The Department of Defense, specifically the United States Air Force, is seeking proposals for the development of an Autonomous Flightline Maintainer Supply Vehicle under the SBIR program. The objective is to create a system capable of autonomously delivering tools, parts, and supplies along a flightline, with a payload capacity of at least 300 lbs and a range of 20 miles, while operating effectively in various weather conditions. This initiative addresses the logistical challenges faced by maintainers in military environments, aiming to enhance efficiency and reduce delivery times without the use of active sensing technologies due to security concerns. Proposals are due by May 21, 2025, with the opportunity being part of a Direct to Phase 2 (D2P2) solicitation, and interested parties can find more information at the provided source link.

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Trusted AI and Autonomy The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: Develop a system capable of working autonomously on a flightline with limited or no active sensing. The system will have a payload capacity of at least 300 lbs and a range of at least 20 miles. Propulsion could be, but is not limited to, electrical powered motors. The system should be able to operate in most weather conditions, with a focus on efficient operations in rain or high heat. A simple and robust user interface should be included, that provides the ability to secure tools and supplies to allow for standard tool control procedures. Weather proof internal storage volume should be at least 12 ft3. DESCRIPTION: Numerous government and commercial groups have experienced the challenges of providing tools, parts and supplies to maintainers on a timely basis in a cost-effective manner. Often stored in central supply locations near the flightline to allow for appropriate distribution controls and inventory, the inherent nature of long spread out flightlines usually results in long delivery or retrieval times by personnel with other duties. Many commercial companies have addressed similar problems in last-mile delivery scenarios such as food service or small packages in urban or campus environments albeit usually with smaller payloads. The technical problems presented on a flightline are much simpler than these use cases as they all have strict traffic control rules, limited pedestrian traffic, and a small number of predetermined delivery locations. A key difference is the inability to use detailed active sensing technologies like LIDAR on a military installation. Any system attempting to meet this need must keeping any kind of active sensing or data collection to a minimum for security reasons. Another difference is the system should be designed in a way that minimizes the chances that an adversary can disrupt operations. An autonomous system without any sort of remote control or ability to deviate from preprogrammed courses will mitigate those risks. This will also allow for easier integration into preexisting flightline traffic control regulations. This system is meant to support mainly maintainers in their normal duties. It needs to be rugged, easily loaded and unloaded while still be secure enroute, and able to carry in both volume and weight most parts and supplies they need to use on a regular basis. It needs to operate fully autonomously from when supply personnel load and launch it to when it parks at the appropriate pad on the flightline for a maintainer to retrieve the delivery as well as autonomous return for the next supply run. A rugged user interface with simple controls that can be taught and learned in less then 10 minutes is desired. Interfacing with other preexisting supply or inventory systems is not desired, this delivery system should stand alone with no need for regular software changes or support. The system also needs to be easy to integrate into existing bases. Maintenance should be kept to a minimum, with facility requirements like chargers, or required footprints for parking/turning/loading well thought out. The contracting timeline for this effort would follow along behind an internal AFRL effort to build and test a prototype on a flightline. The technical approach to the problem will be tested, but the main thrust of the effort is to directly engage with interested operators, in a real environment, to discuss pros and cons of the program and the various technical approaches that could be taken. This feedback is invaluable, and is essentially impossible to acquire without being on site with a functioning prototype. Until such a test event, its proven extremely hard to get potential stakeholders to think through the entire concept of operations that an autonomous flightline vehicle would have to do and almost more importantly the different career fields it would have to engage with. All these questions will be asked and addressed before the whitepapers land for a D2P2 land, allowing a technical approach to be chosen that has the highest chance for transition. PHASE I: This is a Direct to Phase 2 (D2P2) topic. Phase 1 like proposals will not be evaluated and will be rejected as nonresponsive. For this D2P2 topic, the Government expects that the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort via some other means (e.g. IRAD, or other funded work). It must have developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address at a minimum the basic capabilities of the stated objective above. Proposal must show, as appropriate to the proposed effort, a demonstrated technical feasibility or nascent capability to meet the capabilities of the stated objective. Proposal may provide example cases of this new capability on a specific application. The documentation provided must substantiate that the proposer has developed a preliminary understanding of the technology to be applied in their Phase II proposal to meet the objectives of this topic. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. PHASE II: Develop a system to deliver parts and supplies from a central location to predetermined places along a flightline that is resilient to weather and easy to use on both the loading and delivery side. i. Develop and demonstrate a system, compromised of one or more pieces of equipment, that is capable of handling up to 300 lbs of payload ii. Develop and demonstrate a system that can transport up to 300 lbs of payload up to 3 miles away and return empty of payload iii. The system should be designed to function in a flightline environment that could include, but is not limited to salt fog, rain, extreme cold and hot temperatures, and airborne dust iv. Develop matrix of operational tradeoffs relating to employing the new system that includes impacts on career fields including but not limited to maintainers, logistics, and airfield management v. Generate Interface Control Document (ICD) and overview descriptions in parallel with the system development. vi. System needs to be easy to use, dispatch, load, unload, and return with a minimum of software interaction vii. System needs to be rapidly deployable. viii. System needs to be capable of achieving various approvals including but not limited to Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) testing Complete the design of the system, demonstrate performance of a prototype system through field testing, and deliver the prototype for subsequent evaluation by the government. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The Government has an interest in transition of the demonstrated concept to airfield operations and parts delivery, but offer options for other aerial port operations in both austere and well-supported locations. Solutions may have application to commercial air operations and warehouse material handling operations. REFERENCES: 1. Department of the Air Force Operational Imperatives, https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/2023SAF/OPERATIONAL_IMPARITIVES_INFOGRAPHIC.pdf; 2. NAVAL ORDNANCE SAFETY AND SECURITY ACTIVITY INDIAN HEAD MD; Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) Safety Test, 2013 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA578915; 3. Stanton, Mary, Autonomous Rovers: Flight Line Delivery of Maintenance Tools and Parts, 2020 https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/trecms/pdf/AD1114231.pdf KEYWORDS: Contested Logistics, aerial port, logistics, cargo handling, tool control, supply, parts supply

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