Find the Right Path to Working With DIU

Background & Problem Statement

The United States Space Force (USSF) is currently constrained by a fragmented ground architecture that limits the agility of modern distributed space operations. Today, tactical Command and Control (C2) is siloed within individual mission systems, forcing operators to rely on manual coordination and brittle, centralized C2. This lack of machine-to-machine integration creates a critical lag in the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop, a vulnerability that is magnified as adversaries deploy AI-driven capabilities to compress decision timelines.

To achieve decision advantage and close the kill chains across all 13 USSF Mission Deltas, the Service requires a stable, high-availability commercial data fabric that unifies disparate ground segments into an integrated and resilient warfighting environment.

Desired Solution & Scope

DIU is seeking comprehensive, end-to-end prototype software solutions that integrate existing hardware and software systems to provide a common data fabric. This data fabric must empower tactical users to collaborate, orchestrate, and execute real-time effects from any authorized node. The goal is to fundamentally shift from isolated mission areas to a dynamic, unified architecture capable of securely connecting and sharing data from any tactical C2 center from multiple locations, at scale.

Phased Key Objectives

Prototypes awarded under this CSO will be expected to meet the following, capability-driven milestones:

• 6 Months (Deployment & Onboarding): Rapidly deploy the data fabric at the secret level or higher, establish operator workflows, and validate initial interfaces with existing USSF tactical C2 systems.
• 12 Months (Tactical C2 Across Two Deltas): Deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) demonstrating collaborative, multi-Delta tactical C2 at the secret level or higher.
• 18 Months (Tactical, Multi-Security Enclave, C2 Across Three Deltas): Expand integrated tactical C2 to at least three Mission Deltas with seamless, automated data sharing and deconflicted mission execution between tactical units at multiple security enclaves, to establish a resilient, decentralized hierarchy and a mission-ready data fabric for distributed forces.

Key Solution Attributes

Proposed solutions will be evaluated based on their ability to deliver and substantiate operational capabilities in the following core areas:

• Tactical C2 & Mission Execution: Provide a comprehensive data fabric that integrates existing USSF space and ground tactical data needed to elevate and expedite decision velocity. The solution must automate the fusion of disparate tactical data (i.e space and ground systems) into a high-fidelity Common Tactical Picture (CTP), displaying real-time, live operational mission data from multiple Mission Deltas. It must provide AI-informed mission execution for a variety of combinations of “units of action” and enable operator-on-the-loop autonomous execution of plans to rapidly close the kill chains.
• Federated Data Mesh & Discovery: Implement a decentralized data architecture where data remains resident in and secured by the originating source systems, while enabling unified global discovery, access, and translation across relevant cloud and on-premises environments. The solution should establish a unified data ontology and semantic layer to support data curation, automated tagging, and organization, while also using standard protocol servers, such as Model Context Protocol (MCP), that allows for optimization of both automated data streams and autonomous agent interaction, without forcing rigid, centralized consolidation.
• Infrastructure Resilience & Distributed Computing: Build resilience directly into the software architecture through multi-path and distributed compute nodes to ensure mission continuity during local node failures or total backhaul disconnections. The solution must ensure mission systems can operate seamlessly at real-time, from any location connected to the fabric across virtual and disconnected environments.
• Non-Invasive Legacy Integration: Utilize technologies to rapidly onboard existing USSF software and hardware into a modern IT architecture with minimal to no changes to existing systems and operations. This approach must present an interface compliant with the fabric API/SDK, ensuring mission systems can be hosted and managed across the fabric with minimal disruption to active operations.
• Cybersecurity, Monitoring, & Multi-Enclave Zero-Trust: Deliver a decentralized Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) framework enforcing Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) and session persistence across disparate security enclaves at Impact Levels 4, 5, and 6 (IL4/5/6) and above—including Coalition Releasable, SECRET, TOP SECRET, SCI, and SAP environments. Use modern commercial tools for real-time Risk Management Framework (RMF) monitoring and automated Authorization to Operate (ATO) compliance. Enforce Zero Trust Architecture across the entire solution through continuous explicit verification, least-privilege access, and micro-segmentation of all resources.

Key Technical Attributes

In addition to the operational capabilities above, solutions will be evaluated on their engineering maturity, technical performance, and ability to substantiate metrics in the following areas:

• Onboarding & Deployment Timeline: Ability to rapidly integrate tactical data from existing USSF systems, specifically minimizing or eliminating downtime to the fabric or the systems being integrated.
• Latency & Decision Velocity: Demonstrated ability to maintain sub-second processing latency for tactical C2 operations, ensuring real-time, sensor-to-shooter orchestration across Mission Deltas.
• Tactical Interaction & Mission Flow: User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design that simplifies complex operator interactions and mission flows, explicitly reducing cognitive load and enabling intuitive mission planning and mission operations execution for Guardians across multiple Mission Deltas. The user interface should also support the integration of autonomous operations. 
• Availability & System Uptime: Proven framework for maintaining high-availability and reliability for data ingestion and mission execution, strictly enforcing modern software engineering principles to ensure data integrity and zero-loss ingestion.
• Observability & Monitoring: Fully integrated tools to monitor fabric performance, to include automated health monitoring, real-time data stream quality, and persistent logging to provide complete visibility into fabric use, performance, health, and security posture.
• Scalability & Elasticity: The solution’s architectural capability to scale across the entirety of the Space Force, ensuring that onboarding costs, data ingestion overhead, and query performance remain consistent as the number of data sources and consumers scales exponentially.

