar days with no partial deliveries permitted on an F.o.b. Destination basis. All major components must comply with NDAA prohibitions on Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean manufacture. Defense Base Act insurance is required for all contractor employees. The Government evaluates proposals using best-value comparative procedures, prioritizing technical quality and past performance superiority over price. Pricing is firm, non-escalating, and includes separate line items for VAT treatment per Ecuadorian tax law. NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), PSC 1550 (Unmanned Aircraft).