Blue sUAS 2.0
The Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking production ready, commercial small UAS (sUAS) to prototype for military use. Currently, DoD Service members lack access to a diverse market of sUAS that meet their needs due to prohibitively expensive and time consuming administrative evaluations that are beyond their individual budgets and reach. Use cases include but are not limited to research and development, logistics, basic reconnaissance, or training.
Flexibility, versatility, and variety is encouraged; size, weight, and payload (SWaP) trade-offs are expected, as well as variation in form factor and price.
Additional Evaluation Criteria:
Selection to participate will be based primarily on the ability to presently meet DoD administrative on-boarding requirements, specifically NDAA FY 2020 Section 848 and Executive Order 13981. Systems should be as secure as commercially feasible while demonstrating an ability to ensure data integrity. Submissions are also expected to adhere to industry best practices for flight safety. Desired data link frequency ranges include 1600-2500MHz and the ISM bands.
Systems will be selected based on the desire to present variations in size, weight, and power compared to overall cost (SWaP-C) to end users, while remaining below 55 pounds maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Variety is desired in flight/launch modality and characteristics to fit a diverse range of users and missions.
DIU encourages companies with demonstrable capability in one or more of the following areas to apply.
- Modularity in secondary payload capable of field swapping
- Scalable compute hardware capable of flexibility/integration for a variety of payload configurations, continuous development, and upgrades.
- Optimized payload to total weight ratio
- Target endurance of >30 minutes
- Operational range of >3km
- Demonstrated capability to fly in winds greater than 15 mph
- Open source command and control protocols
- Ability to meet a sustained production rate of greater than 10 units per 30 days
- Ready-made instruction for basic FAA part 107 or similar DoD instruction qualified user
NOTE: Aside from the <55 lb requirement, these characteristics are not absolute thresholds. They are approximate target performances that, within reason, should be included in capability and cost trade-offs.
Eligibility Requirements
Must not be listed as an Entity on the Bureau of Industry and Security Entity list, under the U.S. Department of Commerce
Awarding Process
DIU
Before You Submit
Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement awarded in response to this solicitation may result in the direct award of a follow-on production contract or agreement without the use of further competitive procedures. Follow-on production activities will result from successful prototype completion.
The follow-on production contract or agreement will be available for use by one or more organizations within the Department of Defense. As a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the Prototype OT agreement. All Prototype OT agreements will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: “In accordance with §10 U.S.C. 2371b(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has successfully been completed, this competitively awarded Prototype OT agreement may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures.”
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