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Archive for the ‘Contracts’ Category

FN Awarded Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Contract to Supply M240 and M249 Machine Gun Barrels

Friday, March 28th, 2025

(McLean, VA — March 28, 2025) FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a firm-fixed-price IDIQ contract, valued up to $39,643,953, to supply the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Land and Maritime with barrels for M240 and M249 machine guns.

“The contract to provide barrels for M240 and M249 machine guns is a testament to our partnership with the U.S. DoD, a partnership that dates to the early 1980s,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC.  “We’re incredibly honored to  support the U.S. military with the highest-quality cold hammer-forged barrels. The durability and accuracy of FN barrels provides our servicemen and women with the most effective and highest performing products available.”

FN collaborates with and is a key partner of  DLA Land and Maritime, a combat support agency within the U.S. DoD and one of the largest suppliers of spare parts that support land-based and maritime weapon systems. DLA Land and Maritime serves over 20,000 customers throughout all U.S. military branches, civil agencies and other DoD organizations.

The M240 general purpose machine gun, derived from the FN MAG 58, was adopted by the U.S. military in the late 1970s, and has been in continual service since being introduced. FN has created multiple variants of the M240, including the M240 coaxial, the M240B, M240L, M240D and M240H models. The FN® M249 has been a mainstay throughout the U.S. military since 1986 and is currently in service in more than 30 countries.

Throughout its history, FN has been one of the largest suppliers of small arms to the U.S. military and continues to develop innovative, future technology. In addition to the M240 and its variants, the company currently holds contracts for the FN® M249 lightweight machine gun; the FN® MK 46, MK 48, MK 17 and MK 20 SSR for USSOCOM, and various other contracts.

For more information about FN’s military product line or current U.S. military contracts, please visit www.fnamerica.com

Sons Of Liberty Gun Works Announces Contract with Bexar County SWAT

Tuesday, March 25th, 2025

San Antonio, TX – March 24, 2025 – Sons of Liberty Gun Works (SOLGW) has been selected as the official duty rifle of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team.

The contract will provide Bexar County SWAT operators with SOLGW’s purpose-built turnkey solution for their duty rifles, designed and kitted out to meet the demanding requirements of these elite law enforcement professionals.

“This contract is special to us because not only is it one of the largest counties in the United States, but it is home to Sons of Liberty,” said Mike Mihalski, founder and co-owner of SOLGW. “It gives me great confidence and peace of mind that our families are protected by SOLGW rifles. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know the guys putting in the work at Bexar County SWAT. They’re true professionals.”

This partnership underscores SOLGW’s commitment to supporting over 200 law enforcement agencies with reliable, American-made firearms built to the highest quality standards backed by the best warranty and customer service in the industry.

For more information about Sons of Liberty Gun Works and their products, please visit www.solgw.com

Secret Service Seeks “6.5 Creedmoor Gas Operated Rifles”

Tuesday, March 25th, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security recently released a Sources Sought Notice on behalf of US Secret Service to inform a requirement for a semi-automatic rifle chambered in 6.5 CM.

According to the document, the USSS-Office of Training has a need to replace its inventory of M110 SASS rifle systems in 7.62 NATO to better serve our Agency’s needs.

They desire a weapon with a common manual and of arms to the current M110. Additionally, they are seeking the following characteristics:

The weapon shall be operable, without modification or alteration, by a right or left-handed user, firing with the right or left hand, depending on handedness, (Fully ambidextrous).

All external metal parts of the weapon shall have a dark subdued, rust/corrosion resistant finish. The finish shall be unaffected by commercially available gun cleaning solvents, such as Simple Green, used in heated ultrasonic cleaning tanks. Flaking, peeling, blotching, etc. of the finish is unacceptable.

The weapon shall be chambered in accordance with current SAAMI Specifications in 6.5 Creedmoor, and function with assorted ammunition ranging in weight from 130-145 grain (to include all common SAAMI-spec and Mil-Spec ammunition).  

The weapon shall utilize a direct-impingement gas-operated system or a short-stroke gas piston system.

The barrel shall have a minimum service life of 3,500 rounds, (weapon systems will be tested to 5000 rounds).

Barrel service life is defined as not exceeding 1.5 Minutes-of-Angle and exhibiting no more than 150 ft/sec decrease in velocity (in accordance with USSS velocity testing procedures), with observance of offeror’s submitted maintenance protocols.

