SOCOM nearly doubling counter drone IDIQ contract ceiling

U.S. Special Operations Command is nearly doubling the ceiling of a 2022 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for Counter Unmanned Systems from $967.6 million to $1.9 billion, according to a Nov. 6 justification and approval notice from the Defense Department.

SOCOM chose Anduril Industries to be a “counter-unmanned systems, systems integration partner” at the time of the original award in January 2022. SOCOM chose Anduril out of 12 competing proposals, Inside Defense reported then.

The contract ceiling increase, as stated in the Nov. 6 J&A document, is to “fulfill immediate C-UxS capability expansion and support requirements from Ukraine and Israel Supplemental funding for USSOCOM, United States Army, United States Marine Corps and other agencies.”

As the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts have raged on, DOD has continued to place a heavy emphasis on rapidly fielding UAS and counter UAS capabilities. The J&A document notes that SOCOM “continues to pursue technical solutions to fulfill its SOF-peculiar requirements” under DOD Directive 3800.01e -- the executive agent for groups 1, 2 and 3 counter sUAS.

The J&A document also notes that the special operations forces counter drone program has had “continued congressional interest” for the past four years, “enabling SOF to accelerate C-UAS capabilities for austere locations abroad.”

“Based on the current high threat environment driving an increased force protection footprint for deployed SOF, USSOCOM is facing urgent procurement demands in support of US SOF and our partners,” it states.