INDUSTRY DAY FOR GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2 UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (UAS) TRAINING, MISSION PLANNING, MISSION REHEARSAL, SIMULATION, AND QUALIFICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

DISCLAIMER 

THIS INDUSTRY DAY ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI), OR SOLICITATION. THIS SPECIAL NOTICE IS BEING UTILIZED IAW FAR PART 10 MARKET RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THE AVAILABILITY AND CAPABILITY OF INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2 UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (UAS) TRAINING, MISSION PLANNING, MISSION REHEARSAL, SIMULATION, AND QUALIFICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND TO INFORM POTENTIAL FUTURE ACQUISITION STRATEGIES. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OBLIGATED TO AND WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM INTERESTED PARTIES AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES, CAPABILITY BRIEFS, TRAVEL, LODGING, PARTICIPATION IN THIS INDUSTRY DAY, OR ANY OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS INDUSTRY DAY WILL NOT PREVENT A COMPANY FROM PARTICIPATING IN ANY FUTURE MARKET RESEARCH EFFORT, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI), TECHNICAL DEMONSTRATION, OR COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION RELATED TO GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2 UAS TRAINING, MISSION PLANNING, MISSION REHEARSAL, SIMULATION, AND QUALIFICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. NO TELEPHONE RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED. 

INTRODUCTION 

The Aircraft Project Management Office (AIR PMO), under the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Robotic Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS), announces an Industry Day to support market research related to commercially available and emerging Group 1 and Group 2 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. 

This Industry Day is intended for representatives from industry with commercially available or emerging capabilities applicable to Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. 

Air PMO will use this Industry Day to present representatives from industry with an overview of the Government's current capability objectives, operational considerations, and areas of interest for Group 1 and Group 2 UAS training and simulation systems. Additionally, the Government seeks to better understand commercially available technologies, emerging capabilities, and industry trends that may inform future capability development, requirements refinement, and acquisition planning. 

This Special Notice is issued in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 as part of the Government's market research process to identify commercially available capabilities and assess industry's ability to support potential future requirements. This announcement is for planning and market research purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment by the Government. 

BACKGROUND 

Simulation-based training has the potential to enhance operator proficiency, improve training availability, increase training throughput, reduce operational risk, and provide realistic Mission Planning and Mission Rehearsal capabilities for Group 1 and Group 2 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). These capabilities enable operators to safely practice in realistic and challenging operational and threat environments, emergency procedures, and degraded system behaviors that may be impractical, unsafe, or cost-prohibitive to execute using live aircraft. 

Additionally, simulation-based training may reduce operational impacts associated with range availability, airspace restrictions, spectrum congestion, weather delays, aircraft maintenance requirements, and logistical constraints while supporting standardized, repeatable, and scalable training across multiple UAS platforms. Through this market research effort, the Government seeks to better understand commercially available and emerging technologies, assess current industry capabilities and technology maturity, identify innovative approaches and best practices, and gather information that may assist in refining future capability objectives, training requirements, and acquisition strategies for Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. 

MARKET RESEARCH PROCESS 

This Industry Day represents the first phase of Air PMO's market research effort. Subsequent phases are anticipated to include issuance of a Request for Information (RFI) requesting industry white papers, Government review of submitted white papers, and selected technical demonstrations. Information gathered throughout this market research effort may be used to support future capability development, acquisition planning, evaluation of commercially available solutions, and procurement strategies. 

INDUSTRY DAY 

Air PMO plans to host a virtual Industry Day via Microsoft Teams focused on Group 1 and Group 2 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. The Industry Day is tentatively scheduled for 03 September 2026. Final event details, including the date, time, registration procedures, attendance limitations, and Microsoft Teams meeting information, will be provided through an amendment or attachment to this Special Notice. 

The event will consist of an unclassified Government presentation followed by a Question and Answer (Q&A) session. During the presentation, Air PMO will provide an overview of current capability objectives, operational considerations, areas of interest, and the overall market research process related to Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. 

