The Department of War has issued an area of interest solicitation seeking scalable counter-small unmanned aerial system, or C-sUAS, sensing technologies.
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What Capabilities Is DOW Requesting?
The Defense Innovation Unit said the solicitation outlines two primary lines of effort focused on fixed and mobile C-sUAS sensing capabilities.
Line of Effort 1: Fixed-Site Homeland Defense Sensing
Line of Effort 1 calls for a fixed-site sensing capability able to persistently detect and track Group 1 UAS at ranges of 2 kilometers or more. The system, intended to replace or supplement legacy systems, must incorporate a radar sensor and operate safely in populated areas, congested airspace and complex electromagnetic environments while replacing or augmenting legacy platforms.
Line of Effort 2: Mobile Tactical Sensing
Line of Effort 2 targets mobile, on-the-move tactical sensing capabilities that enable small units to detect, track and classify UAS while stationary and on the move in contested environments or areas where Global Navigation Satellite System signals are unavailable or disrupted. These systems should maintain low physical and electromagnetic signatures and integrate with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Infantry Squad Vehicle, Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck platforms.
Both systems must integrate with counter-UAS fire control platforms, operate on standard military power sources, reduce operator burden and comply with DOW cybersecurity requirements. Proposals should outline detection ranges, tracking performance, coverage parameters, power requirements and system integration details.
How Will the C-sUAS Awards Be Structured?
Proposals must address the full requirements of at least one line of effort and include cost estimates across procurement tiers. Selected vendors may be invited to a Phase 2 live demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground in spring 2026. Awards will use other transaction authority and may lead directly to follow-on production without further competition.
Alignment With DOW Counter-Drone Strategy
The solicitation aligns with the War Department’s counter-drone initiatives, including the formation of a joint interagency task force, called the JIATF 401, dedicated to accelerating the development and deployment of c-UAS.
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