Tactical Air Traffic Control (ATC) Command and Control (C2) System (TACOS)

1.0 Description

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, issued as part of market research in accordance with (IAW) Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO) Part 10. This is not a solicitation/Request for Proposal (RFP), a Request for Quotation (RFQ), an Invitation for Bids (IFB), or a solicitation, and no contract shall be resultant from this synopsis. Aerospace Management Systems Division (AFLCMC/ESA) will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. Participation is limited to contractors registered in the United States. Submissions from non-U.S. contractors will not be considered. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) Electronic Systems Directorate, Aerospace Management Systems Division (ESA), Air Traffic Systems Branch (ESAA) Program Management Office (PMO), located at Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB), Massachusetts, is requesting information from industry to assist in planning for the potential future acquisition of a Tactical Air Traffic Control (ATC) Command and Control (C2) System, hereafter referred to as TACOS.

Current USAF expeditionary ATC systems were designed for a more permissive operational environment and are ill-suited for modern, multi-domain warfare. Legacy systems are characterized by large size, weight, power, and personnel (SWaP-P) footprints; prolonged setup and teardown timelines; limited interoperability with joint and coalition C2 systems, tactical data links (TDLs), and modern sensor networks; and susceptibility to kinetic and non-kinetic threats, including electronic attack, cyber intrusion, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP). These limitations create unacceptable risk to air operations under the pacing challenge and the requirement to project airpower from dispersed, austere locations.

TACOS is envisioned as a critical enabler of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Battle Network, providing the essential link between aircrew and the airfield environment across the full spectrum of operational environments — from permissive airspace to highly contested, denied areas of operation.  TACOS shall be a modular, scalable, and highly interoperable system that ingests and processes tactical data feeds from Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Weather (WX) networks, fusing them with traditional Air Traffic Control (ATC) processing to display a unified airspace awareness picture. This provides commanders the flexibility to tailor Airfield Operations (AO) ATC services to the specific warfighting mission and threat levels. Core attributes include agility and speed (rapid deployment, minimal airlift, setup and teardown by a small team in hours); survivability and resilience (operation through kinetic and non-kinetic attack, low probability of detection, and function in a communications-degraded or -denied environment); seamless interoperability across USAF, joint, and coalition sensors and C2 networks; and scalable mission command.

The operational requirement for TACOS is sponsored by Headquarters Air Force Flight Standards Agency (HQ AFFSA), the USAF lead agency for air traffic control, airfield management, and air traffic control and landing systems (ATCALS); acquisition is executed by AFLCMC/ESAA.

The information received will be used to inform the development of a potential future acquisition strategy. Solutions should be actionable within the next two (2) years. This RFI does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement.

2.0 Key System Capabilities

The desired TACOS solution must deliver an integrated, scalable suite of capabilities as a survivable, expeditionary, and interoperable C2 platform providing reliable ATC services in support of Agile Combat Employment (ACE). The system shall provide, at minimum, the following capabilities:

2.1  Expeditionary, Modular, and Mobile Design

The TACOS architecture shall be non-proprietary and adhere to a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) governed by a Government-owned system architecture, enabling rapid integration of third-party hardware and software while remaining sensor-agnostic across current and future data sources. Open, consensus-based standards shall govern the large majority of Government-defined Key Interfaces so that hardware and software can be decoupled, and cloud-ready software containers shall allow individual capability modules (including Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) decision aids) to be upgraded, replaced, or added without disturbing the rest of the system. The solution shall be lightweight, compact, and ruggedized for sustained operation in austere, expeditionary environments, and rapidly deployable and reconfigurable to satisfy the personnel, setup-time, and logistical-footprint demands of each operational configuration.

The system shall be inherently scalable, spanning both hardware and software, to support demand-varying configurations that range from a Low-Demand, single-operator, dismounted, man-portable setup to a High-Demand, multi-operator, shelter-based system, allowing commanders to delegate and optimize the configuration to mission need. Workstation capacity shall scale from a baseline of a few controller positions to several, and the equipment shall support rack-mount, pole-mount, and tabletop installations within an ATC tower as well as Mobile Tower, Landing Zone, and contingency-control roles. The system shall remain operable across the full spectrum of operating environments—from permissive airspace to contested and denied areas, and from austere landing zones to established main operating bases—without degradation of core ATC and C2 functions. Additionally, the system shall install within existing military or commercial structures and standard fixed and expedient shelters.

