Blue UAS Refresh Problem – sUAS Information

The Protection Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Nationwide Safety Innovation Community (NSIN) will run a prize problem to establish platforms, elements, and capabilities for Blue UAS. The problem will contemplate First Particular person View (FPV), Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 platforms, in addition to elements, capabilities, and software program for Unmanned Aerial Methods (UAS).

Submissions of particular person elements, capabilities, and software program are welcome. Submissions within the classes talked about above which might be ruled by the 2020 and 2023 Nationwide Protection Authorization Acts (NDAA’s) and the 2024 American Safety Drone Act are eligible for analysis. Extra details about the Blue UAS Listing, the Blue UAS Framework, and the related insurance policies could be discovered right here. 

Firms could submit a number of merchandise in separate entries and are welcome to group with different corporations as wanted for particular proposals. 

A group of material consultants will consider candidates and choose corporations as finalists to take part within the demonstration occasion that can happen on 4-6  November, 2024 at Marine Corps Air Floor Fight Middle (MCAGCC), 29 Palms, CA. 

Advantages of Taking part:

As soon as winners are chosen, a verification course of will happen to make sure all gadgets coated by the 2020 NDAA, the 2023 NDAA, the 2024 American Safety Drone Act, and every other related legislation on the time of the occasion are in compliance with the legislation. A cybersecurity evaluation may also happen. Profitable completion of these inspections will make the submission probably eligible for inclusion on both the DIU Blue UAS Listing or the DIU Blue UAS Framework Listing.

Potential for follow-on alternatives reminiscent of Different Transaction Agreements (OTAs), Cooperative Analysis and Growth Agreements (CRADAs), and others.

Apply Now (Hyperlink to IdeaScale)

Eligibility:

Firms or entities, together with overseas corporations, that aren’t domiciled in a coated overseas nation or topic to unmitigated overseas possession, management, or affect by a coated overseas nation, as decided by the Secretary of Protection in accordance with the Nationwide Industrial Safety Program (or any successor to such program).

Eligible corporations embody non-traditional protection contractors as outlined within the 2023 DoD Different Transactions Information and in 10 U.S. Code § 3014 – Nontraditional protection contractor, small companies as outlined within the Small Enterprise Act (15 U.S.C. 632), and conventional protection contractors.

The power to reveal the answer’s capabilities by November 4, 2024.

Projected Timeline:

August 5, 2024: Solicitation Launch – IdeaScale, problem.gov, NSIN web site, DIU web site

August 12, 2024: “Ask Me Something” Session

August 19, 2024: Solicitation Closes & Down-selection Begins

Sept 15, 2024: Down-selection Ends & Finalists Introduced

November 4-6, 2024: Demonstration Occasion at MCAGCC 29 Palms, CA

November 15, 2024: Winners Introduced

Drawback Assertion:

DoD finish customers face a major shortfall within the availability of UAS platforms, elements, and capabilities required to coach with and put together for fight.  There’s an pressing want to make sure supply of related and efficient platforms, capabilities, and elements that align with DoD operational wants. We acknowledge there are not any everlasting options on this area and search to supply baseline {hardware} capabilities that mix with software program agility to ship options on the velocity required by the trendy contested battlefield. 

Since DIU established Blue UAS, the speed of change of UAS capabilities has solely accelerated, along side growing wants for DoD customers. To higher meet the wants of DoD customers, the velocity of delivering updates to Blue UAS should speed up. This occasion is the start of that effort. 

Finish Consumer: DoD

Judging Standards:

Purposes and Pitches shall be judged on seven main standards in addition to different vital standards recognized by DoD customers: 

• Technical Capabilities as listed on the Technical Capabilities Listing under
• Group: Firm viability.
• Commercialization: Viability in non-defense markets.
• High quality of Demonstration: Demonstrates how the expertise solves a number of of the outlined technical functionality areas.
• Operational Effectiveness: Proposed answer aligns with listed technical capabilities.
• Value & Scalability: Value of proposed answer is possible for adoption and scalable by functionality.
• Finish Consumer Suggestions: Suggestions from operational finish customers from their commentary of efficiency and their fingers on functionality testing. 