The muzzle should be equipped with the appropriate attachment device for mating with the included sound suppressor. If a muzzle device is utilized it should be installed with shims as necessary. Crush washers are not acceptable.

The Rifle shall be supplied with a suppressor, both Quick detachable or direct thread is acceptable.  

The trigger shall be of two stage design and weight shall be 3.5 lbs. min and 5.0 lbs. max.

The weapon shall be equipped with a Mil-Std-1913 Picatinny attachment rail on the top of the receiver for mounting of optics, iron sights, lasers, etc.

The weapon shall have a modular free-floating handguard assembly measuring no less than 11 inches and no more than 16 inches of functional/configurable rail space(measured along the 6:00 o’clock position of the rail).

Total length combined between the upper receiver and handguard must be at least 19 inches of Mil-Std-1913 Picatinny rail at the 12 o’clock position.  Measurement will begin at forward edge rear most slot and be measured to the forward edge of the foremost slot.

The butt stock shall be quickly adjustable for length of pull and cheek weld without the use of any tools. The butt stock shall have, at minimum total of six positions, including fully extended and fully collapsed.  

Dimensions:

Height (no taller than, w/o accessories or magazine) …………………..…..7.75 inches

Weight including suppressor (no heavier than, w/o accessories) ……………9.5 pounds. (the folding stock sample will not be weighed). 

O/A Length (no longer than, w/stock fully collapsed) …………….………40 inches.

Barrel length (min – max) ………………….….……………………15.5-16.5 inches.

The department plans to issue the actual solicitation for procurement of 50-150 rifles plus associated equipment and documentation later this year via a multi-year Firm Fixed Price Contract vehicle.

Air Force Awards Contract for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, F-47

Sunday, March 23rd, 2025

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force announced today the contract award for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, marking a major milestone in the advancement of air superiority. The contract, awarded to Boeing, will lead to the development of the F-47, the world’s first sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

“I’m thrilled to announce that, at my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” said President Donald J. Trump during a press briefing at the White House. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be known as the F-47.”

This decision follows a fair and thorough source selection process conducted by the Air Force, reaffirming the NGAD Platform as the most capable and cost-effective solution to maintain air superiority in an increasingly complex and contested global threat environment. The decision reflects the Air Force’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to the warfighter while optimizing taxpayer investment.

“In terms of all of the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to maneuverability, to what it can have, to payload. And this has been in the works for a long period of time,” Trump added. “America’s enemies will never see it coming.”

In May 2024, the Air Force conducted a strategic pause in the program to ensure it was making the right decision for its warfighters and for the security of the nation. During this time, the Air Force continued collaborating with industry to aggressively mature critical technologies and accelerate innovation.

“Now we have the F-47, which sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere… and to our enemies that we can, and we will be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come,” said Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth stated the F-47 represents a significant advancement over the F-22, which is currently the U.S. Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter.

“This is a historic investment in the American military, in the American Industrial Base, that will help revive the warrior ethos inside our military, which we’re doing–rebuilding our military,” Hegseth added. “We know this is cheaper, longer range and more stealthy.”

As the cornerstone of the NGAD Family of Systems, the F-47 is designed to integrate next-generation stealth, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capabilities to counter the most sophisticated adversaries in contested environments. Its adaptability and modular design ensure seamless integration with emerging technologies, positioning it as a dominant platform for decades to come.

“With this F-47 as the crown jewel in the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems, we believe that this provides more lethality,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “It provides more capability, more modernized capability, in a way that is built to adapt, along with our Collaborative Combat Aircraft.”

Over the past five years, in strong partnership between the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, X-planes have been laying the foundation for the F-47. These experimental aircraft have flown hundreds of hours, advancing stealth, range, and autonomous systems while refining operational concepts.

“Hopefully, these magnificent planes will be built and in the air during my administration. It’s ready to go. They’ve already built much of what has to be built in terms of production, including the sheds.” Trump added. “We will ensure that the USA continues to dominate the skies.”

By leveraging cutting-edge digital engineering techniques and government-owned architecture, the F-47 benefits from a streamlined and accelerated development timeline compared to previous fighter programs. These advancements enable rapid technology integration, ensuring the F-47 remains adaptable and upgradable to meet future mission requirements and counter emerging threats.

