Description
The Air Force Research Laboratory (Rome, NY) is seeking innovative research to improve counter‑small‑UAS (C‑sUAS) kill‑chain capabilities across six technical domains, from electronic warfare and cyber counter‑measures to UAS traffic management and advanced communications. This is an open two‑step Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) where only white‑paper submissions are accepted through 4 August 2030; selected proposers will be invited to submit full proposals for potential contracts, grants, or Other Transactions. The effort targets a total funding pool of roughly $499 million over FY 26‑30, with individual awards typically ranging from $500 k to $20 M (up to $99 M possible).
• Develop EW‑enabled cyber counter‑measures, low‑collateral‑damage effectors, and resilient C2 automation for swarming sUAS threats.
• Advance sensor technologies (EO/IR, RF, LiDAR, acoustic) and low‑collateral interceptors (BFI/LCEI) for rapid detection and engagement.
• Integrate UAS Traffic Management (UTM) with existing air‑traffic control, including AI/ML‑driven conflict detection and detect‑and‑avoid capabilities.
• Create adaptive, secure waveforms and swarm networking protocols, supported by high‑fidelity modeling and simulation tools.
• Funding is flexible across FAR‑based contracts, grants, or Other Transactions; awards may span up to 60 months.