TACTICAL UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

The Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Tactical UAV) program is a Department of Defense acquisition initiative focused on developing, procuring, and sustaining various unmanned aircraft systems for military applications. The program encompasses multiple UAV platforms including the Shadow, Gray Eagle, Raven, and Puma systems, with contract activities spanning research and development, production, logistics support, and operational sustainment. Based on the contract data, the program has been active since at least 1998 and represents billions in total investment across multiple platforms and contractors.

The contract awards show a mix of definitive contracts, delivery orders, and purchase orders ranging from small procurements under $100,000 to major system acquisitions exceeding $1 billion. Primary contractors include AAI Corporation, General Atomics, Textron Systems, AeroVironment, and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, with significant work performed in Maryland, California, and Alabama. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command appears as the predominant contracting authority, with additional participation from Naval Air Systems Command and Air Force contracting offices. Contract types vary between Firm Fixed Price and Cost Plus arrangements (Fixed Fee and Incentive), with typical performance periods ranging from 1-5 years. Notable procurements include a $2.35 billion ceiling value contract for Gray Eagle logistics support, $1.59 billion for Shadow aircraft systems, and multiple contracts exceeding $300 million for various UAV platforms and support services. The program shows minimal use of set-aside designations, with most awards being full and open competition.