The Defense Innovation Unit has started soliciting proposals through a commercial solutions opening for the development of an open architecture aerial vehicle that could accelerate capability development and deployment across weapons programs.
DIU said it is interested in a modular aerial platform that could enable the integration, qualification and testing of various subsystems, materials and capabilities and could prioritize distributed mass production and affordability.
The aerial platform should have a range of at least 500 nautical miles with a minimum cruise speed of 100 knots, can deliver a kinetic payload, perform bulk transportation and should feature a system architecture that allows the integration of commercial components and subsystems.
The Department of Defense’s innovation arm is seeking vendors that could demonstrate their proposed platforms through an initial test flight within seven months after award of a prototype other transaction agreement.
Responses to the solicitation are due Oct. 10.
