FAA unmanned aircraft systems test site (uasts) selection 2. 0

November 24, 2025-Amendment 0001 is issued to add the Questions and Answers to the posting as an attachment.

This is the Screening Information Request (SIR) 697DCK-26-R-00019 for the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site (UASTS) Selection 2.0.

This procurement is in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Office (AUS).

The FAA-designated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test Site (UASTS) program originated via the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95) and is currently codified in 49 U.S.C. § 44803 (“Unmanned aircraft system test ranges”). After conducting a competitive selection process, the FAA designated six UAS Test Sites, which became operational in 2014 and began to conduct test flights. In 2016, the FAA added a seventh test site as mandated by the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63) recently updated the UASTS program and under 49 U.S.C. § 44803(a)(2)(B) established that the “Administrator may select and designate as a test range under this section up to 2 additional test ranges . . . through a competitive selection process”.

Moreover, in an Executive Order titled Unleashing American Drone Dominance, dated June 6, 2025[1], the President declared that it is the policy of the United States to accelerate the safe commercialization of UAS technologies and fully integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), as well as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft operations. The President directed the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the FAA, to “ensure all FAA UAS Test Ranges are fully utilized to support the development, testing, and scaling of American drone technologies, with a focus on BVLOS[2] operations, increasingly autonomous operations, advanced air mobility, and other advanced operations.” In addition, in an Executive Order titled Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty[3], dated June 6, 2025, the President declared, “It is the policy of the United States to ensure control over our national airspace and to protect the public, critical infrastructure, mass gathering events, and military and sensitive government installations and operations from threats posed by the careless or unlawful use of UAS.” The FAA may utilize the UASTS program to support research, development, testing, and evaluation of technologies and systems that enable the detection, tracking, and identification of UAS and UAS signals, in support of the mandates in this Executive Order.

The FAA may select and designate up to two additional test sites for expansion to the existing UASTS program. The FAA is seeking partners who can meet all requirements set forth as responsibilities of test range sponsors in 49 U.S.C. § 44803(e), as well as partners who have demonstrated expertise and future plans in the focus areas outlined in the Executive Order mandates. Selected Test Sites will be expected to demonstrate advances in technological capabilities as well as operational concepts and comply with the resulting OTA, a draft version of which is included as an attachment for review with this SIR.

The objective of the FAA UAS test site program is to enable a broad variety of development, testing, and evaluation activities related to public and civil UAS and associated technologies; and to the extent consistent with aviation safety and efficiency, support the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the NAS.

The FAA intends to conduct this competitive selection process through a phased proposal submission and phased evaluation process, with the potential to authorize and designate up to two new UAS Test Sites.

See SIR attached for further details. 

The FAA intends to competitively award up to two (2) Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) with SLTTs under this SIR.

The Government will make OTA awards to the Offeror’s determined to best meet the selection criteria which are included in this SIR and reflected in the evaluation of the proposals.

To be considered for award of this requirement, the Offeror must have a current/valid registration in the Systems for Award Management (SAM) database website: www.sam.gov. Registration must be active by the offer due date. 

Phase I Proposals must be submitted electronically ONLY and are due no later than 3:00 pm ET on December 1, 2025. 

Please see attached SIR for proposal submission requirements. Questions are to be submitted electronically via email, as specified in the SIR. Please reference the UASTSS 2.0 program on all question submissions. All questions must be received no later than 1:00pm ET on November 21, 2025.  Questions may be answered in an Amendment to the SIR if deemed necessary and posted to SAM.GOV for all interested parties to consider.  Prospective Offerors are encouraged to frequently visit SAM.GOV for any updates to this requirement. 

Any questions regarding this announcement should be directed to Karina Espinosa, Contracting Officer, at Karina.Espinosa@faa.gov and Kristin Frantz, Alternate Contracting Officer, at Kristin.T.Frantz@faa.gov.

Any proposals received after the closing date and time will not be considered in accordance with this SIR. 

This SIR is not to be construed as a contract or a commitment of any kind.  The Government will not be liable for payment of any costs attributed to the preparation and submission of requested proposal documentation.