“Air dominance is not a birthright, but it’s become synonymous with American airpower, but our dominance needs to be earned every single day,” said Allvin. “Since the earliest days of aerial warfare, brave American Airmen have jumped into their machines, taken to the air, and they’ve cleared the skies. That’s been our commitment to the fight, and that’s really been our promise to America, and with this F-47 we’re going to be able to keep that promise well into the future.”

The contract award funds the engineering and manufacturing development phase, which includes maturing, integrating, and testing all aspects of the F-47. This phase will produce a small number of test aircraft for evaluation. The contract also includes competitively priced options for low-rate initial production.

Future basing decisions and additional program elements will be determined in the coming years as the Air Force advances the F-47 toward operational deployment.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Some Background On How The Military Procures Equipment

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

The recent article regarding the Army’s intent to sole source additional M4 carbines from Colt inspired quite a bit of debate about replacing the gun, or at least modernizing it. As for replacing it, the Army already has a plan, and that is Next Generation Squad Weapons which is the example used in the article from the Army I’m sharing today to explain just a bit of the process to procure a new capability.

The image above shows the whole process to get new gear. It’s a multi-year path and is never as simple as going down to Dick’s and plopping down a credit card to buy some guns.

The system isn’t broken, it’s just slow. It exists for a reason, and that reason is that the military doesn’t want to spend potentially billions of dollars on something that doesn’t do what they need.

As for the M4 carbine, I think they’ve still got several decades of life in them and I suspect that eventually the Army will get around to improving them, after applying lessons learned from high pressure ammunition to 5.56mm. I don’t think we’ll see a new gun, but rather a new Upper Receiver Group to handle a new high pressure 5.56 round, sometime in the early 2030s.

Here’s the article, and just a little look into what the acquisition community does for our military.

Behind the scenes, critical process ensures weapons systems ready for Soldiers’ use

By Ed Lopez, Picatinny Arsenal Public Affairs October 1, 2024

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — One of the most anticipated and well-received weapons fielded in recent years has been the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) System, which consists of the XM250 Automatic Rifle, the XM7 Rifle, and the XM157 Fire Control.

Three types of 6.8mm ammunition are also part of the system and will replace the currently fielded 5.56mm ammunition. The XM7 Rifle is the replacement for the M4/M4A1 carbine for Close Combat Force (CCF) Soldiers and Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB).

The XM250 Automatic Rifle is the replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) in the automatic rifleman role for CCF Soldiers and SFABs. The XM157 Fire Control is a magnified direct view optic with a laser range finder, environmental sensors, ballistic solver and digital display overlay. It is compatible with the XM7 Rifle and XM250 Automatic Rifle.

While news media reports have documented the satisfaction and enthusiasm of Soldiers who have used the new weapons, far from the spotlight is a critical process without which such fieldlings could not happen: the Army’s Materiel Release process.

In military usage, materiel refers to arms, ammunition and equipment in general. Note that the term is spelled with a second “e” in the end, unlike the more common word “material.”

The Materiel Release process ensures that Army materiel is safe, suitable and supportable. That is where the simplicity ends. To achieve those goals requires a tightly woven process of testing, assessments, and approvals, along with coordination with internal organizations engaged in the Materiel Release process and with external organizations.

In the case of the Next Generation Squad Weapon System, the Materiel Release was performed at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center. Although the Armaments Center is best known for its research and development activity (it developed the 6.8mm ammunition to obtain optimum performance), another important role is to shepherd through the process a Materiel Release when appropriate.

The Army’s required Materiel Release process performed at the Armaments Center is conducted on behalf of Program Executive Offices (PEO) that fall under the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, or ASA (ALT).

Although the Armaments Center supports all such offices, Joint PEO Armaments and Ammunition (A&A), PEO Soldier and PEO Ground Combat Systems are the most frequently supported.

In the case of the NGSW System, two PEO offices were involved: PEO Soldier for the two rifles and fire control system, and JPEO A&A for the three types of ammunition.

However, there is another key party involved before materiel can be fielded: the Materiel Release Authority. “At the end of the day, our Materiel Release mission at the Armaments Center is to provide a recommendation to the Materiel Release Authority, which is the Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) that has the sustainment mission for the item,” explained Thor Gustafson, Materiel Release Coordinator at the Armaments Center.

“In the case of weapons sustained by TACOM, the Armaments Center makes a recommendation to the Commanding General of TACOM, saying it’s ready to go for the type of Materiel Release being pursued,” Gustafson said. “It has all the documentation required and we’ve done all our due diligence.”