The purpose of the Industry Day is to communicate the Government's areas of interest, provide industry with an understanding of the overall market research process, and facilitate an open exchange of information through the Question-and-Answer session. Following Industry Day, Air PMO anticipates releasing a Request for Information (RFI) requesting industry white papers to obtain additional information regarding commercially available capabilities and assess industry's ability to satisfy potential future Government requirements.  

Following the Government’s review of submitted white papers, selected vendors may be invited to participate in technical demonstrations to further assess the maturity, suitability, and applicability of proposed solutions. Air PMO will notify only those vendors selected to participate in the technical demonstration phase. Information obtained during the Industry Day, and subsequent market research activities may be used to support future capability development, acquisition planning, and procurement strategies. 

Interested parties are encouraged to submit questions in advance of the Industry Day to facilitate meaningful discussion during the event. The Government will also accept questions submitted during the live Question and Answer (Q&A) session. Responses may be provided during the event or, as appropriate, published in a consolidated Question and Answer document on SAM.gov following the Industry Day. 

Interested parties wishing to participate in the Industry Day shall register using the Industry Day Registration Link provided as a link to this Special Notice on SAM.gov. Registration shall be completed no later than the response date identified in this Special Notice. 

If a company is unable to access or submit its registration using the Industry Day Registration Link due to technical difficulties, registration information may be submitted by email to the Point of Contact identified in this Special Notice. Email registrations shall include the following information: 

• Company Name 

• Attendee Name 

• Attendee Title  

• Attendee Email Address  

• Attendee Telephone Number 

Email registrations shall include the following subject line: 

"Industry Day for Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems" 

Interested parties wishing to submit questions prior to the Industry Day shall use the Industry Day Question Submission Link provided as an attachment to this Special Notice on SAM.gov. Questions shall be submitted no later than the response date identified in this Special Notice. 

If a company is unable to access or submit questions using the Industry Day Question Submission Link due to technical difficulties, questions may be submitted by email to the Point of Contact identified in this Special Notice. Email question submissions shall include the following information: 

• Company Name  

• Point of Contact (POC) Name  

• Point of Contact (POC) Title  

• Point of Contact (POC) Email Address  

• Point of Contact (POC) Telephone Number  

• Question(s) 

Questions shall not include proprietary, competition-sensitive, or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), as questions and corresponding Government responses may be addressed during the Industry Day or published in a consolidated Question and Answer (Q&A) document on SAM.gov. 

Email question submissions shall include the following subject line: 

"Q&A – Industry Day for Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems" 

Telephone inquiries regarding this Special Notice will not be accepted. 

CAPABILITY AREAS OF INTEREST 

The Government is interested in understanding industry capabilities in the following areas. These capability areas are provided solely for market research purposes and are intended to facilitate discussion during Industry Day and subsequent market research activities. They do not constitute final requirements or imply any future procurement strategy. 

Training and Qualification Management 

• Initial operator qualification training 

• Refresher and sustainment training 

• Instructor-led training 

• Student performance tracking 

• Student training records and qualification management 

• Automated grading and evaluation 

• After-action review and debrief capabilities 

• Training syllabus management 

Unmanned Aircraft Simulation and Flight Fidelity 

• Unmanned Aircraft-specific flight models 

• Realistic flight characteristics and handling qualities 

• Unmanned Aircraft performance modeling 

• Payload effects on aircraft performance 

• Environmental and weather effects 

• Emergency procedure training 

• Lost-link procedures 

• Degraded system operations 

Mission Planning and Mission Rehearsal 

• Mission planning functionality 

• Mission rehearsal capability 

• Route and waypoint planning 

• Terrain analysis 

• Obstacle analysis 

• Airspace planning 

• Real-world geographic mission rehearsal 

• Operational environment replication 

• Import and export of mission plans, geospatial data, and mapping products 

Terrain and Synthetic Environment 

• Global terrain databases 

• Satellite imagery integration 

• Digital elevation models 

• Urban environments 

• Maritime environments 

• Custom training area generation 

• Area of Responsibility (AOR) development 

• User-generated scenarios 

Instructor and Evaluation Capability 

• Instructor Operator Station (IOS) 