Background

The Department of War (DoW) relies on the U.S. Army for intra-theater logistics, creating a heavy dependence on supply chains to sustain joint operations at required speed and scale. Army Watercraft Systems (AWS) are critical to distributing supplies across dispersed littoral formations in the Indo-Pacific theater, but the current fleet is aging and reliant upon a limited cadre of Army senior enlisted mariners. It also lacks the overall supply payload capacity to move supplies at the demands needed by operational forces. This risk is compounded in contested environments where adversaries can target the high value and personnel-intensive targets in the supply chain.

Problem

The Indo-Pacific theater requires additional logistics capacity capable of sustaining long-distance maritime distribution while operating with minimal personnel. This capability must reduce reliance on vulnerable airfields and large crewed vessels, scale rapidly in crisis or conflict, and remain affordable for production at scale.

The DoW is looking toward unmanned systems to solve these challenges. For Indo-Pacific Contested Logistics, Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) can provide significant operational advantages by eliminating risk to onboard personnel and reducing the need for trained mariners. Additionally, their dispersed and relatively inexpensive nature complicates adversary targeting, enhancing survivability in contested environments.

To these considerations, the DoW is seeking solutions for a small, Autonomous Resupply Vehicle (ARV-S).  The ARV-S’ primary job will be regularly resupplying containerized cargo to forward-deployed units in the form of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).

Desired Solution Attributes

The following are the desired attributes for the ARV-S:

Solutions will be evaluated on their ability to affordably meet the desired attributes in an operationally relevant environment. Proposed prototype solutions should be demonstrable on water within 12 months of award.

Consideration will be given to both conversion solutions—modifying manned vessels to operate without a crew, and designs for completely new, purpose-built unmanned vessels.

The Government understands that some companies may not be able to meet all the desired attributes in this solicitation, but encourages companies with relevant, demonstrable capability for major components to partner with other companies to submit complete solutions.

Submission Requirements

Vendors are expected to submit a solution brief for stating how their solutions meet the requirements outlined above.

Preference will be given to submissions that present a comprehensive and compelling solution to the problem statement and product requirements and robustly discuss the process to adopt a fully domestic/Allied supply chain in a cost-effective manner.

Submissions should include an overview and technical details for the solution. Inclusion of examples of past successful deployment of similar solutions in the commercial or public sectors is highly encouraged.

Any resulting agreement from this AoI will include language requiring your company to confirm compliance with Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232). If you are unable to confirm compliance with the law referenced, the Government will not be able to enter into an agreement with your company.

Project Spectrum Strike is the high-demand signal to industry to move proven, high technology readiness level (TRL) software technologies from live demonstration to Enterprise procurement at the speed of relevance.

Problem

The Department of War (DoW) is currently facing challenges in integrating modern technology into legacy spectrum management systems, putting American innovation, companies, and the military at a significant disadvantage compared to our adversaries. 

The rapid proliferation of advanced uncrewed systems (UxS) and dynamic, multi-band radios by peer and near-peer adversaries has fundamentally crowded the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS), requiring the U.S. Government to adopt next-generation spectrum management solutions. However, the current U.S. spectrum authorization process—governing allocation, licensing, and equipment certification—remains a manual, sequential, and paper-based bottleneck that can take 75 to 180 days to complete. 

The legacy system forces tactical units to navigate disconnected databases and operate under unrealistic mission constraints. Ultimately, this analog bureaucracy degrades tactical readiness, heightens the risk of blue-on-blue EMS interference, and severely stifles the integration of critical capabilities required to maintain spectrum dominance.

Desired Solution Attributes 

DIU and its interagency partners seek a "ready-now" automated, software-driven spectrum deconfliction and authorization ecosystem. Run by DIU in partnership with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, NTIA, FCC, FAA, and DHS, this Prize Challenge serves to dismantle "compliance-based bureaucracy."

The primary goal is to identify mature, usable enterprise software capabilities (TRL >= 7) ready for deployment. The objective is to drastically reduce approval timelines from 90+ days to less than five days and establish a standing library of approved spectrum activities. This spectrum activity playbook will allow DoW Units to ‘one-click’ submit requests for known/routine activities that do not represent significant risks outside of DoW property.

The core deliverable is a deployable "one stop shop" dashboard accessible across the DoW and federal partners that visually depicts the EMS environment geographically and utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents to triage and route coordination requests. 

All data produced, ingested, or processed on this platform must be securely housed within authorized government cloud infrastructure. 

Proposed solutions must conform to open architecture principles. These will be employed initially at the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) level to enhance lethality, survivability, and mission effectiveness, with employment tailorable to both strategic (cloud) and tactical (edge) environments. Submissions must feature mature, mission-ready architectures capable of participating in live, virtual, and constructed evaluations. 

