ENTERPRISE PROTOTYPE INITIATIVE CONSORTIUM (EPIC)

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is seeking an Enterprise Prototype Initiative Consortium (EPIC) to rapidly prototype and test government, industry, and academia capabilities. This Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) aims to sustain U.S. military technological advantage and reduce defense information systems costs. The scope includes developing, testing, and integrating prototypes across AFRL's mission sets, with a focus on open-architecture hardware, software, and applications. The initiative builds on previous successful OTAs, expanding their innovative approach. Technical requirements span agile engineering, capability analysis, ecosystem development, information systems security and supportability, cyber infrastructure, operations technologies, open system architectures, and advanced computing. The consortium will also focus on business objectives such as promoting participation from non-traditional vendors, mentoring participants, and facilitating access to classified information and third-party funding. Outreach objectives include promoting membership, fostering collaboration, and hosting showcases. The agreement also outlines detailed reporting, documentation, software/hardware delivery, cybersecurity, and cloud computing requirements, emphasizing data ownership and security protocols.

Appendix No. 1 outlines the EPIC Areas of Interest, categorizing technologies across five domains: Air, Space, Cyberspace/Electronic Warfare, Cross-Domain, and Basic Research. Each area lists specific technological interests, followed by detailed definitions. Air Domain Technologies focus on human performance, aerospace medicine, warfighter protection, advanced air vehicles, propulsion, aerodynamics, hypersonics, weapons, energetics, guidance, munitions survivability, rocket systems, and nuclear deterrence. Space Domain Technologies cover access, spacecraft, power, on-orbit operations, domain awareness, resilient architecture, environment effects, PNT, and satellite assembly. Cyberspace/Electronic Warfare includes cyber operations, communications, electronic warfare, quantum technologies, various sensors, signal processing, directed energy, photonics, high-power electromagnetics, beam control, and navigation warfare. Cross-Domain Technologies integrate human systems, human-machine teaming, training, rapid multi-domain integration, advanced systems engineering, vehicle health, power/thermal management, advanced materials (development, additive manufacturing, processing, characterization, smart materials), microelectronics, digital engineering, data analytics, robotics, software, physiological operations, runtime assurance for AI, and autonomy. Basic Research Technologies delve into energetic physics, combustion, aerodynamics, aerospace materials/structures, propulsion, agile science for T&E, computational cognition, mathematics, dynamical systems, data processing, information assurance, mathematical optimization, information science, trust and influence, complex networks, neuroscience, atomic/molecular physics, electromagnetics, optoelectronics, high-energy radiation, quantum information, sensing physics, space physics, ultrashort pulse laser-matter interactions, condensed matter physics, astrodynamics, biophysics, human performance, molecular dynamics, natural materials, organic materials chemistry, and space biosciences. The document's purpose is to delineate key research and development areas for the Department of the Air Force and US Space Force.