The system shall reflect a self-contained, transit-case architecture designed for a tightly bounded expeditionary envelope. When fully deployed, the system shall operate within a 20-by-20-foot footprint. For mobility, the entire system shall be transportable on a single 463L pallet for airlift, via rail, or by a single light tactical vehicle, while remaining ruggedized to survive standard transit shock and vibration stresses. To facilitate rapid tactical movement, individual transit cases shall remain within two-person lift limits. A trained crew of no more than four personnel shall be capable of rapidly deploying and retrograding the system.  To sustain operations away from fixed infrastructure, the system shall accept a wide range of Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) power inputs, including Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) generators, commercial grids, vehicle/aircraft power, solar arrays, and scavenged DC sources. The system shall automatically sense commercial power loss and transfer to organic generation without interrupting critical C2/ATC functions.

2.2  Integrated Data Fusion Engine

TACOS shall operate as a sensor-agnostic, Multi-Level Secure (MLS) data fusion engine that ingests, correlates, and fuses inputs from organic and non-organic sources into a single, unambiguous track per object and a low-latency Single Integrated Air Picture (SIAP). Source data shall include Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radar (PSR/SSR), ADS-B, Mode S and Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), Tactical Data Links (TDLs) such as Link 16 via JREAP, Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) tracks, and meteorological feeds, delivered in standard ATC formats including ASTERIX and Common Digitizer Model 2 (CD-2). The engine shall scale from a minimum of three to as many as twelve external radar sources and shall process the SIAP across multiple classification levels—operating on data at UNCLASSIFIED and SECRET//NOFORN and permitting designated workstations to run at SECRET//REL or UNCLASSIFIED while the overall system operates at SECRET//REL US.

Fusion performance and resilience shall serve as core system capabilities. The fusion engine shall maintain track-processing latency within a sub-second threshold while minimizing duplicate-track generation. Simultaneously, an adaptive tracking filter shall dynamically weight sensor inputs based on real-time signal quality, track history, and localized electronic-warfare (EW) threat indicators to mitigate spoofed, jammed, or degraded feeds. To support rapid, expeditionary employment without requiring source-code or pre-loaded database modifications, the system shall autonomously build a self-configuring geographic grid at initialization. During this initialization, the system shall convert sensor-relative coordinates into a common, three-dimensional WGS-84 frame and project them onto an adaptation-defined local stereographic plane. Prior to fusion, the system shall time-align heterogeneous sensor updates using network- or Global Positioning System (GPS)-disciplined precision time. Furthermore, the system shall dynamically compute localized barometric and altimeter corrections from live meteorological data to produce continuous Mean Sea Level (MSL) altitude, eliminating reliance on static, tile-based adaptation databases.

The fused picture shall be made coherent and shareable for both the operator and the wider force. The engine shall associate and bind each aircraft’s 24-bit ICAO Mode S address, Mode 3/A beacon code, and TDL track designators (including Link 16 Track Numbers) into a single track data block, group closely spaced military aircraft into labeled formation tracks while still processing their individual sub-tracks and overlay multi-level precipitation derived from surveillance inputs without degrading track processing. The system shall further consolidate sensor data into a tactical picture for distribution over TDLs and inclusion in the Common Tactical Picture, and shall gracefully manage sensor overload by shedding the most distant reports first so that continuous tracking, ATC sequencing and separation, and Air Base Point Defense cueing are preserved.

2.3  Multi-Path Communications and Network Architecture

TACOS shall field a robust, resilient communications suite spanning both voice and data domains, built on diverse, redundant pathways so that it remains effective in Contested, Degraded, or Operationally-Limited (CDO-L) conditions. For air traffic control voice, the system shall provide secure, jam-resistant multi-band communications (air-to-ground over VHF/UHF and ground-to-ground over Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Secure VoIP) and shall interface with legacy analog voice systems so that communications can be sustained if a primary path is compromised. Voice switching shall meet current ICAO standards (e.g., ED-137C) with over-the-air and over-IP encryption, place a switching position at each controller and maintenance station, and route audio to standard ATC peripherals through independent push-to-talk jacks for handsets, headsets, footswitches, and microphones.