If the software solution proves successful, we intend to buy it as an enterprise service pending DoW funds availability.

To maximize competitiveness, proposed solutions must align with the following technical capabilities and evaluation priorities:

• Agentic Automation & UI/UX:
  • Must feature a "One Stop Shop" dashboard that utilizes AI to automate interagency rule logic (Redbook/FCC/FAA) and triage workflows without persistent human-in-the-loop bottlenecking (while providing human-on-the-loop functionality).
  • AI agents must autonomously parse complex forms (e.g., vendors’ information documentation, DD Form 1494/JF-12, Special Temporary Authorization Licenses).
  • Conduct initial triage to determine if proposed spectrum requests can be authorized in the U.S., in foreign nations (at least by region), and U.S. territories. 
• High-Fidelity Modeling & Simulation (M&S):
  • Must include high certainty, physics-based RF propagation and spectrum modeling that includes clutter, terrain losses, power thresholds, and aggregate interference potential.
• Architecture & Integration:
  • Must feature viable machine-to-machine APIs capable of seamlessly ingesting and exporting data from siloed Federal databases (e.g., Spectrum XXI).
  • Must provide agile, transparent mapping and generation of workflows, allowing for auditable equipment coordination governance as policies change.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance:
  • National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliance is required.
  • Must have a clear roadmap for all software environments and databases must ensure that any data produced, simulated, or ingested on the platform is housed at least within government cloud infrastructure. 
  • Must show a clear pathway to achieving DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (CC SRG) Impact Level 5 (IL5) and Impact Level 6 (IL6) cloud security accreditations.
• Performance & Efficiency Metrics:
  • Must deliver a 0% false negative rate for critical safety-of-flight or GNSS physics interference issues.
  • Must achieve a 60-70% reduction in manual data entry touchpoints.
  • Equipment Spectrum Certification (ESC) Automation: Must provide initial capabilities with a verifiable roadmap to automate the generation, review, and coordination processes of ESC data, fully replacing the requirement for human data input.
• Business & Market Analysis:
  • Demonstrated ability to scale the software environment.
  • Provide a range of pricing for enterprise licensing, cloud hosting, and lifecycle support.

Timeline

All dates are tentative and subject to change.

• Round 1 - Initial Pitch Deck:
  • June 1, 2026: Challenge Issued & Open Call Release.
  • June 15, 2026: Initial Pitch Deck Submissions Due (Initial Down-Select Gate).
  • June 22, 2026: Invitations to Round 2 Issued.

• Round 2 - “One Stop Shop” MVP Demonstration:  
  • July 10, 2026: Submissions Due (MVP Dashboard - Virtual Demonstration).
  • July 24, 2026: Down-select Announced to Round 3.

• Round 3 - Agentic Automation and Modeling:
  • August 25, 2026: Validation & Live Demonstrations (Fort Carson, Colorado).



• Post-Round 3 (To Be Determined): 
  • Secure Cloud Integration & Follow-On Procurement.
  • Prototyping deployment with an Army unit, pending appropriations 

Challenge Structure & Prize Breakdown

This challenge will be conducted via an initial down-select round followed by two consecutive evaluation rounds to move from a conceptual architecture to a fully modeled prototype. The total prize purse of $2,000,000 is distributed across multiple phases, with up to 10 advancing vendors sharing a $500,000 pool in Round 2, and up to 3 final winners sharing a $1,500,000 pool in Round 3.

Round 1: Initial Down-Select (The Pitch Deck)

• The Goal: To rapidly assess the industrial base and identify commercial vendors possessing mature, enterprise-ready software architectures
• (TRL >= 7) that maps directly to the multi-agency spectrum management requirements.
• Submission Requirement: A 15-slide horizontal presentation deck (PDF, 16:9 format). Submissions must provide a clear and concise overview of the company’s core technology, principal team members, software maturity levels, relevant past performance, and a high-level conceptual strategy for achieving architectural interoperability with legacy Federal databases (e.g., Spectrum XXI). Submissions should directly address the evaluation criteria outlined in the evaluation criteria to maximize competitiveness. 
• Outcome: Submissions will be rigorously evaluated against the Round 1 criteria. Qualifying companies with compliant, competitive, and highly viable submissions will be formally selected and invited to participate in Round 2. Participation in Round 1 is a prerequisite for challenge advancement; however, no prize money is awarded at this initial gateway.

Round 2: The "One Stop Shop" Minimum Viable Product

• The Goal: Develop a Minimally Viable Product (MVP) dashboard demonstrating seamless interagency coordination. The platform must feature a unified user interface where a spectrum authority (acting as DoW, NTIA, FCC, and FAA) can view, annotate, and approve or deny certification and allocation requests. It must include basic geospatial plotting of the request and a static emission profile.
• Prize Purse: $500,000 total Round 2 prize pool. Up to 10 winners will receive a proportionate share of the Round 2 pool. The Government may award up to 10 prizes with this Round but is not obligated to do so.
• Submission: A 10-page maximum technical architecture white paper detailing API integration strategies with legacy databases (e.g., Spectrum XXI, NTIA databases) integration approach for propagation and spectrum coexistence modeling, and AI/automation strategy, accompanied by a 5-minute video demonstration of the MVP UI/UX. 