• Scenario creation and modification 

• Student monitoring 

• Real-time scenario control 

• Scenario replay 

• Instructor evaluation tools 

• Scenario injection capabilities 

Contested and Tactical Environment Training 

• GPS-denied operations 

• GPS-degraded operations 

• Electronic warfare effects 

• Communications degradation 

• Adverse weather operations 

• Tactical mission scenarios 

• Multi-aircraft operations 

System Integration and Interoperability 

• Integration with operational hand controllers 

• Integration with operational Ground Control Stations (GCS) 

• Support for multiple aircraft types 

• Open architecture solutions 

• Future aircraft integration 

• Government-configurable aircraft libraries 

• Modular system design 

• Compatibility with commercially available and Government-furnished simulation hardware, controllers, and peripherals 

TENTATIVE INDUSTRY DAY AGENDA (Eastern Time) 

• 1000 – 1015 Welcome and Opening Remarks 

• 1015 – 1115 Air PMO Presentation 

• 1115 – 1300 Question and Answer (Q&A) Session 

The agenda is provided for planning purposes only and is subject to change. 

REGISTRATION 

Additional registration procedures, Microsoft Teams meeting information, and other administrative details will be provided through an amendment to this Special Notice and, as appropriate, directly to registered participants. 

Information obtained during the Industry Day may be used to refine capability objectives and inform subsequent market research activities. Following Industry Day, Air PMO anticipates issuing a Request for Information (RFI) requesting industry white papers. Information submitted in response to the RFI, together with information gathered throughout this market research effort, may be used to support future capability development, acquisition planning, evaluation of commercially available solutions, and procurement strategies for Group 1 and Group 2 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems. 

NAVAIR appreciates your interest in the upcoming Air PMO Industry Day. In accordance with the Special Notice, N00019-26-PMA-263-0999, in the Introduction section: "This Industry Day is intended for representatives from industry with commercially available or emerging capabilities applicable to Group 1 and Group 2 UAS Training, Mission Planning, Mission Rehearsal, Simulation, and Qualification Management Systems."    

NDAA COMPLIANCE AND SMALL UAS REUSABLE ARCHITECTURE (SRA) AWARENESS 

Information obtained through this Industry Day, and subsequent market research activities may be used to inform future market research activities, acquisition planning, and procurement decisions. Accordingly, interested parties should be aware that future Government requirements may include compliance with applicable National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provisions, including but not limited to NDAA FY2020 Section 848, NDAA FY2023 Section 817, NDAA FY2019 Section 889, and the American Security Drone Act of 2023 (FY2024 NDAA, Public Law 118-31, Division A, Title XVIII, Subtitle B, Section 1821). 

The Government is interested in understanding the current NDAA compliance status of commercially available solutions, as well as any planned pathways to achieve compliance where applicable. 

To support transparency and traceability of NDAA compliance, interested parties may, at their discretion, leverage the Navy's Small UAS Reusable Architecture (SRA) framework to document system components, supply chain attributes, and applicable security controls. The SRA framework provides Government-backed tools and self-assessment mechanisms that enable vendors to independently evaluate alignment with Department of War-approved benchmarks and facilitate review of compliance artifacts during future market research activities. 

Access instructions for the SRA framework and tools will be provided to verified industry participants. 

The SRA website is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) enabled and requires a Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) or External Certificate Authority (ECA) certificate for access. Additional information regarding ECA certificates is available at: https://www.cyber.mil/eca 

Use of the SRA framework and associated tools is not required for participation in this Industry Day and is provided for awareness and informational purposes only. 

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 
Government Support Contractors supporting this effort have executed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with the Government that prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information obtained during this Industry Day and associated market research activities. 

Vendors are responsible for clearly identifying and marking any proprietary, competition-sensitive, or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) included in pre-submitted questions, written responses, supporting information voluntarily provided to the Government, or other correspondence associated with this Industry Day. 

Should a vendor require a separate Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Government Support Contractors, the vendor may submit its NDA, together with any associated instructions, to the points of contact identified in this notice for review. 

It is the respondent’s responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any follow-on information. 

POINT OF CONTACT:

FoSUAS_Industry_Day@us.navy.mil

Contracting: 
diana.k.harritt.civ@us.navy.mil john.m.barr1.civ@us.navy.mil