Combat refueling & operations networked universal systems (cronus)_joint KC-135 electrified boom lab_(RFI)

The Air Force Research Laboratory issued a Request for Information on August 6, 2026, seeking capable industry partners to design, engineer, fabricate, integrate, install, and test a KC-135 Electrified Boom Automation Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with responses due by September 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST. This initiative bridges the gap between laboratory technology demonstration and platform integration by establishing a fully functional laboratory within the Air Force Institute of Technology motion capture facility.

The contractor must deliver a turnkey solution including a structural support system to handle static and dynamic loads from a KC-135 tail section with refueling boom; an overhead suspension and multi-axis actuation system capable of moving the boom through its complete refueling envelope (lateral and vertical travel at 0.25–3.0 degrees per second, retract/extend at 0.25–1.0 foot per second); and a digital control station with software interface for commanding boom movements. The design must maintain a zero-floor-footprint suspension to avoid obstructing motion-capture cameras. The government will furnish the KC-135 tail section from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, facility access, and technical points of contact.

Respondents must submit a capability statement and information whitepaper not exceeding six pages, addressing technical approach (structural and facility integration, system actuation and control, systems engineering and safety per MIL-STD-882), programmatic and logistics approach, and a high-level Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate separated by contract period. Submissions require company name, CAGE code, UEI number, point of contact, and business size classification under NAICS Code 541330. The government anticipates a 12-month design/installation base period and a 12-month pre-priced maintenance and support option. This RFI is informational only; responses are voluntary and uncompensated.