Air Force releases RFP for counter-small UAS system

The Air Force Research Laboratory released a long-awaited request for proposals Tuesday for weapons that can thwart commercial off-the-shelf small unmanned aerial systems.

AFRL plans to award a $490 million contract, which will support rapid development and prototyping of capabilities that can fill technology gaps throughout an entire kill chain. The lab is also particularly interested in systems that counter small UAS swarms, according to a November 2019 statement of work included in the RFP.

Proposals are due May 14, and AFRL expects to begin work in August. The period of performance will last about 72 months.