Round 3: Agentic Automation & Propagation/Spectrum Coexistence Modeling

• The Goal: Demonstrate military battlespace coordination with high-fidelity Modeling & Simulation (M&S). Advancing teams will integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents designed to automatically receive structured and unstructured documents, extract data, create and disseminate packets, triage requests, and highlight high-risk interference packets for human review. This requires demonstrating successful, automated coordination of a massive emitter footprint equivalent to an Army Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), including high certainty propagation and spectrum coexistence modeling, including but not limited to clutter, aggregate interference, and atmospheric effect (including, but not limited to degradation).
• Prize Purse: $1,500,000 Round 3 prize pool. Up to 3 winners will receive a proportionate share of the Round 3 pool. The Government may award up to 3 prizes with this Round but is not obligated to do so.
• Submission: A live, virtual demonstration of the software routing a simulated ABCT deployment dataset at Fort Carson in Colorado, plus delivering source code snippets or technical data packages (TDPs) validating the propagation and spectrum coexistence modeling engine.

Post-Challenge: Enterprise Procurement & Fielding

Following a successful Round 3 demonstration and technical review, the Government may pursue one or more acquisition pathways based on system maturity, end-user feedback, and available funding. 

Participation in this Challenge does not guarantee an award, contract, or agreement. However, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022, the Government reserves the right to award a follow-on prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement or a traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based procurement contract to any participant who successfully completes the project under this competitive Prize Challenge. 

The Government further reserves the right to utilize any FAR or non-FAR rapid acquisition vehicle, prototype framework, procurement instrument, or baseline prototyping modification deemed appropriate to transition successful technologies from live evaluation directly to enterprise fielding. 

To be eligible for any subsequent prototype or procurement award, the end solution must be architected to operate within a Government Cloud environment, capable of achieving Impact Level 5 (IL5) and eventually Impact Level 6 (IL6) cloud security accreditations.

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be rigorously evaluated by a Board of Advisors featuring representatives from DoW CIO, OUSD(R&E), Army G-6 (ASMO), NTIA, FCC, FAA, and DHS.

Round 1 – Initial Pitch Deck

The initial 15-slide commercial pitch deck submissions will be screened for challenge advancement. Evaluators will score submissions across two primary pillars:

• Technical Feasibility & Maturity: Assesses whether the underlying commercial software architecture is highly mature (TRL >= 7) and structurally viable for rapid modification and enterprise deployment without requiring foundational research and development.
• Mission Alignment: Assesses how comprehensively and innovatively the company's baseline capability addresses the defined problem space, specifically mapping to the core mandates of automated workflow routing, Agentic AI data extraction, architectural openness, and high-fidelity propagation and spectrum coexistence Modeling & Simulation (M&S).

Round 2 – Proposal Evaluation

Round 2 submissions will be evaluated against the criteria below. 

• Interoperability & Architecture (30%): The viability of the platform's machine-to-machine Interfaces (e.g., APIs, Message Queues, Event Driven, Graph Interfaces) to ingest and export data from siloed Federal and non-Federal databases (e.g., Spectrum XXI, NTIA, and FCC databases). Evaluates the credibility of data standardization methods and the architectural pathway to achieve IL5/IL6 security accreditation. For federal systems that represent an architectural dependency demonstration of connectivity is a factor. 
• Agentic Logic & Triage Accuracy (25%): The agent's ability to accurately parse complex DD Form 1494/JF-12 data, apply NTIA Redbook and FCC rule logic, and successfully flag high-risk interference profiles (e.g., GPS/GNSS interference) while automating low-risk approvals. A key metric is determining if the authorization is likely to be approved by spectrum managers/regulators. Adaptability over time is a key performance metric
• Modeling & Simulation Fidelity (20%): The accuracy of the physics-based RF propagation modeling and spectrum co-existence analysis, accounting for terrain losses, power thresholds, and atmospheric effects, and its ability to deconflict a congested EMS environment.
• User Experience / UI (25%): The intuitiveness and clarity of the "One Stop Shop" dashboard for a human spectrum manager. Evaluates how the UI streamlines the workflow to approve, deny, or annotate an AI-flagged packet.

