“BREAKING DEFENSE” By Carley Welch
“We have no cap on the number of vendors involved, but it will be bounded by capabilities offered and fiscal limitations. It is possible that multiple commercial partners will team on a single contract award as well.” DAU Spokesperson
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“The Department of Defense is turning to industry for low-cost, one-way long-range unmanned aerial systems that can operate in “disrupted, disconnected, intermittent, low-bandwidth” (DDIL) environments, according to a recent Defense Innovation Unit solicitation.
The solicitation stated that such inexpensive drones have had an “asymmetric impact” in modern battlefield settings, presumably in Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russia and the escalating tensions in the Middle East. The US also approved the sale of hundreds of similar air vehicles to Taiwan earlier this year.
In addition to being DDIL compatible, the drones must also be able to operate in Global Navigation Satellite System denied environments, carry a payload of at least 10 kilograms (though ideally over 25 kg), and be able to travel over 50 kilometers, but ideally 300 km.
The number of drones the Pentagon is looking to purchase is not predetermined, and there is no cap on how much the department will spend on this initiative, a DIU spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
“There is no set number of platforms, and we want to focus not on delivering bespoke hardware, but rather on relevant capabilities at the right cost per effect, that with a baseline hardware capability can execute rapid and timely software updates to remain combat effective on a rapidly changing Electronic Warfare battlespace,” the spokesperson said in an email.
“We have no cap on the number of vendors involved, but it will be bounded by capabilities offered and fiscal limitations. It is possible that multiple commercial partners will team on a single contract award as well,” they added.
The department intends to “move aggressively” during the compete process, with the goal of having signed contracts with the chosen companies by mid-January, the spokesperson said.
“From there, we plan to complete all contract items by the end of May, 2025,” they added.
Furthermore, the Pentagon is looking for drones that can incorporate third-party software and hardware systems in a “modular, warm-swappable manner,” the solicitation stated. Adding that “proprietary interfaces, message formatting, or hardware that require vendor-specific licensing are not permitted.”
When asked if this solicitation relates to the the Pentagon’s
greater Replicator program — the DoD’s initiative to field thousands of inexpensive, attritable unmanned systems in multiple domains over two years to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific — the DIU spokesperson said: “We have nothing to announce with any ties for this effort and Replicator.” The US also approved the sale of hundreds of similar air vehicles to Taiwan earlier this year.”
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