Amendment 1 (Clarifications Q&A) to: Army Blood Link (ABL) – Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)

The U.S. Army seeks a prototype Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) capable of transporting 20 units of blood products per mission in contested or denied environments. The award will be a firm‑fixed‑price Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype agreement for two fully functional UAS, each with a validated temperature‑controlled container, payload capacity of 25‑50 lb (minimum 35 lb), and a minimum usable volume of 1.25 ft³. The prototype must be delivered, tested, and demonstrated within three months of award, with the system operating at altitudes up to 18,000 ft, temperatures from –15 °F to 120 °F, and wind conditions up to 20 kt sustained/30 kt gust. Key deliverables include the aircraft, payload container, ground control station, training program (1‑3 days), documentation, and initial spares. Evaluation will weigh price (30 %) and technical factors such as compactness, thermal control, autonomy, reliability, and compliance with U.S. sourcing restrictions. • Develop and deliver two prototype UAS with integrated blood‑transport containers. • Meet payload: 25‑50 lb (minimum 35 lb) and volume ≥ 1.25 ft³ for 20 blood units. • Provide thermal control to keep blood within required temperature for up to 3 hours. • Achieve minimum 30 km one‑way radius, 100 km total mission distance, 3‑6 hour endurance. • Ensure ≤ 10 m delivery accuracy, optional aerial drop from 10‑15 m. • Include semi‑autonomous flight, detect‑and‑avoid, 30‑mile comms range, night ops. • Deliver within 3 months, include training (1‑3 days), warranty ≥ 1 year, and parts‑availability plan.