Sources Sought – Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

The United States Special Operations Command has issued a Sources Sought Notice for a man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) system with advanced technical capabilities including side-scan sonar integration, Auto Target Recognition (ATR) with operator input, and collaborative swarm behavior enabling multiple AUVs to communicate and search target areas. The AUV system must operate at depths up to 1,000 feet and include Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) plugin functionality, MPU-5 Radio Frequency communications, and the ability for multiple units to work together in coordinated search operations. Interested vendors must submit a 10-page white paper by August 21, 2025, at 1500 hours ET to Garrick M-J Williams and Doug Bailey. The white paper must address technical capabilities, sonar integration experience, acoustic communications, engineering approaches to depth extension, RF communications, COTS payload customization, commercial availability, development timelines, estimated delivery schedule, and relevant past performance with DoD or government agencies. This market research effort falls under NAICS Code 334511 for search, detection, and navigation system manufacturing and PSC Code 2090 for miscellaneous ship and marine equipment.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is anticipated to result in a single award using a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract structure. No incumbent contractors or current service providers are identified in the notice, indicating this may be a new requirement or capability expansion for the Special Operations Command. The notice does not specify award values, budget ranges, or specific quantities of AUV systems to be procured, as this is strictly a market research exercise to identify potential sources and assess industry capabilities. No specific timeline for services or delivery schedules are provided in the Sources Sought Notice, though vendors are expected to include their estimated development timelines and delivery schedules in their submitted white papers.