Counter-sUAS Radar System Lease

The U.S. Department of Defense, through the contracting office at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, is conducting a sources-sought action under solicitation number FA480326Q0102 to identify small businesses capable of leasing a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) radar that meets specific technical criteria. This is not a formal solicitation for bids or proposals but a request for information to determine vendor capability, with responses limited to a capability statement sent via email to designated contacts by the deadline of July 1, 2026. The system must feature an X-band pulse-Doppler radar with 360-degree coverage, detect drones weighing 1.4kg at a minimum range of two miles, include track-while-scan and remote operation capabilities, and be housed in a radome weighing no more than 75 pounds. The system must also come with transport cases, interconnect cabling, user manuals, a software license, and include on-site training and support conducted at Shaw Air Force Base. The acquisition is structured as a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 334511, meaning only small business concerns are eligible to respond, although no formal size certification or UEI/CAGE code submission is required at this stage. While no formal contract structure, evaluation factors, pricing, or performance timelines are established, the government has outlined key operational and physical characteristics to guide vendor responses. There are no specified packaging, labeling, or inspection standards, and none of the typical Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses, delivery terms, payment instructions, or contracting officer designations are present. Respondents need only provide a capability statement demonstrating their ability to satisfy the salient characteristics; no questions or formal offers are permitted. The place of performance is identified as Charleston AFB, with associated training to occur at Shaw AFB, and while the government has not disclosed estimated value or award methodology, this notice serves solely to evaluate industry capacity to support a future lease action under a small business set-aside. The information collected will inform whether a subsequent formal solicitation proceeds and how it may be structured.