Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS)

Background

The Department of War (DoW) faces a robotic mass challenge: current methods for deploying and sustaining unmanned aerial systems (UAS) rely on direct human interaction to launch, recover, and refit each system. This 1:1 operator-to-aircraft model limits deployment speed and scale while exposing operators to unnecessary risks.

Problem

The DoW requires the ability to deploy large quantities of UAS rapidly, while minimizing the risk and burden to human operators executing kinetic and non-kinetic UAS operations in contested environments.

Desired Solution Attributes

The DoW seeks innovative solutions that enable the storage, rapid deployment, and management of multi-agent systems to provide either persistent UAS coverage over extended periods or massed effects within a single geographic region and time.

Proposed solutions should be demonstrable within 90 days of award and built upon principles of the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to ensure future extensibility and improvement.

Solutions will be evaluated on their alignment, technical merit, and innovative approaches to support the sustainment and delivery of robotic multi-agent systems at scale in remote and austere environments.

The Government will preference solutions that:

• Enable Rapid and Easy Transport and Emplacement
  •  Flexible Transport Options: Designs can be transported by military or commercial vehicles (land, sea, air).
  •  Rapid Emplacement: Systems can be quickly positioned and made operational with minimal handling or setup.
• Manage the Full Operational Cycle of Stored Multi-Agent Systems
  • Continuous Readiness: Provides automated functions for drone storage, launching, recovering, and refitting within the containerized platform; the intent is for the system to exist in a dormant state for a period of time and launch UAS upon command.
  • System Modularity: Can support both homogeneous and heterogeneous mixes of Government-directed UAS.
  • Logistical Flexibility: Minimizes the system’s reliance on a single source of power by supporting multiple power sources–i.e., on-board power, off-board power, or shore power plug-ins.
  • Operational Relevance and Flexibility: Employable from land and maritime platforms, in both day and night conditions, and during inclement weather.
• Demonstrate the Capacity to Reduce Cognitive Burden and Support Tactical Operations
  • Rapid Employment: Supports rapid setup, employment, and displacement (measured in minutes).
  • Reduced Risk and Cognitive Load: Improves the operator-to-robot ratio and enables operators to program and launch systems remotely.
  • Minimal Crew Requirements: Minimizes the number of personnel required to conduct all functions associated with the storage, transport, movement, and operation of the system. Ideally, the system should require a crew of no more than 2 personnel.
• Support Resilient Command and Control (C2) and Open Architecture
  • Command Architecture: Software and control interfaces support future development and integration into Gov-directed C2 architectures; operators can control the system both remotely and locally.
  • Operator-System Interaction: Supports both operator-on-the-loop and operator-in-the-loop decision-making processes.
  • Architectural Mandate: Incorporates Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles, industry-standard interfaces and protocols, and the ability to integrate new hardware and software features in the future.
  • DDIL Resilience: The containerized UAS delivery system should be capable of or have a plan to operate in contested environments.

The Government understands that companies will likely not be able to meet all of the desired attributes in this solicitation, but encourages companies with demonstrable capability in one or more of these specifications to apply.

The Government will consider commercially designed and developed systems, vendors capable of rapidly manufacturing and integrating Government-owned designs, or a combination of both. Government Furnished Information (GFI) will be provided to vendors awarded under the CSO process, and will be considered optional for use to expedite integration, reduce redesign, and ensure interoperability. GFI may include:

• Reference hardware designs for containerized systems
• Baseline software architectures and orchestration frameworks
• Technical Data Packages (TDPs)
• Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
• Data/message protocol specifications and APIs
• Modeling and simulation environments