Unmanned Common Controller (UCC) for the United States Marine Corps

DISCLAIMER

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT IS A MARKET RESEARCH TOOL BEING USED TO DETERMINE POTENTIAL FIRMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SUPPLIES DESCRIBED HEREIN PRIOR TO DETERMINING THE METHOD OF ACQUISITION AND ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OBLIGATED TO AND WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM POTENTIAL SOURCES AS A RESULT OF THIS SSN. 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 THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. FAILURE TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE WILL NOT PREVENT A COMPANY FROM PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE COMPETITION RELATED TO THE UNMANNED COMMON CONTROLLER PROGRAM. NO TELEPHONE RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

1. Purpose

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO U&W), Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-263), is seeking information from industry regarding technologies for an Unmanned Common Controller (UCC).

The UCC is envisioned as a portable, modular, open-architecture control system capable of operating multiple type/model/series (TMS) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The UCC is intended to consolidate disparate ground control stations into a common device that supports:

• Cross-platform interoperability with current and future Marine Corps UAS
• Multi-aircraft control (one-to-many, simultaneous tasking, or swarm coordination)
• Mission planning, payload control, and data dissemination
• Integration with higher-echelon C2 networks and ATAK-based applications
• Compliance with Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles and DoD cybersecurity standards

This SSN seeks to evaluate the maturity of available technologies, identify potential industry partners, and assess the commercial and defense industrial base’s ability to design, scale, and deliver UCC solutions.

2. Details

The Marine Corps is particularly interested in:

• UCC solutions capable of controlling multiple unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from different manufacturers, including systems with dissimilar architectures, datalinks, and control interfaces. 
• MOSA-compliant systems that leverage open standards (e.g., STANAG 4586, MAVLink, NATO interoperability profiles).
• Secure, cyber-resilient controllers that can withstand electronic warfare and C-UAS environments.
• Portable, ruggedized systems suitable for dismounted Marines at the tactical edge.
• Modular controllers that allow Marines to maintain and repair hardware without OEM involvement.
• Scalable architectures capable of supporting AI/ML-enabled autonomy, future UAS, or cross-domain (air/ground) control.
• Compliance with Federal Statutes and Trade Regulations — Ability to demonstrate compliance with the FY20 NDAA Section 848, FY23 NDAA Section 817, the American Security Drone Act of 2023 (FY24 NDAA, Sec. 1821), and Trade Agreements Act (TAA) requirements, or provide a clear path to compliance.

3. Key Capabilities – Questions for Industry

General System Specifications

• What form factors are available (handheld, tablet, laptop, wearable, vehicle-mounted, GCS integration, etc…)?
• What are the physical dimensions, weight, and ruggedization ratings (e.g., IP rating, MIL-STD-810 immersion or rain testing results)?  (Please specify compliance certifications where available)
• What power options are supported (battery type, hot-swap, vehicle or external power integration), and what is the typical runtime under nominal operating conditions?

Interoperability / Multi-Platform Control

• Which UAS platforms has your UCC integrated with to date, and at what level of integration (flight control, payload, mission planning, data dissemination)?
• What standards/protocols does your UCC support (e.g., STANAG 4586, MAVLink, ROS, NATO profiles)? (Please specify versions and compliance test results if available.)
• Can your UCC simultaneously control multiple TMS UAS? If so, how many concurrently, and what performance or mission limitations (if any) apply?
• Does your system support one-to-many control or swarm coordination, and if so, what swarm behaviors (e.g., waypoint following, formation flight, collaborative sensing) are enabled?

MOSA / Open Architecture

• How does your UCC implement MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) principles, and what open standards or reference architectures are used?
• What APIs, SDKs, or plug-ins are available for third-party integration?  (Please describe supported programming languages and documentation availability.)
• Does your UCC support ATAK (Android Tactical Assault Kit) or other government off-the-shelf applications (e.g., WinTAK, iTAK), and through what data formats or message protocols (e.g., CoT, TAK Server)?

