Broad Agency Announcement for Advanced Battle Management Systems (ABMS)

The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Advanced Battle Management Systems (ABMS), issued by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Command, Control, Communication for Battle Management (AFLCMC/C3), establishes an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle designed to accelerate research, development, and integration of innovative technologies supporting Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) and ABMS operational capabilities. Originally released in February 2020 and set to remain open through December 31, 2026, this BAA provides a flexible procurement mechanism allowing the Department of the Air Force to solicit white papers and proposals via periodic calls addressing specific technology focus areas such as sensors, cyber electromagnetic activities, content delivery networks, and command and control software. The program emphasizes rapid maturation of cutting-edge solutions with technology readiness levels (TRL) of 3 or higher, fostering advances in networking, AI, data fusion, sensor integration, and resilient force employment across all warfighting domains: air, land, sea, space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum. This BAA supports multiple awardees under a multiple-award multi-level security IDIQ contract with a not-to-exceed ceiling of approximately $950 million over a base ordering period of five years plus five one-year option periods. The contract incorporates various award types including fixed price, cost reimbursable, incentive fee, and time-and-materials arrangements, enabling tailored acquisition of hardware, software, research services, and demonstrations. Submissions follow a structured two-step process of concept papers followed by formal proposals as calls are issued, and evaluations utilize technical merit, cost realism, and past performance criteria assessed through a trade-off methodology. Contractor commitments include adherence to rigorous requirements such as NIST SP 800-171 cybersecurity controls, special security agreements and clearances for foreign-owned entities, personnel preparedness for deployment environments, and compliance with FAR clauses addressing labor standards, subcontracting, inspection, and data rights. Cooperative research mechanisms, including CRADAs, govern collaboration and intellectual property sharing. The BAA explicitly states that no funds are obligated by the announcement alone, with awards contingent upon availability of appropriations and the Government’s determination of most advantageous proposals aligned with ABMS’s vision of a unified, open architecture family of systems enabling joint domain sensor-to-shooter connectivity and decision superiority in contested environments.