If it’s an ammunition item, the Armaments Center makes a recommendation to the Commander of the Joint Munitions Command (JMC) that it’s suitable for the type of Materiel Release being pursued.

However, getting to that final stage, a sort of “hand-off” to the “Gaining Command,” is a complex process, with potential delays if it veers off course or stalls at some juncture. However, an underlying impetus to completing the process is a parallel awareness that the process is critical to getting needed systems into the hands of Soldiers.

The most common types of materiel releases conducted at the Armaments Center are Full Materiel Release, Conditional Materiel Release, Urgent Materiel Release (the category for the NGSW system) and Software Materiel Release. While each type of release may have its variations, there are generalized procedures that must be followed.

The Materiel Release Office plays a central role in guiding the process for those employees who are unfamiliar with the undertaking, which, when depicted by a visual process map, may seem like an intimidating labyrinth.

“There’s a lot of variables,” Gustafson said, “so that’s why I can never say how long it’s going to take from start to finish. There are so many interdependencies and there’s so many different types of issues that may come up, or specific nuances for a program that we have to kind of live through and mitigate and move forward with.”

A process map is one way to envision of the magnitude of the entire process, but a rough estimate of how long each step might take is just that. An estimate.

“I caution people that those are nominal durations for these steps, which might be helpful, but every program is different. Some programs can get through an Urgent Materiel Release in less than 180 days. And some of them can take significantly longer, maybe years. Our role is to get product to the field as fast as we can while still meeting all the regulatory requirements.”

Gustafson recommends using program management software to keep track of all the document requirements, when they are due, and who is responsible for meeting designated deadlines. “You input the dates for all these documents, and you look at the predecessors for each of them, and you can run what they call a critical path,” he explains.

“If I know a critical path, I know where I need to put my attention at what time, at what month, what day. For example, someone might have the hot seat this week because his documents are due. If his document or his assessment slips by a few days, we can now see what the trickle-down effect is for all the other documents that have a dependency on it, if there is any, and then how that might affect our end date to get the materiel release approved.”

A complicating factor to the materiel release is that not only does documentation have to be produced and routed within the Armaments Center, but also collected and exchanged with external organizations such as the Army Evaluation Center, the Army Test and Evaluation Command, and the Defense Centers for Public Health.

One of the crucial early stages of the materiel release process is the Integrated Project Team (IPT). Typically, the team is headed by a project officer from one of the Program Executive Offices who manages the overall program, project or release item. However, teams also require other essential members who contribute to meeting the overarching goals of ensuring safety, suitability and supportability.

Other team members may include a Safety Engineer, a Quality Engineer, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist and other representatives from external organizations. “It’s everybody who has a stake in the particular program that’s pursuing the materiel release,” Gustafson said.

Because there are various interdependencies for certain documents and approvals, frequent and ongoing conversations are essential, Gustafson said.

“An example would be if we have an item that’s going for an urgent materiel release and perhaps it’s not fully meeting a requirement that the user wanted. That means that suitability is impacted. If it’s not as suitable as intended, it’s possible there could be a safety impact. So that means our safety engineer has to be aware.

“And that safety implication may now require a technical manual update, which falls under supportability. A technical manual is used by Soldier to learn how to use an item. So, you can see how the three tenets of safety, suitability, and supportability can all be impacted by one particular issue because it has implications across the board. And that’s why the regular meetings with the IPT and frequent communications are really important to make sure that we get through this process as effectively and efficiently as we can.”

Other Armaments Center employees who play invaluable roles sit on review boards. They have functional expertise in specific areas, such as fuzing or software, and can vote to concur or not concur on whether standards are being met.

“We rely on them because we need an independent review of the item from somebody who’s not involved or engaged with the program that’s being reviewed,” Gustafson said. “They can make sure that we’re doing everything we need to do–the right things–and that we’re not missing anything.”

Working backwards from the anticipated release or fielding dates, anticipating all the steps, requirements and approvals, can help to get a handle on all the elements required to meet objectives, Gustafson said.

That approach was especially helpful in the case of the NGSW system, with two different rifles, a fire control system, and three different ammunition types.

“Basically, we did a lot of these meetings in November to get this thing approved to go out to the field by end of March, early April, which I think is tremendous to execute six different items that went through this Materiel Release process in a fairly quick amount of time.”

The number of materiel releases that are generated through the Materiel Release Office at the Armaments Center is difficult to predict or balance, said Gustafson.