User Interface / Human Factors

• Describe the operator interface and mission planning workflow. (Please provide screenshots or workflow diagrams if available)
• What training time is required for operator proficiency, distinguishing between novice operators with no prior UAS experience and trained military operators?
• How many operators are required to simultaneously control and monitor 2–5 aircraft with electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads, and how does this scale as the number of aircraft or payloads increases?
• Does the UCC integrate with Counter-UAS systems or software (e.g., through data feeds or message protocol exchange)?   

Communications and Datalinks

• What datalink standards are supported (analog, digital, LTE/GSM, SATCOM)?
• Does the UCC support spectrum agility, frequency hopping, or multiple simultaneous links?
• Can communications modules be swapped in the field without OEM involvement (i.e., modular radio architecture)?

Cybersecurity / Resilience

• How does your UCC comply with DoD RMF/ATO cybersecurity requirements? (Please specify current or in-process accreditations.)
• What anti-jam, anti-spoofing, or resilience measures are incorporated?
• Does the system provide secure encryption for both data-at-rest and data-in-transit? (Please specify FIPS 140-2/3 validation, if applicable.)

AI/ML & Autonomy Integration

• Does your UCC support AI-enabled applications for mission planning, sensor processing, or autonomy functions?
• What AI/ML frameworks and model formats are supported (e.g., ONNX, TensorFlow Lite, OpenVINO)?
• Can AI/ML applications, running on the UCC, task UAS autonomously (e.g., object recognition, target tracking)?

Maintainability / Modularity

• What maintenance can operators perform without OEM support?
• Are hardware modules (e.g., radios, displays, batteries) field-replaceable?
• What is the current mean time between failures (MTBF), and how is it measured?

Certifications / Compliance

• What certifications does your UCC currently hold (e.g., JF-12, DIU Blue List, ATO)?
• What prior experience do you have working with DoD services/agencies to certify controllers?
• Does your UCC comply with the FY20 NDAA Section 848, FY23 NDAA Section 817, the American Security Drone Act of 2023 (FY24 NDAA, Sec. 1821), and Trade Agreements Act (TAA) requirements?
• If not currently compliant, what is your roadmap to achieve compliance?

Production / Delivery

• What is your production capacity and lead time to deliver 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 UCC units?
• What is the estimated unit cost at these production scales? (Please indicate if pricing includes training, spares, and sustainment.)

UCC Solution Architecture and Maturity

• Describe the overall architecture of your UCC solution. Please indicate whether your approach is best characterized as:
  • Hardware-centric (integrated controller with embedded software),
  • Software-centric (hardware-agnostic software deployed on government- or vendor-selected controllers),
  • Hybrid (software with recommended or optimized hardware platforms).

• If software-centric or hybrid, describe the hardware platforms currently supported (e.g., tablets, MAGTAB form factors, handheld controllers, rugged laptops), and any hardware dependencies or constraints.
• Identify the number of currently demonstrated and operationally integrated unmanned systems your UCC can control, categorized by:
  • Manufacturer
  • Type/Model/Series (T/M/S)
  • Domain (air, ground, subterranean, etc.)
• For each system listed, indicate the level of control achieved (e.g., payload-only, vehicle control, mission planning, launch/recovery).
• Describe the level of effort typically required to integrate a new unmanned system from a different manufacturer into your UCC (e.g., interface documentation required, software development effort, typical timeline), including whether integration requires cooperation, licensing, or formal agreement with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
• If OEM cooperation or agreement is required, please describe the nature of that dependency (e.g., access to ICDs/APIs, software escrow, licensing terms) and whether such agreements are currently in place for any integrated systems.
• If applicable, describe any technical, licensing, intellectual property, or contractual limitations that constrain multi-vendor or multi-domain integration (e.g., per-platform licensing, proprietary middleware dependencies, export restrictions, or scalability limits). 

4. Intent

The Marine Corps intends to leverage this SSN to better understand the state of industry capability to provide an Unmanned Common Controller (UCC) solution that is interoperable, scalable, and suitable for Marine expeditionary operations. Select vendors may be invited to participate in a follow-on demonstration.

