Vertical Take Off and Landing Drone

The Department of the Air Force, specifically Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, is seeking commercially available Group 2 Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The primary objective is to identify qualified businesses capable of providing a VTOL alternative to the Air Force's current fixed-wing sUAS, which requires a minimum 200-meter runway and thus lacks operational flexibility in austere environments. Key requirements include MAVLINK protocol compatibility, integration capability for Starlink Mini with two inches of unobstructed clearance above the fuselage, inclusion of a ground control station and RC transmitter, and compliance with specified performance parameters. The Air Force will evaluate capability statements addressing company information, relevant experience, available products, production lead times, technical support capabilities, performance specifications, and instruction manuals. Interested vendors must submit responses by March 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to MSgt Jesse Bridge at jesse.bridge@spaceforce.mil.

This Pre-Solicitation Notice involves no set-aside designations and does not identify any current incumbents or contractors. The maximum allowable unit cost is $65,000 per system, with an objective cost of approximately $50,000, though no specific procurement quantity or total contract value is stated at this market research stage. Performance objectives include a minimum endurance of 6.5 hours with a 3 kg payload (objective 20 hours), operational range of 1,100 km (objective 1,800 km), payload capacity of 5 kg (objective 11 kg), service ceiling of 3,000 meters (objective 4,000 meters), and cruise speed of 80 km/h (objective 110 km/h). This Sources Sought notice is issued for market research purposes only and does not constitute a formal solicitation or guarantee of contract award.