NATO Request for Innovative Participation: Persistent Airfield Denial

The Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) has issued Request for Innovative Participation RFIP-ACT-SACT-26-72 for Innovation Challenge 2026-2, titled Persistent Airfield Denial, seeking technologically innovative solutions to autonomously or operator-directedly deny enemy use of airfields by targeting aircraft, runways, fuel and munitions storage, and ground support infrastructure. Participation is open only to organizations officially registered and headquartered in a NATO member nation or Ukraine, with beneficial owners also from these regions; all supporting personnel must be citizens of NATO nations or Ukraine, and dual citizenship involving non-NATO countries must be disclosed. Submissions must be submitted as a single PDF by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on July 20, 2026, and must include a two-page concept paper, a two-page technical summary, a two-page preliminary cost estimate with a production roadmap, a ten-minute video demonstration via link, and a declaration of eligibility with proof of national business registration. The RFIP is not a solicitation for a contract, nor does it obligate HQ SACT to issue any future procurement; all costs associated with participation, including development, travel, and administrative expenses, are the sole responsibility of the respondent, and no reimbursement will be provided. A Selection Committee will evaluate submissions based on performance and coverage (40%), cost and feasibility (35%), and autonomy and control (25%), using a 0 to 5 scoring scale where a score of zero results in immediate disqualification. Up to ten finalists will be selected and invited to Pitch Day on September 3, 2026, in Warsaw, Poland, where a Jury will re-evaluate solutions using additional criteria including resilience and robustness (15%), logistics and sustainment (10%), integration and interoperability (5%), and risk and broader impacts (5%). Solutions must demonstrate a Technology Readiness Level of 5 to 7, operate fully autonomously in GPS-denied and electronic warfare-contested environments, perform in all weather and seasonal conditions, and be supportable at the brigade level or below with minimal operator training. Participants must warrant they are the original authors of their submissions, that the content does not infringe on any intellectual property rights, is not illegal or offensive, and is not under litigation. By submitting, participants grant HQ SACT a non-exclusive license for internal evaluation and public dissemination, acknowledge submissions are provided on a non-confidential basis, and agree to release HQ S