Round 3 – Operational Demonstration & Integrated Technical Review

Building on the Round 2 down-select, Round 3 is a hands-on, operational software assessment. Evaluation combines the live virtual demonstration with a technical debrief to form a complete picture of the capability. Criteria include:

• Demonstrated Mission Performance: The solution's effectiveness in routing a simulated Armored Brigade Combat Team or similar Army unit dataset. Validates the AI's data parsing, rule logic, and the modeling engine's accuracy under complex, simulated conditions (accounting for terrain, power thresholds, signal degradation, and integration of differing models provided by FCC, FAA, NTIA, and DoW/Army). Performance will be directly evaluated on its ability to meet or exceed the target time reduction (under 96 hours), accuracy, and efficiency metrics outlined in the Technical Capabilities List. 
• Agentic Logic & Triage Accuracy: The AI's ability to accurately parse complex technical data, apply interagency rule logic, flag high-risk interference profiles, and automate low-risk approvals or generation of alternative lower-risk COAs. 
• Warfighter-Centric Assessment: Direct feedback from end-user representatives (e.g., tactical communicators) on the intuitiveness of the dashboard, ease of use, and its tangible impact on the workflow of personnel who must quickly assess an AI-flagged packet.
• Technical and Integration Review: Following the live demonstration, company engineers and operators will conduct a critical Q&A technical debrief with the government evaluation team to address:
  • Integration Pathway: The speed and feasibility of hooking APIs into legacy government platforms (e.g., Spectrum XXI, NTIA databases).
  • Security & Compliance: The roadmap to achieving IL5/IL6 cloud security accreditations and NDAA compliance.
  • Sustainment & Support: Plans for continuous AI model training, software patching, and lifecycle support.

Demonstration Event Logistics

Demonstrations at the event will occur in a live, virtual environment using complex, simulated datasets. All submissions will be tested and operated by a designated team of DoW/Interagency end-users to the maximum extent possible. All simulated datasets provided by the Government must be treated and protected as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). 

Post-Challenge – Procurement and Fielding

Following a successful Round 3 demonstration and technical review, the Government may pursue one or more rapid acquisition pathways based on system maturity, end-user feedback, and available funding. The Government reserves the right to award a follow-on prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022, or a traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based procurement contract, to any participant who successfully completes the project under this competitive Prize Challenge. The Government further reserves the right to utilize any FAR or non-FAR rapid acquisition vehicle, prototype framework, procurement instrument, or baseline prototyping modification deemed appropriate to transition successful technologies from live evaluation directly to enterprise fielding.

About the Defense Innovation Unit

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology in the DoW and bolstering our allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organizations across the DoW to rapidly prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational challenges at speed and scale. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and Washington, DC, DIU is the Department’s gateway to leading technology companies across the country.

Intellectual Property Considerations: Applicants retain ownership of existing Intellectual Property (IP) submitted under this Challenge and agree that their submissions are their original work. Applicants are presumed to have sufficient rights to submit the submission. For any submission made to the Challenge, you grant DIU a limited license to use this IP for testing and evaluation for efforts specifically related to the Challenge. DIU will negotiate with individual competitors in the event additional usage, integration, or development is contemplated.

Other Transaction Authority: This DIU Challenge public announcement is an open call to small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors seeking innovative, commercial technologies proposed to create new DoW solutions or potential new capabilities fulfilling requirements, closing capability gaps, or providing potential technological advancements, technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities improving commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for broad Defense application(s). As such, the Government reserves the right to award a contract or an Other Transaction agreement for any purpose, to include a prototype or research, under this public announcement. The Federal Government is not responsible for any monies expended by the applicant before award and is under no obligation to pursue such Other Transactions.

Satisfying Competition Requirements: This DIU Challenge Open Call Announcement is considered to have potential for further efforts that may be accomplished via FAR-based contracting instruments, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for Prototype Projects 10 USC 4022 and Research 10 USC 4021, Prizes for advanced technology achievements 10 USC 4025, and/or Prize Competitions 15 USC 3719. The public open call announcement made on the DIU website is considered to satisfy the reasonable effort to obtain competition in accordance with 10 USC 4025(b), 15 USC 3719 (e) and 10 USC 4022 (b)(2). Accordingly, FAR-based actions will follow announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b).

DIU reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, at DIU’s sole discretion.

Overview:

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with Blue Horizons and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) RF Seekers Branch, is offering a $250,000 prize challenge for a conceptual active RF radar seeker design and future use considerations for use in a 2.75-inch class munition. This technology focus area supports efforts to evolve a low-cost 70mm missile variant by integrating an RF active seeker capable of all-weather lock-on-after-launch engagements. The prize challenge is designed to identify top-performing solutions for potential prototyping and eventual transition into a $50M rapid acquisitions program using an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) vehicle. 

Benefits of Participating:

• $250,000 in total funding split among up to three (3) top-performing finalist companies
• Consideration for the follow-on $50M rapid acquisitions program contract
• Engagement opportunities with mission partners and DoW leaders for winning team(s)



Eligibility:

• Any U.S. Participants will be subject to a security screening if selected. International participants are not eligible at this time.
• Companies without a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code will be required to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and have an active registration to be eligible for a Prototype agreement, if selected. The DoW recommends that participating companies begin this process as early as possible.
• Any US business is encouraged to apply.

