Collaborative Autonomy Software Framework Development

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is conducting market research through a sources-sought request to identify industry partners capable of developing and maturing a Government-owned, open-architecture collaborative autonomy software framework designed for use across crewed and uncrewed systems. This initiative, solicited under FA8629-26-R-6001, seeks to evolve an existing Air Force Research Lab swarming autonomy baseline into a scalable, modular software stack that supports coordinated behaviors among multiple platforms in air, land, and maritime domains. The framework must adhere to Modular Open Systems Architecture principles, enabling seamless integration of third-party capabilities through standardized APIs and a publicly accessible Software Development Kit. Contractors are expected to establish a mature DevSecOps environment with continuous integration and delivery pipelines, provide real-time Government access to Agile tools and code repositories under an “Insight over Oversight” model, and conduct rigorous Software-in-the-Loop and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing at scale. All work must occur within TS/SCI-cleared facilities using cleared personnel, and proposals must include a detailed staffing profile and five-year Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate. Responses must be submitted no later than July 14, 2026, as a single document not exceeding ten pages, sent exclusively via email to designated Air Force points of contact. The solicitation requires all respondents to be registered in SAM, possess a CAGE Code and Unique Entity ID, and clarify their socioeconomic status and ownership structure. Proposals must demonstrate technical proficiency in swarm autonomy, multi-domain UAS integration, and SDK development, with mandatory thresholds including MOSA compliance, DevSecOps maturity, HIL/SIL validation, and security clearances. Objective criteria such as prior multi-UAV testing experience will differentiate qualified respondents. All proprietary data must be explicitly marked; unmarked submissions will be considered publicly releasable. While this is a non-binding Request for Information with no anticipated reimbursement for proposal costs, it serves as the foundation for future acquisition under the DoDI 5000.87 Software Acquisition Pathway, with performance expected to be centered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.