Intelligent services architecture for point defense

The Air Force Research Laboratory intends to solicit an intelligent services architecture for point defense capabilities supporting Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) and Air Base Air Defense (ABAD) missions, with an anticipated investment of $50 million to $100 million for a 36-month effort and a Request for Information due May 13, 2026.

This is market research only; no contract award is committed. The procurement targets autonomous and intelligent services—specifically decision-making systems, resource management, and effects employment against Group 1–3 unmanned aircraft systems in contested environments. The government explicitly excludes development of sensors, effectors, and countermeasures from scope.

Respondents must address two primary technical areas: Government Reference Architectures (GRAs) for Point Defense, including multimodal sensing analysis, weapon-threat pairing, and kill chain automation; and Intelligent Services, Autonomy, and AI Agents capable of automated decision-making and intelligent effects employment. All responses must describe tangible, existing capabilities or previously or actively funded development efforts, categorized by funding status (fully funded, partially funded, or not funded). Theoretical concepts without empirical backing are not acceptable.

Submissions are limited to 10 pages in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, must include rough order of magnitude cost estimates for 36-month annual recurring costs, and are due by 16:00 EST May 13, 2026, to Jacqueline Gomez (jacqueline.gomez.4@us.af.mil), copied to Matthew Zawisza and Martin Ofalt. All respondents must be registered in SAM.gov. Both U.S. and non-U.S. firms may respond. Classified submissions via SIPRNet and JWICS are welcome.