Operator control of the communications suite shall be integrated and immediate: configurable function buttons at each workstation shall enable access to and control of all radios, intercoms, and telephone lines, and incoming calls shall present their location, frequency, and selection controls on an activity screen. On the data side, the system shall function as a tactical-data-link forwarder and translator, extending Link 16 connectivity via JREAP and exposing application programming interfaces to other C2 systems, and shall establish and maintain Link 16 datalink management operations. Networking shall provide compliant interfaces that connect and route data across the Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) Deployable Digital Infrastructure (DDI), NIPRNet, and SIPRNet over both local-area and cloud-native topologies, with wireless connectivity available between workstations and servers.

2.4  Interoperability and Integration

TACOS shall interoperate with the broader Department of the Air Force Battle Network, including the Theater Air Control System, Control and Reporting Centers, and Airborne Warning and Control Systems, and shall maintain a critical interface with Air Base Point Defense C2 to deconflict friendly aircraft from air-defense engagement zones. All integration shall be achieved through standards-based interfaces with published Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and the system shall implement Universal Command and Control Interface (UCI) compliance for internal and external exchanges. It shall execute bi-directional exchange of situational awareness, track, and command data with Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) nodes using standardized tactical data links.

For air traffic services, the system shall be certifiable to operate in the National Airspace System (NAS) (built to the FAA STARS ELITE configuration baseline and designed to meet FAA certification) and shall exchange flight data with external facilities through an Inter/Intra-Facility Data Transfer (IFDT) interface. It shall create, hand off, accept, modify, and delete local and inter/intra-facility flight plans automatically or by controller action, provide procedural airspace deconfliction and management in execution of the Airspace Control Order and procedures, and rapidly review, approve, and disseminate Restricted Operating Zones. The system shall automatically parse machine-to-machine tasking and control messages—including the Air Tasking Order (ATO), Airspace Control Order (ACO), Air Operations Directive, Special Instructions, and Operational Tasking Data Link (OPTASKLINK)—as well as United States Message Text Format (USMTF) and Allied Data Publication-34 (ADatP-34) formats, minimizing the operator actions needed to interpret them.

The architecture shall support distributed, federated operations across multiple nodes that maintain a shared SIAP, with console capabilities allowing operator positions to control sensors across geographically separated locations. The system shall exchange mission-planning data in a common format and schema to enable federated planning, and shall interoperate with installation-level C2 systems such as Command and Control Incident Management Emergency Response Application (C2IMERA). Consistent with the Air Force tactical C2 enterprise’s long-term goal of a common software and infrastructure baseline, the system should interface or integrate with ABMS Cloud-Based C2 (CBC2) software and the ABMS Deployable Data Infrastructure (DDI).

2.5  Support for Advanced Platforms

TACOS shall integrate, control, and deconflict next-generation platforms operating within the managed airspace, including UAS and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). In the C-UAS role, the system shall detect, track, and identify UAS threats to protect covered assets and facilities, and shall interface with a range of effectors and detectors (i.e. radars, other Electro-Optical/Infrared sensors, acoustic sensors, Electronic Warfare jammers, and kinetic or directed-energy defeat systems) to support the full Detect, Track, Identify, Defeat (DTID) kill chain.

Execution shall be interoperable and operator-governed. The system shall provide C2 integration that enables interoperability with joint and combined C-UAS systems, and shall offer operational modes supporting semi-autonomous engagement, sensor orientation, multi-modal alerting, and independent operation to carry out DTID functions. Throughout, the system shall provide force-protection capabilities that ensure safe operation for Service Members and non-combatants while maintaining compatibility with the platforms under control.

2.6  Cyber Security and Survivability

TACOS shall intrinsically integrate mission-defense tooling to protect against data intrusion and corruption and shall enforce cross-domain security through approved Multi-Level Security (MLS) boundary defenses and Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) that validate, sanitize, and route data across disparate classification enclaves. The architecture shall protect Critical Program Information with Anti-Tamper countermeasures in accordance with DoD Directive 5200.47E, including automated zeroization of volatile memory and key material upon detection of chassis breach or unauthorized access. It shall provide cryptographic agility supporting U.S. Type-1 devices and approved allied/coalition equivalents for host-nation integration and shall use containerized software and standardized hardware interfaces to logically and physically isolate U.S.-only technologies, algorithms, and cryptographic modules so they can be removed or replaced with export-compliant variants without degrading core ATC/C2 functionality.

The system shall be hardened to operate through both kinetic and non-kinetic threats. It shall comply with MIL-STD-461/464 for electromagnetic interference and compatibility and DoD-STD-2169 for High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) mitigation, apply TEMPEST/EMSEC controls against compromising emanations, and recover to full operational capability within minutes following an electromagnetic-pulse or critical-power event. To preserve the mission in a degraded information environment, the system shall sustain continuous ATC and C2 operations during contested expeditionary employment and provide uninterrupted local airspace and traffic management through C-DOL conditions for an extended period.