Timeline:

All dates are tentative and subject to change

Phase 1: Prize Challenge

• May 28, 2026: Open Call Release (DIU Website)
• June 8, 2026: Ask Me Anything Session (12:00 PM ET)
• July 2, 2026: Open Call Submission Window Closes
• July 2026: Winner(s) Announced

Phase 2: Rapid Acquisitions Program Contract

• August 2026: Top performers may be invited to submit a proposal for the $50M rapid acquisitions program contract (less than 60 days) without further competition

Industry Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session

On June 8, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will host a virtual Ask Me Anything (AMA) session for the Rising Smoke Prize Challenge: Register Here. The session will provide prospective participants with an overview of the challenge objectives, timeline, eligibility, and submission requirements. Following the overview, attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions directly to the challenge team and subject matter experts during an open Q&A discussion. A consolidated Q&A document summarizing questions and responses from the session will be posted to the event page following the AMA for those unable to attend live.

Problem Statement:

The Department of War (DoW) requires a commercially viable, active RF radar seeker for the low-cost 70mm missile variant. The immediate challenge is to identify a conceptual design that can be integrated within the strict 2.75-inch munition form factor, enabling all-weather lock-on-after-launch (LOAL) engagements. The resulting solution must demonstrate a clear pathway to transition an affordable sensing capability into scalable missile production.

Since the seeker's outer diameter is small (maximum 2.75 inches/70mm), the design must prioritize the “art-of-the-possible” by balancing trade-offs between detection range, power requirement, and seeker field of regard, while maintaining compatibility with both aircraft (LAU-131 and LAU-68) and ground launch systems. Successful and scalable solutions have the potential to redefine how the Department fields low-cost missile capabilities against increasingly complex threat sets.

Background:

The AFRL RF Seekers Branch is partnering on this $250,000 prize challenge to identify top performers for a potential follow-on $50M rapid acquisitions program. The effort supports development of a low-cost 70mm missile variant. The envisioned concept of operations for the RF seeker is to autonomously acquire and track targets after missile launch, provide guidance inputs to the guidance section, and secondarily it would be ideal to trigger warhead detonation via a proximity fuze mode-Seeker Integrated Fuzing (SIF).

End User: DoW

Judging Criteria:

White Paper submissions will be judged on seven (7) major criteria: 

1. Introduction: Clarity and conciseness of the innovation, capability, and relevance to Air Force needs.
2. Form Factor & Launch Integration: Physical size, weight, 70mm munition form factor compliance, and compatibility with LAU-131/LAU-68 launch systems.
3. RF & Tracking Performance: Operational frequency band, detection range/guidance to a 0 dBsm (normalized value) target at 6km, adequacy of Field of Regard (>±15° in Azimuth and Elevation), and adequacy of angle detection/tracking error. 
4. System Architecture & Features: Internal design factors including resident power source, Seeker Integrated Fuzing (SIF) desirability, and open system architecture (WOSA/MOSA), considerations. A mechanical single beam conical scan design will be rejected.
5. Commercial Viability: Overall trade-offs between performance, cost, and risk, emphasizing mass producibility and technical novelty.
6. Team and Contracting Readiness: Assessment of the team's organizational structure and ability to reliably transition to a follow-on contract, including compliance with Other Transaction (OT) requirements and readiness for government contracting (e.g., CAGE/SAM status).
7. Submission Quality: Clarity in evidence of projected performance.

Desired Capabilities Features:

The focus is on the “art-of-the-possible” with considerations toward performance, cost, and mass producibility.

• Size/Form Factor: Maximum diameter of 2.75 inches (70 millimeters). The seeker must be consistent with a 70mm form factor (5–7” length; 6–10 lb weight).
• RF Operation: Ku or Ka frequency bands are desired (not necessarily both). Higher than Ka (40 GHz) will still be considered. Avoid commercial use frequencies and atmospheric absorption frequencies.
• Performance: Detection of, and guidance to, a 0 dBsm (normalized value) target at a range of 6 kilometers.
• Tracking/Guidance:
  • Seeker Field of Regard > ±15 degrees in AZ and EL. Beam steering preferred. Gimballed solution is not preferred but will still be considered.
  • Able to develop/derive adequate Angle Off Boresight (AOB) angle discriminant for guidance (simultaneous AZ and EL is preferred, and sequential AZ then EL is acceptable).
  • Develop and maintain appropriate target track file(s) information for missile guidance
• Integration:
  • Seeker power source resident with seeker. Power-Up-Enable line possible from separate Safe-and-Arm (S&A) module.
  • Seeker Integrated Fuzing (SIF) capability at terminal distance is highly desirable but not required.
  • Must be compatible with both aircraft and ground launch systems (LAU-131 and LAU-68).
  • Exact interface to guidance section is TBD but should have Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA) and Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) considerations.

Submission Requirements:

Entries that do not comply with these instructions will not be accepted. 

Companies must submit a white paper using the provided template (check back soon for link) that describes their proposed solution and addresses the features outlined above. The white paper submission must not exceed 25 pages in length and 25 MB in file size. The document must use a minimum 11-point Calibri font and single-spaced formatting.

• Do not modify the template’s margins or formatting.
• Use the embedded prompts to structure your response. These prompts directly correspond to the evaluation criteria and should guide the organization of your white paper.
• An additional references section is permitted but must be included within the established page limit.
• Footnotes are not permitted.
• Delete the instructional text on the template prior to submission.
• Submit the final white paper as a PDF file.

