Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for the United States Marine Corps
ID: 243-25-157Type: Sources Sought
Overview

Buyer

DEPT OF DEFENSEDEPT OF THE NAVYNAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMANDPATUXENT RIVER, MD, 20670-5000, USA

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)

PSC

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT (1550)

Set Aside

No Set aside used (NONE)
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Defense, specifically the United States Marine Corps, is seeking information from vendors regarding Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) that are commercially available and compliant with recent legislative requirements. The primary objective is to assess potential suppliers capable of providing low-cost, high-volume sUAS solutions, particularly those with First Person View (FPV) capabilities, to support reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions. This procurement is critical for enhancing operational capabilities, with an emphasis on rapid production scalability, as the Marine Corps aims to acquire up to 5,000 units within six months and 10,000 units within twelve months, with initial deliveries expected by April 2026. Interested parties must submit their responses, including detailed technical specifications and cost breakdowns, to the designated contacts, Hannah Cha and Kristen Ferro, via email by the specified deadline.

    Point(s) of Contact
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    The United States Marine Corps issued a Sources Sought Notice (Notice ID: 243-25-157) for market research on commercially available, low-cost, high-volume Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) solutions. The notice seeks information on off-the-shelf or custom FPV systems that are NDAA/ASDA compliant or have a clear path to compliance. Respondents should provide total system costs, including air vehicles and all necessary supporting components, with a focus on air vehicle production volumes (up to 5,000 within six months and 10,000 within twelve months). The government is interested in current availability and the ability to meet initial delivery timelines by April 2026. This RFI also considers proposals from component suppliers in addition to complete drone systems. The notice emphasizes understanding industry's production capability and scalability, as well as the technical capabilities of proposed systems.
    The United States Marine Corps is soliciting information for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) through a Sources Sought Notification. This request is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a proposal. Interested parties must submit responses within 60 days of the publish date to specific email addresses. The notification requires detailed information on proposed solutions, including cost per unit for varying quantities (500 to 10,000 systems), production capabilities, delivery timelines, and facility location. Respondents must also address their monthly production capacity, experience with high-volume manufacturing, and willingness to provide technical data packages if a production line is absent. Key areas of inquiry include the right to modify and repair, data rights offered to the Government, NDAA compliance, country of origin for critical components, and open standards. Technical specifications such as weight, speed, altitude, endurance, and range are requested, along with details on modularity and multi-mission payload compatibility. Further information is sought on cost drivers, supply chain security, support for third-party payloads and armaments, unit-level repair capabilities, training available for Marines, specialized tools, and the ability for the Government or third parties to manufacture spare parts. Comprehensive data rights information, including types of data covered and sharing restrictions, is also required.
    The provided document outlines a Bill of Materials (BOM) template for vendors responding to government RFPs, grants, or state/local RFPs. Its primary purpose is to standardize the submission of cost breakdowns for complex systems, likely involving unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Vendors are required to complete contact information, populate a 'BOM' sheet with detailed component information using a dropdown for 'Main Component' categories (Air Vehicle, Ground Control Station, Supporting Components, Sustainment & Logistics), and provide notes on warranty, lead times, COTS vs. custom, and compliance. The template includes auto-calculating cost summaries by category and a total system cost. Instructions explicitly prohibit editing formulas. The document also provides examples of main components and sub-components within each category and emphasizes identifying COTS vs. custom components, including warranty and lead times in the proposal, and indicating export control and compliance status. The structure is designed for clarity and comprehensive cost reporting.
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