Survivability shall extend to the operators and the conditions under which they work. All physical interfaces, input devices, and subsystems shall remain fully maintainable and operable by personnel wearing standard-issue body armor and Mission-Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) Level 4 gear, and the voice communications subsystems shall preserve a high Speech Intelligibility Index while operators use MOPP-4 respirators and voice amplifiers.

2.7  Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and AI/ML Decision Aids

TACOS shall provide an intuitive operator interface that minimizes cognitive workload and training requirements while maximizing performance. Each Operator Workstation (OWS) shall be modular and transportable, integrating up to three same-technology, ruggedized, daylight-readable tactical displays and interfacing directly with the TACOS voice and data network so the operator can configure and control multi-band radios, tactical data links, and sensor-agnostic fusion feeds. Peripherals shall include a dust-proof, backlight-adjustable QWERTY keyboard, a secondary pointing device or trackball, a noise-canceling headset interface, and a tactical foot switch, and each workstation shall include integrated audio speakers for emergency audible alarms and keep radar and sensor data visible at all times.

The display environment shall be flexible and information rich. Controllers shall be able to select among single-sensor slant-range, mosaic ground-plane, single-sensor ground-plane, and fusion ground-plane presentations; render all tracks on a multilayer map; and filter the display by criteria such as weather, ADS-B, sensor quality, and target attributes. Data tags shall identify the source of information and present aircraft identification, altitude, and airspeed, with two controller scratchpads for additional data, and the system shall display adaptable, multi-line flight-data blocks formatted per NAS-MD-679, deconflict closely spaced data blocks, and resize and relocate logical displays. A dedicated informational display at each primary position shall provide flight-plan data, NOTAMs, a meteorological display, a GPS clock, airfield information, approach plates, position checklists, and a publications library.

The system may incorporate Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) decision aids to support and scale operator workflows (ex. predictive conflict detection, aircraft sequencing optimization, and checklist automation) and to assist decision-making, threat assessment, and engagement optimization across the DTID kill chain. Supporting interfaces shall include track management, threat visualization, effector selection, and air-picture situational awareness, and chat windows shall be integrated and embedded directly within the controller display.

2.8  ATC Safety Alerts

TACOS shall provide automated safety alerts that warn operators of imminent hazards to controlled aircraft, including, at a minimum, Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW), Conflict Alert (CA), and Mode-C Intruder (MCI) functions in accordance with FAA Order JO 7110.65, with parameters and values conforming to FAA Order JO 6190.20. These functions shall be equivalent to currently certified FAA terminal and en-route automation across Type I through Type IV airspace and shall be generated autonomously and predictively from the fused, dynamically corrected Single Integrated Air Picture. TACOS shall issue MSAW and Short-Term Conflict Alerts from three-dimensional trajectory vectors a configurable interval ahead of predicted conflict or terrain penetration, using continuous, non-stepped altitude data to suppress false alerts.

Alerting logic shall detect conflicts and unsafe proximity using predicted track position, altitude, and altitude-change rate, including proximity to terrain and obstructions derived from the altitude tracker or a manually entered altitude when Mode-C is unavailable. Alerts, covering Conflict Alert, warning alerts, and MSAW, as well as special emergency beacon codes 7400, 7500, 7600, and 7700, shall be presented both visually and audibly at the controller’s workstation. Look-ahead time shall be adaptable up to roughly two minutes, and safety inhibit zones shall be configurable through site adaptation.

2.9  System Data Recording, Analysis, and Replay

TACOS shall provide robust, continuous recording of all operational data (surveillance, flight, controller input, system alerts, communications, and interface data) and shall support legal replay for incident investigation, allowing full display reconstruction together with the associated air-to-air and air-to-ground voice. Voice shall be recorded for a minimum of 24 continuous hours with a warning before recording capacity is reached, and all recordings shall be retained for a minimum of 45 days.

Recorded data shall be time-stamped from a GPS time source and support synchronized playback of voice and radar on an Air Force computer using commercially available software, and the system shall provide data extraction to support trend analysis and reporting. In addition to recording and replay, the table specifies a system health, status, and performance-monitoring capability: the system shall continuously monitor the health and status of all hardware and software components, conduct online and offline diagnostics to detect and isolate faults, and collect and display system performance data, including hardware-resource utilization and workload statistics.

