Opportunity
DIU CSO #PROJ00711
Department of War seeks expeditionary ISR UAS solutions for prize challenge and follow-on contracts
Buyer
Department of War
Posted
September 29, 2026
Respond By
October 14, 2026
Identifier
PROJ00711
NAICS
336414, 336419
The Department of War is launching a prize challenge to identify mature, medium and long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or similar platforms for expeditionary Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. - Government Buyer: - Department of War (DoW) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors named; open to U.S. and non-U.S. companies - Products/Services Requested: - Medium and long-endurance UAS or platforms - Multi-intelligence sensor payloads (EO/IR, SAR, SIGINT) - Aircraft and representative sensor payloads for fly-off demonstrations - Service-based models (ISR-as-a-Service, COCO, GOCO) - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Solutions must be ruggedized for varied weather and expeditionary operations - Endurance range: 3-24+ hours - Payload modularity and open architecture for integration - Ability to operate in contested environments - Cost-effective for scalable ISR operations - Submissions must include technical capabilities, cost structures, production plans, and manufacturing readiness - Awards and Contract Value: - Up to $100 million in prizes and initial follow-on pool - Up to $250 million budgeted for further development, production, and integration
Description
The Department of War seeks medium and long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or other platforms capable of collecting and transmitting multi-intelligence sensor data for real-time operational and targeting decisions across land, littoral, and maritime environments. The solutions must be mature, capable of expeditionary operations, ruggedized for varied weather conditions, and cost-effective to enable scalable ISR operations. The challenge includes two fly-offs for capability demonstrations, with cash prizes and potential follow-on contracts totaling up to $100 million. Vendors must submit detailed proposals by October 14, 2026, including technical capabilities, cost structures, and production plans.