“In some years, we only have a handful and other years, we have a plethora of all these programs. And we’ve got to maintain some sanity, right? So we balance our workload when we have many Materiel Release actions and prioritize the programs to best support the warfighter and their needs.

“I’ll say a lot of what we do is prioritization, giving the right attention at the right time to make sure these programs are successful.”

Making sure that the Materiel Release process is properly completed is an ongoing mission at the DEVCOM Armaments Center. A small sample of other recent Materiel Releases from the center include:

M821A4 81mm HE Mortar Cartridge, Full Materiel Release

M3A1 Multi-Role, Anti-Armor, Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS), Full Materiel Release

M153 CROWS V4.2, Full Software Materiel Release

Mk258 Mod 1 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Trace 30 x 173mm Cartridge Follow-On, Urgent Materiel Release

XM1198 30mm HE Dual Purpose Self Destruct Cartridge Follow-On, Urgent Materiel Release

XM950 30mm Practice Cartridge Follow-On, Urgent Materiel Release

Kopin Secures $14 Million Order for Thermal Imaging Assembly

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

In addition to production order, customer additionally authorized $5.3 million materials procurement for anticipated future production contract

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. – Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), a leading provider of application-specific optical systems and high-performance microdisplays for defense, training, enterprise, industrial, consumer and medical products, today announced it has received an order valued at $14 million to supply custom thermal imaging assemblies from a leading defense prime contractor. In addition to the thermal imaging assembly order, the customer has authorized Kopin to purchase $5.3 million in materials for an anticipated future order.

The eyepiece assembly is part of a detachable weapon system that enables warfighters to acquire targets in hostile conditions-day or night, and even through smoke or fog-dramatically boosting their “stand-off advantage” and combat effectiveness on the battlefield. This eyepiece assembly integrates Kopin’s proprietary display, optic, electronic and housing technologies in a robust assembly.

“This purchase order is a part of a multi-year full-scale production program, showcasing Kopin’s expertise in the design and production of advanced high resolution microdisplays, optics, drive electronics and ruggedized housings for weapon sights and other mission critical applications,” said Bill Maffucci, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategy. “Kopin’s solider system solutions help to improve warfighters’ situational awareness with vision systems that enable our women and men in the armed forces to maintain a combat advantage.

“Our proven track record of delivering over 400,000 mission critical solutions across several generations of defense programs has been reaffirmed by this order. We look forward to continuing our collaboration on this program and other vital projects,” said Maffucci.

www.kopin.com

Defense Innovation Unit Selects Four Companies To Provide Long-Range, One-Way Unmanned Platforms Prototypes for Evaluation

Monday, March 17th, 2025

Mountain View, CA (March 14, 2025) –The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced that four companies were awarded contracts for Artemis, a project to operationally evaluate long range, one way platforms. DIU is partnering with the Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S) to execute a FY24 Budget line item directing operational testing of platforms in relevant Electronic Warfare (EW) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) denied environments. 

Congressional direction for this effort had a goal to provide loitering munitions capable of operation in an electromagnetic contested environment, at a price point that allows for mass deployment.

“We are excited about the non-traditional companies who are providing low-cost, adaptable, long-range, UAS platforms with the potential to maximize operational flexibility for the Joint force,” said Trent Emeneker, DIU program manager for the effort and contractor. “This was the intent of Congress’ direction to rethink how to get capabilities to the warfighter at speed and scale that can deliver much faster than traditional Programs of Record.”

The four companies on contract include Swan, a U.S. software company partnered with a Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems (UAS) firm; Dragoon, a U.S.-based firm; Aerovironment, a U.S. based firm; and Auterion, a U.S. software company partnered with another Ukrainian UAS firm.

In just over four4 months, DIU and A&S developed a problem statement, launched a solicitation, evaluated 165 proposals, conducted flight demonstrations to verify stated capabilities of down-selected companies and entered into contract negotiations. 

In order to have a successful prototype by the end of FY 2025, the next step is meeting an aggressive testing and integration schedule to complete prototyping and demonstrate success by the end of May 2025. Project Artemis goals are directly tied to observations of current real world combat conditions as well as feedback from end users across the DoD on what capabilities may be needed in this space to face near peer threat capabilities around the world. With Artemis, DIU and A&S are moving rapidly to provide an option for Services and Combatant Commands to choose from, delivered years in advance of current Program of Record timeframes. 