2.10  Configuration

TACOS shall support reconfiguration and site adaptation without interrupting the operational mission. The system shall load system software and adaptation data without interruption to operational service, including during active ATC operations, and shall allow user-defined maps to be created and imported locally, on site.

Site adaptation shall be performable on site to support expeditionary use—spanning parameters such as maps, MSAW, radar sort bins, multi-radar settings, transition altitude, and Inter/Intra-Facility Data Transfer—for both global and site-specific configuration, and the system shall provide for the control and adaptation of site-specific system information.

2.11  Reliability and Maintainability

TACOS shall sustain a high level of operational availability under demanding conditions, maintaining an operational availability (Ao) of at least 0.999 during contested expeditionary operations. Even in a diminished state, the system shall continue to provide the same level of operational functionality at each controller display as in the fully operational state, preserving the controller’s ability to manage traffic through partial degradation.

The design shall favor sustainability and modular maintenance. The system shall permit both updates and upgrades to hardware and software elements without requiring changes to other system components or to the overall architecture and shall support remote engineering help-desk connectivity—subject to local operator permission—to enable reach-back support.

3.0 Requested Information

Respondents are requested to provide potential TACOS solutions that fit the above criteria. The government would prefer a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS)/GOTS solution or enterprise solution for components of the system where applicable.

Please provide responses to as many of the following tasks as possible. Address your capabilities to accomplish part or all of the below tasks and provide highlights of successful past experience on similar government contracts.