Applicants must submit their required white paper through the designated submission portal associated with this open call announcement. Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and classified information up to the Secret level are not permitted through the standard submission portal.

Applicants may submit supplemental CUI or unclassified materials separately via the Government-designated secure submission method identified here: stephen.davis.4@us.af.mil. Furthermore, vendors may choose to submit information up to the Secret level here: stephen.e.davis42.civ@mail.smil.mil. However, the vendor is solely responsible for ensuring appropriate handling, safeguarding, transmission, and marking of all classified material in accordance with relevant regulations.

About the AFRL RF Seekers Branch

The Air Force Research Laboratory, RF Seekers Branch (AFRL/RASR) is located at Eglin AFB, Florida. AFRL/RASR performs research and development in airborne radio frequency seekers and fuze sensors for a variety of munitions in the United States Air Force current and future inventory. 

About the Defense Innovation Unit

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology in the Department of Defense and bolstering our allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organizations across the DoD to rapidly prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational challenges at speed and scale. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and Washington, DC, DIU is the Department’s gateway to leading technology companies across the country.

Intellectual Property:

Applicants retain ownership of existing Intellectual Property (IP) submitted under this Challenge and agree that their submissions are their original work. Applicants are presumed to have sufficient rights to submit the submission. For any submission made to the Challenge, you grant DIU a limited license to use this IP for testing and evaluation for efforts specifically related to the Challenge. Any follow-on contract will be negotiated with individual competitors in the event additional usage, integration, or development is contemplated. Competitiveness for the follow-on effort will consider willingness to provide government purpose rights for maximum producibility of the capability.

Other Transaction Authority:

This DIU Challenge public announcement is an open call to small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors seeking innovative, commercial technologies proposed to create new DoW solutions or potential new capabilities fulfilling requirements, closing capability gaps, or providing potential technological advancements, technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities improving commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for broad Defense application(s). As such, the Government reserves the right to award a contract or an Other Transaction agreement for any purpose, to include a prototype or research, under this public announcement. The Federal Government is not responsible for any monies expended by the applicant before award and is under no obligation to award additional procurement transactions.

Satisfying Competition Requirements:

This DIU Challenge Open Call Announcement is considered to have potential for further efforts that may be accomplished via FAR-based contracting instruments, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for Prototype Projects 10 USC 4022 and Research 10 USC 4021, Prizes for advanced technology achievements 10 USC 4025. The public open call announcement on DIU’s website is considered to satisfy the reasonable effort to obtain competition in accordance with 10 USC 4025(b), and 10 USC 4022 (b)(2). Accordingly, FAR-based actions will follow announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b).

DIU reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, at DIU’s sole discretion.

Problem

The U.S. Navy requires the ability to neutralize diverse maritime mine threats in high-current chokepoints to ensure freedom of navigation. Current Mine Countermeasure (MCM) operations are resource-intensive and place personnel and high-value assets at risk. 

Mine threats are divided into two primary categories, each presenting materially different detection, classification, and neutralization challenges:

• Near Surface and Volume/Moored Mines: Mines suspended in the water column, anchored to the seabed by a mooring wire. This includes contact, influence, and command-detonated variants.
• Bottom Mines: Mines resting on or partially buried in the seabed. Effective neutralization requires precision terminal guidance and a neutralization mechanism designed for near-bottom detonation geometry.

Solution

The U.S. Navy, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit, seeks modular, communication-resilient, rapidly fieldable capabilities to reacquire and neutralize near-surface and volume mine threats in the water column. In addition, the Navy seeks the full kill chain detect-to-engage capability for bottom mines, from safe standoff. A solution will:

• Increase the speed at which MCM mission can be accomplished, whether fully autonomous or tethered with operator-in-the-loop 
• Decrease the cost to neutralize 
• Remove warfighters and manned assets from the threat zone with low operator burden

This challenge will test commercial solutions in a series of competitive sprints against one of three Tracks organized by mission, mine type, and position in the water column. For the purpose of this announcement, fully integrated vehicles with sensor/effector payloads and secure C2, ready for operational deployment within six months, are strongly preferred. Due to aggressive fielding timelines, this challenge is strictly seeking mature technologies of TRL 7 or higher. Conceptual designs or early-stage R&D (TRL 1-6) will not be evaluated. 

Vendors should expect that their solution will integrate on an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) of the Navy’s determination. Vendors should clearly describe their solution’s logistical deployment plan, meeting applicable SWaP-C objectives below for USV launch, or hand-launched from shore/pier, in their submission’s Capabilities Matrix (see below) for consideration under this Announcement. 

Timeline

In-water testing will be conducted at a US Navy Warfare Center in the timeline below. The test asset utilized must be representative of production units in form, fit, and function. Timeline subject to change; additional details will be shared to vendors selected.

