CAPACITY ON A UHF-CAPABLE ON-ORBIT MEO SATELLITE

The U.S. Department of Defense, through the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, is seeking information on commercially owned and operated MEO satellites with UHF-capable payloads to support a near-term experimental campaign. The goal is to rapidly acquire available bandwidth on an existing or soon-to-be-launched satellite to conduct field tests that characterize spectrum usage, waveform performance, and user equipment functionality in a MEO UHF environment. The campaign aims to evaluate interoperability between potential future MEO UHF systems and the current GEO-based UHF constellation, with the broader objective of informing a phased transition strategy to augment or eventually replace the aging GEO UHF infrastructure with a more resilient MEO capability. The government prioritizes solutions that can deliver on-orbit service immediately or as soon as possible, with an initial launch capability by 2030 being acceptable but earlier timelines strongly preferred. The prototype is explicitly intended as a foundational step rather than a final architecture, allowing for iterative exploration of MEO UHF operations. The solicitation, issued as RFI-RJZX-2026-RAPID on July 10, 2026, with a response deadline of August 10, 2026, falls under NAICS code 517410 and is classified as a sources-sought notice, indicating no formal procurement is yet planned. Responses should focus on leveraging existing satellite systems and communications links to minimize deployment timelines. All proposals must be submitted through the SAM.gov portal, with inquiries directed to Paola Sanchez-Medina and DeAnna R. Salazar at the Space Force office located at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The performance location is listed as Albuquerque, NM, and the effort is part of a broader initiative to accelerate the development of next-generation tactical communications by experimenting with higher-orbit assets ahead of full-scale system acquisition.