The US Air Force has recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to conduct market research concerning risks and shortcomings in the manufacturing and defense industrial base and supply chain resiliency of the United States, specifically within the small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) industry.
sUAS have been deemed essential to national defense due to their applications on the battlefield as well as their contributions to humanitarian aid, disaster relief, security, facilities, and public works maintenance and inspections, and there is concern that the domestic sUAS industrial base and innovation ecosystem have not been able to successfully compete with dominant foreign competition.
The DoD requests information from industry to help formulate an investment roadmap to create commercial solutions for sUAS and their components that support the development and integration of a common system architecture.
This RFI is focusing on, but is not limited to, the six following components and technologies:
- Data Links
- Image Acquisition and Processing
- Gimbals/Cameras
- Flight Controllers and Software
- High Performances Batteries and Power Sources
- Innovative Airframes
The solicitation lays out a series of specific questions for businesses to answer concerning their relevant capabilities, technologies and manufacturing systems, their own supply chains and market considerations.
Responses are due September 30th 2019. For support in compiling a compelling response package, please contact Zacheriah.Cole@KickStageConsulting.com
Solicitation Number:
FA8650-19-S-5027
San Diego, California
+1 (317) 442-3577
info@kickstageconsulting.com