The US Air Force (USAF) has issued a request for information (RFI) for its Next-Generation Multirole Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Family of Systems (FoS) requirement.
An illustrative concept of a future unmanned aircraft that might field capabilities of the type that the USAF is now seeking for its Next-Generation Multirole Unmanned Aircraft System Family of Systems requirement. (Lockheed Martin)
Posted on the beta.sam.gov US government procurement website on 5 March, the ‘Next Gen Multirole UAS FoS’ RFI is in support of a USAF effort to field a family of attritable but reusable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on behalf of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance/Special Operations Forces (ISR/SOF) Directorate.
“The Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) in support of the ISR/SOF Directorate is seeking information to inform the establishment of a new capability development pipeline for integration on current and Next-Gen Multirole UAS FoS with reduced operating costs and greater persistence, survivability, and range. These Next-Gen Multirole UAS FoS may be comprised of attritable, expendable, survivable and reusable attributes, which can attain desired effects in various operating environments,” the RFI stated.
In the RFI, the USAF sets out three key focus areas for the required capabilities, namely Air Domain Awareness to provide early warning and fire control quality track/identification of enemy air operations in highly contested and contested environments; High Value Airborne Asset Protection (HVAAP) to protect high value airborne assets, such as tankers and airborne early warning and control platforms, from long-range enemy fighters and other kinetic and non-kinetic threats; and Platform Multi-Role UAS FoS solutions to include attritable, expendable, survivable, and reusable concepts.
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