Solution Attributes 

It is highly desired that solutions meet some or all of the below attributes:

• Navigation: Fully GNSS-denied. Arrive at cue within minimal Circular Error Probability (CEP); maintain low positional drift for area searches.
• Maneuverability: Up to 4-knot sustained currents. Maintain station-keeping in up to 2-knot currents.
• Command & Control: Contested Electromagnetic (EM) spectrum with jamming/spoofing. Transmit authorization requests and sensor data over degraded, encrypted links with ≤ 3 decisions required from the operator per track. Establish continuous, real-time data pipeline streaming from the surface asset back to the Operations Center (Surface > OC). Provision of proprietary or applied data compression Intellectual Property (IP) alongside End-to-End (E2E) encryption standards utilized for the data relay.
• Targeting: Mixed minefield with co-located seabed clutter. Reacquire targets with high probability of reacquisition and classification, and low probability of false alarm (Pfa) against clutter.
• Engagement: Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) authorization required. Execute neutralization with a high probability of kill (Pk) after receiving Operator approval.
• Survivability: Surface operations in up to Sea State 4. All sub-systems should survive launch and operate reliably within a 30°F – 95°F temperature range.
• Host Platform SWAP-C: Max vehicle weight if Launcher required: Objective 250lbs; Threshold 500lbs. Power needs should not exceed 1000W
• Safety: Energetics and batteries should segregate from the vehicle and from each other up until employment.
• Accelerated CONOP: Quantifiable reduction in overall mission time, explicitly demonstrating capabilities enabling immediate "in-stride" mission analysis at the OC.

Mission Tracks

Vendors will self-select into which Track they compete, and may, but are not required to, compete in more than one, and may present different solutions between Tracks. Each Track is evaluated independently. The three Tracks for this Challenge define the specific operational conditions against which vendor solutions will be evaluated. Tracks share a common operational environment and force structure; they diverge at the point of terminal engagement, where the mine type and burial state drive materially different sensor, guidance, and neutralization method. Intended mission profiles and preferred capability characteristics can be found below.

Mission Track 1: Near Surface & Volume Engage 

Overview and Threat Profile

• Target: Multiple Mine-Like Objects (MLOs).
• Depth: Near-surface (0–10m) and in the water column (11–50m).
• Objective: Neutralize multiple targets in a single sortie; Threshold: Neutralize one target in a single sortie.  

Full Mission Profile

• Cuing: External 5–10m CEP provided at launch.
• Reacquire: Must re-acquire targets within 5–10m CEP using internal PNT. Preferably ≥ 60% Probability of Reacquisition (Pr). 
• Standoff C2: Maintain encrypted C2 link. Transmit sufficient for positive identification to Operations Center (OC) for Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) authorization.
• Terminal Engagement: Execute physical approach while holding station within +/- 2m in up to 2-knot currents.
• Neutralization: Use of inert commercial payload required for T&E Event; Objective: proven integration of commercial or GFE kinetic neutralizer strongly preferred for Prize consideration.
• BDA (Objective): Optical or acoustic confirmation via UUV, ROV sUSV (surface sonar), or sUAS (aerial imagery for shallow targets). Preferably ≥ 60% Probability of Kill (Pk).

Mission Track 2: Bottom Mine Detect 

Overview and Threat Profile

• Target: Bottom mine resting on seabed (threshold 100m; objective 300m depth).
• Environment: Exposed or lightly silted (< 20% burial); seabed clutter present.
• Navigation: Solution should maintain sufficient underwater navigation accuracy to support near-bottom localization in GNSS-denied environments.

Full Mission Profile

• Search & Detect: GNSS-denied transit and search using internal PNT. Search box size will be dependent on system search rate, no greater than 1 nmi x 1 nmi. Detection range should be ≥ 10m.
• Classify: Maintain < 10m standoff. Preferably ≥ 60% Probability of Classification (Pcd) and ≤ 40% Probability of False Alarm (Pfa).
• Standoff C2: Establish encrypted submerged link to pass high-fidelity sensor data and bottom imagery back to the Operations Center (OC).

Mission Track 3: Bottom Mine Engage 

Overview and Threat Profile

• Target: Bottom mine resting on seabed (threshold 100m; objective 300m depth).
• Environment: Exposed or lightly silted (< 20% burial); seabed clutter present.
• Navigation: Solution should maintain sufficient underwater navigation accuracy to support near-bottom terminal engagement in GNSS-denied environments.

Full Mission Profile

• Cuing: External 5–10m CEP provided at launch. Must include local search capability if coordinates are degraded.
• Reacquire: Must re-acquire target within 5–10m CEP using internal PNT. Preferably ≥ 60% Probability of Reacquisition (Pr). 
• Standoff C2: Maintain encrypted, submerged C2 link. Transmit sufficient for positive identification to OC for HITL authorization.
• Terminal Engagement: Execute near-contact neutralization profile while holding station within +/- 1m (bottom-lock). Must reject 95% of seabed clutter.
• Neutralization: Use of inert commercial payload required for T&E Event; Objective: proven integration of commercial or GFE kinetic neutralizer strongly preferred for Prize consideration.
• BDA (Objective): Acoustic post-shot return or secondary sensor pass (optical not required). Preferably ≥ 70% Probability of Kill (Pk).