Technical Capabilities Listing:

Structure 

• Standardization
• Open Structure
• Interoperability
• Payload choices & availability
• Floor Management Station (GCS) & software program choices

Cybersecurity & Compliance

• NDAA Compliance (Data Safety/Encryption, Provide Chain, Antitamper, and so on.)
• Inexperienced UAS or Blue UAS standing
• Skill to supply a whole platform for third-party cyber evaluation

Platform Traits

• Flight Efficiency
• Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) resilience / radio(s) used
• Vary
• Cargo capability
• Modularity
• International Navigation Satellite tv for pc System (GNSS) resilience or various navigation
• Payloads (cargo and sensors the platform can host / platforms the payload could be hosted by / means of software program to work with a number of platforms)
• Weatherproofing (IP score)
• Setup / deployment

Enterprise & Market Evaluation

• Particular DoD requests for a functionality
• Present manufacturing fee
• Value
• Skill to supply a minimum of 3 totally operational examples of your submission for the occasion and a couple of educated operators
• Firm viability
• Lifetime delivered gross sales thus far

Operator Suggestions

• Ease of flight
• Studying curve
• Flight efficiency
• Functionality

For present members of the Blue Listing

• Gross sales knowledge of Blue platforms to DoD clients

For all submissions

• Lifetime delivered gross sales of your submission

Flights on the occasion will happen within the day and evening and all submissions shall be examined, flown, and operated by a chosen group of DoD finish customers to the utmost extent attainable. As with all take a look at occasion, the opportunity of harm or destruction exists. Firms perceive that DoD and individuals usually are not accountable for accidents and shall be required to signal a waiver to take part. 

To maximise participation on this occasion, DIU will purchase a blanket Exception to Coverage waiver for all collaborating submissions.

Pitch Deck Submission Necessities:

Groups will submit a pitch deck outlining their answer that addresses the options above. Pitch decks ought to meet the next format necessities:

• Sized 16:9 (1920×1080 pixels)
• Horizontal presentation
• PDF file
• Most 7 slides

If chosen to attend the occasion, corporations shall present a coaching package deal forward of time to permit a minimum of three DoD operators to finish the really useful coaching earlier than the occasion. Firms shall present a minimum of two expert operators to reveal capabilities and flight traits, if wanted, on the occasion. 

Background Data:

Details about DIU and the DIU Blue UAS Listing and Blue UAS Framework could be discovered right here https://www.diu.mil/blue-uas. 

An instance of cybersecurity analysis that could be performed on successful submissions could be discovered right here: https://dronewolf.darkwolf.io/intro 

Concerning the Protection Innovation Unit

The Protection Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens nationwide safety by accelerating the adoption of business expertise within the Division of Protection and bolstering our allied and nationwide safety innovation bases. DIU companions with organizations throughout the DoD to quickly prototype and discipline dual-use capabilities that resolve operational challenges at velocity and scale. With places of work in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and Washington, DC, DIU is the Division’s gateway to main expertise corporations throughout the nation.

Concerning the Nationwide Safety Innovation Community (NSIN) 

The Nationwide Safety Innovation Community (NSIN) is a program workplace within the U.S. Division of Protection, nested inside the Protection Innovation Unit (DIU). We’re set as much as collaborate with all kinds of innovators to incorporate universities, researchers, college students, entrepreneurs and start-ups. We create alternatives for collaboration throughout communities and join people who won’t historically work in nationwide safety. Collectively, we assist drive nationwide safety innovation and develop applied sciences that immediately assist the people answerable for defending our nation.

Mental Property Issues:

Candidates retain possession of current Mental Property (IP) submitted below this Problem and agree that their submissions are their unique work. Candidates are presumed to have adequate rights to submit the submission. For any submission made to the Problem, you grant NSIN and DIU a restricted license to make use of this IP for testing and analysis for efforts particularly associated to the Problem. NSIN and DIU will negotiate with particular person opponents within the occasion further utilization, integration, or improvement is contemplated.

Different Transaction Authority:

This NSIN Problem public announcement is an open name to small companies and non-traditional protection contractors in search of revolutionary, industrial applied sciences proposed to create new DoD options or potential new capabilities fulfilling necessities, closing functionality gaps, or offering potential technological developments, applied sciences fueled by industrial or strategic funding, but additionally idea demonstrations, pilots, and agile improvement actions enhancing industrial applied sciences, current Authorities-owned capabilities, or ideas for broad Protection utility(s). As such, the Authorities reserves the appropriate to award a contract or an Different Transaction settlement for any objective, to incorporate a prototype or analysis, below this public announcement. The Federal Authorities just isn’t answerable for any monies expended by the applicant earlier than award and is below no obligation to pursue such Different Transactions.

Satisfying Competitors Necessities:

This NSIN Problem Open Name Announcement is taken into account to have potential for additional efforts that could be completed by way of FAR-based contracting devices, Different Transaction Authority (OTA) for Prototype Initiatives 10 USC 4022 and Analysis 10 USC 4021, Prizes for superior expertise achievements 10 USC 4025, and/or Prize Competitions 15 USC 3719. The general public open name announcement made on the IdeaScale web site is taken into account to fulfill the affordable effort to acquire competitors in accordance with 10 USC 4025(b), 15 USC 3719 (e) and 10 USC 4022 (b)(2). Accordingly, FAR-based actions will comply with announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b)