The final Artemis capabilities will be ground-launched, affordable one-way UAS platforms that operate at ranges from 50-300 km+, launch quickly and expeditiously, navigate at low altitudes, carry a variety of payloads, are rapidly updatable and upgradable, and functional in disrupted, disconnected, intermittent and low-bandwidth and Global Navigation Satellite System denied environments.

USSOCOM’s Curious Unmanned Aerial System Procurement for SOCCENT

Monday, March 17th, 2025

In a rare move, USSOCOM in support of Special Operations Command Central, a Theater Special Operations Command, has released an intent to a award a single source contract for a combat capability to be used by forces which rotate into their theater.

The actual commercial system is never named, but specifically, the requirement is for First Person View drones. Those of you who have been following the Soldier Systems Digest newsletter know how supportive I am of fielding these systems en masse, so any requirement gets me excited.

FPV drones are not new to Special Forces. They’ve begun to integrate the capability into their formations and conduct a course at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School called Robotics and Unmanned Systems Integration Course (RUSIC) to train operators to use these drones. Additionally, many receive training from Oak Grove Technologies in the specialty. In the photo above by SGT David Cordova, a 10th Group Green Beret prepares to launch an FPV drone to be used for a raid operation during Exercise Trojan Footprint last year in conjunction with Greek special operations forces near Nea Peramos, Greece. Soon, there will be a new Warrant Officer MOS in USASOC which specializes in robotics, drones, and other new warfighting technologies.

A few things stick out about this procurement.

First, it’s not normal for a TSOC to procure systems which will be used by gained forces. It happens, but it’s generally rare cases such as communications or command and control. TSOCs aren’t manned and equipped to operate and maintain ISR and lethality systems. Those are provided by gained forces from the SOF service components as well as conventional units with unique capabilities.

In fact, the J&A used to substantiate the procurement points out that the command has limited UAS capabilities and is reliant upon external agencies to provide specialized assets.

Below are several points of interest in the J&A:

Currently, the absence of dedicated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for cave clearing operations forces reliance on Military Working Dogs (MWD) or partner forces, significantly increasing risk to both personnel and mission success. This approach presents several challenges:

Hazardous Environments: Caves present confined, complex spaces with limited visibility and unpredictable terrain, increasing the danger to personnel and potentially hindering MWD effectiveness.

Specialized Threat Detection: Identifying hidden threats like explosives, booby traps, and concealed enemy combatants requires specialized equipment and expertise, limitations that UAS technology can address.

Communication and Coordination: Maintaining clear communication and coordination within a cave environment is crucial but challenging, potentially leading to delays and miscommunication.

To mitigate these risks and enhance operational effectiveness, we propose the acquisition and deployment of a dedicated UAS solution.

Enhanced Situational Awareness: FPV UAS provide real-time visual intelligence from within the cave, enabling operators to assess the environment, identify threats, and make informed decisions.

Reduced Risk to Personnel: Deploying UAS instead of personnel for initial reconnaissance and threat assessment significantly reduces the exposure (redacted) and MWD teams to potential hazards.

Improved Communication and Coordination: UAS equipped with communication relays enhance coordination between teams inside and outside the cave, facilitating smoother operations and faster response times.

This equipment enables ODAs to gain a visual on the risks present on an obscured objective, prior to engagement. Without this capability, ODAs accept undue to risk to the force by entering an objective without detect and defeat capabilities.

This heavy-lift capability, combined with its compact drone body, enables the system to operate effectively in confined spaces, such as those encountered in cave clearing operations. The system’s First-Person View (FPV) guidance system provides real-time video feed, allowing for precise navigation and control, which is essential for safe and effective operation in complex environments.

The other issue is the use of a Sole Source Contract. The drafter of the requirement certifies that the desired system is the only single source which is reasonably available and further asserts that the “JUAS platform presents a distinct combination of capabilities that make it the only viable solution for our specific needs.”

There are loads of ways to acquire the exact capability they desire without going for a J&A which will assuredly receive lots of scrutiny from industry.

Lastly, by publishing an open notice, it alerts everyone (bad guys included) that they currently have a capability gap and that they are closing it.

I’m glad they are getting the gear. Hopefully, they’ll come up with a means to train forces in its use and sustain the capability with manning and training as well as material life-cycle management. In the end, it would be great to see this capability grow across the SOF enterprise as well as into General Purpose Forces, but that means a serious look at force structure as well as the full DOTMLP-F spectrum.