5. Submission / Responses / Document Markings

All interested, capable, and responsible businesses/sources that wish to respond to this Sources Sought Notice (SSN) shall submit their response via email to:

• Contract Specialist: Ms. Mariah Williams (mariah.b.williams.civ@us.navy.mil)
• Procuring Contracting Officer: Ms. Kristen Ferro (kristen.w.ferro.civ@us.navy.mil)

If you have any specific questions (relating to this Sources Sought Notice) please submit them via email to mariah.b.williams.civ@us.navy.mil and kristen.w.ferro.civ@us.navy.mil.

Informational meetings will not be conducted at this time.

E-mail MUST contain the following in the subject line: “[CONTRACTOR NAME] Sources Sought Response for sUAS (Notice 243-26-012, PMA-263)”

Note that file sizes larger than 5MB are not recommended, as they may not be receivable due to Navy Marine Corps Intranet security protocol.

Industry is requested to provide a capability white paper not to exceed ten (10) pages. Appendices may be included to provide supporting technical data, diagrams, certifications, or marketing materials, and will not be considered as part of the ten (10) page limit.

In order to maximize efficiency and minimize the effort involved in the evaluation process, all white paper submissions must comply with the following format and content:

• Shall not exceed ten (10) single-side pages on 8.5 x 11-inch size paper
• Single-spaced typed lines
• Newspaper column formatting is not permitted
• Shall include all applicable technologies identified herein
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• No smaller than a 12-point Arial font
• Photographs, pictures, or hyperlinks are permitted
• Files shall be Microsoft Office 2016 compatible or PDF format and shall have proper markings (No CLASSIFIED information).
• No ZIP files

UCC Sources Sought Responses should include:

a. Company Name, Unique Entity ID, CAGE Code, DUNS Number, Company Address, and Place of Performance Address.

b.  Point of Contact, including name, title, phone, and email address

c.  Whether the business is classified as a Large Business, Small Business, including Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) and Indian Tribes, and if applicable, whether the business qualifies as a Veteran-Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Women-Owned Small Business concerns.

Parties including commercial firms, institutions of higher education and with degree granting programs in science and/or engineering (universities), or consortia led by such concerns may submit information. The Government encourages participation by small business (including ANCs and Indian tribes), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small-disadvantaged business (including ANCs and Indian tribes), and women-owned small business concerns.

DOCUMENT MARKINGS

It is incumbent upon sources providing responses to this Notice to accurately mark all data with all appropriate data rights, distribution, and classification markings. All information submitted will be adequately safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207. All submissions must be clearly marked with the following caption: For Official Use Only, Releasable to Government Agencies for Evaluation Purposes Only. Responses that fail to comply with the above instructions or present ideas not pertinent to the subject may not be reviewed. All information received in response to this Notice that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Information submitted in response to this Notice is submitted at no cost to the Government and will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to provide responses or comments to information received from interested persons but may request additional information following review.

Note: If interested person is a foreign concern or if a U.S. interested person has a team member or partner who is a foreign entity, adherence to all International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) is required.

All material provided in response to this Sources Sought Notice shall be UNCLASSIFIED.

Government Support Contractors have entered into Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with the Government, which precludes them from disclosing any proprietary data outside of the Government. However, if respondents desire a separate NDA form, along with instructions, please send an email to the points of contact listed in this notice at the time of their submission. If respondents choose not to submit an NDA form for completion, their submission of a response to this announcement constitutes consent that the Government Support Contractors will have access to their proprietary information. The Government will NOT be responsible for the disclosure of any confidential/proprietary information not clearly marked. At any time after receipt of Request for Information responses, the Government may contact respondents independently for further clarification of the submittal.

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

20 March 2026 Updated: UCC Vendor Question and Answer (QnA) Tracker uploaded into Attachments/Links 

Contact Information

Contracting Office Address:

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS CMD HEADQUARTERS NAVAL AIR STATION

PATUXENT RIVER, MD 20670-5000

USA

Primary Point of Contact

Mariah Williams

Mariah.b.williams.civ@us.navy.mil

Secondary Point of Contact

Kristen Ferro

kristen.w.ferro.civ@us.navy.mil