1. Provide a brief description of your company’s expertise involving air traffic management, BMC2, UAS/C-UAS, and Weather (WX).
2. Describe your capability to provide a TACOS solution that meets the expected minimum performance described above.
3. Provide a detailed technical overview of your existing systems, hardware suites, or software baselines that can be directly mapped to the capabilities defined in Section 2.0. Your response should serve as a comprehensive baseline for the system architecture being proposed. Specifically, detail how your current technical offerings, production-ready systems, or Programs of Record (PoR) natively align with—or can be adapted to support—the following modular, expeditionary, and resilient requirements:
   1. (2.1 – Expeditionary, Modular, and Mobile Design) How does your solution achieve the MOSA mandate and facilitate the decoupling of hardware and software using cloud-ready containers? Describe how your architecture physically scales from a single-operator dismounted setup to a multi-operator shelter while maintaining the strict 20-by-20-foot footprint, 463L pallet limits, and two-person lift constraints. Detail your power management system—how does it handle auto-transfer between commercial grids, scavenged DC sources, and GOTS generators without interrupting critical C2/ATC functions?
   2. (2.2 – Integrated Data Fusion Engine) Describe your Multi-Level Secure (MLS) data fusion engine. How do you maintain sub-second track processing latency while ingesting 3 to 12 disparate sensor feeds (e.g., PSR/SSR, ADS-B, Link 16 via JREAP)? Explain your adaptive tracking filter's approach to mitigating spoofed or jammed feeds in EW environments. Additionally, how does your system autonomously generate its geographic grid and dynamically apply live meteorological corrections to MSL altitude without relying on static databases?
   3. (2.3 – Multi-Path Communications and Network Architecture) Detail your voice and data communications architecture for CDO-L environments. How does your solution comply with ED-137C VoIP standards while maintaining immediate operator control and backwards compatibility with legacy analog systems? Provide specifics on your system's capability to act as a TDL forwarder/translator and interface directly with the BMC2 Deployable Digital Infrastructure (DDI).
   4. (2.4 – Interoperability and Integration) Explain your system's readiness for National Airspace System (NAS) certification and comparability to the FAA STARS ELITE baseline. How does your software handle the automated, machine-to-machine parsing of standard tasking messages (e.g., ATO, ACO, OPTASKLINK, USMTF, ADatP-34)? Describe your architecture for distributed, federated operations and integration with Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) nodes and installation C2 systems like C2IMERA.
   5. (2.5 – Support for Advanced Platforms) How does your solution integrate and deconflict Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and UAS within managed airspace? Describe your capability to interface with diverse C-UAS effectors and detectors (RF, Acoustic, EO/IR, EW, Kinetic) to support the full Detect, Track, Identify, Defeat (DTID) kill chain. What semi-autonomous or AI-driven operational modes does your system offer to support force-protection engagements?
   6. (2.6 – Cyber Security and Survivability) Outline your approach to Anti-Tamper countermeasures (per DoD Directive 5200.47E) and MLS boundary defenses. How does your modular architecture isolate U.S.-only cryptographic/Type-1 modules for rapid export-compliant swapping? Detail your hardware compliance with MIL-STD-461/464 and DoD-STD-2169 for EMP/HEMP survivability, as well as the ergonomic engineering that ensures your system remains fully operable by personnel in MOPP Level 4 gear and body armor.
   7. (2.7 – Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and AI/ML Decision Aids) Describe the HMI and modularity of your OWS, including multi-layer map rendering and dynamic data tag deconfliction (per NAS-MD-679). Elaborate on any integrated AI/ML decision aids currently available in your solution that reduce operator cognitive load (e.g., predictive conflict detection, aircraft sequence optimization, checklist automation). How is chat and threat visualization embedded directly within the controller's primary display?
   8. (2.8 – ATC Safety Alerts) Detail the algorithms driving your automated safety alerts (MSAW, Conflict Alert, Mode-C Intruder). How does your system ensure compliance with FAA Order JO 7110.65 and JO 6190.20 using continuous, non-stepped altitude data derived from the fused air picture? Explain the configurability of the predictive look-ahead intervals and the establishment of local safety inhibit zones.
   9. (2.9 – System Data Recording, Analysis, and Replay) How does your solution implement continuous, GPS-time-stamped recording of surveillance, voice, and system alerts to support legal incident replay? Confirm your system's capability to maintain 24-hour continuous voice loops and 45-day overall data retention. Additionally, describe your integrated system health, status, and performance-monitoring capabilities, including online/offline fault diagnostics.
   10. (2.10 – Configuration) Explain how your system handles software updates and site adaptation data loads (e.g., local map imports, MSAW parameter shifts, radar sort bins) without causing downtime or interrupting active ATC operations. What level of site-specific configuration can be executed locally by expeditionary personnel versus requiring reach-back engineering support?
   11. (2.11 – Reliability and Maintainability) How is your architecture designed to meet or exceed an operational availability (Ao) of 0.999 in contested expeditionary environments? Detail how the system degrades gracefully, ensuring primary controller workstations maintain core ATC/C2 functionality even when peripheral nodes or networks fail. Describe your implementation of secure, operator-permissioned remote engineering reach-back support.
4. Explain other advantages and disadvantages to your recommended TACOS solution with an emphasis on the following areas:
   1. Operating in a contested environment (electronic protection, degraded GPS, etc.)
   2. Agile employment worldwide complemented with self-optimization and adaptive operations
   3. AI/ML applications to enhance the human machine interface and assist in decision aids
5. Has your system been verified to meet an open architecture framework? If your solution is compliant with an open architecture framework, please describe the standard and the certification process as applicable.
6. What hardware and software open standards does your system use or comply with? Please describe any verification activities that may have been completed for proposed components.
7. Provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule for the following, to be used as part of a feasibility analysis to determine whether future efforts are able to be performed within the program budget using the table included in the attached file.
8. Provide any additional information you consider relevant to providing a TACOS solution.
9. If your company cannot fulfill the entire scope of this effort, please identify the specific tasks or areas of expertise you are qualified to perform. Be specific about the capabilities you can provide. Include any subcontractors or suppliers that may be required to support this effort.
10. Please provide a capability statement including your NAICS and Small Business certifications, Non-Traditional Contractor status (if applicable), any Multiple-Award IDIQ contracts, or OT Consortium membership, General Service Administration Federal Supply Schedules, or any other existing federal instrument that the Department of the Air Force would be able to order any TACOS capabilities against?
11. Please provide feedback on preference for a phased hardware purchase/software integration approach or a singular contract vehicle for the entire effort.

4.0 Submission Instructions and Administrative Information

Submissions shall be delivered via the DoD Safe Access File Exchange (SAFE) website at https://safe.apps.mil/. Because unauthenticated users (non-DoD Personal Identity Verification (PIV) certificate holders) must receive a drop-off request from a DoD user, respondents shall notify the Contracting Officer of their intent to deliver a response. A “Drop-off Request,” valid for 14 days, will then be provided. For additional guidance, see the SAFE website.

Responses to this RFI are requested by close of business on 28 August 2026. All responses shall be unclassified and reviewed to ensure consideration of operational sensitivities. To the maximum extent possible, please submit nonproprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted shall be identified as such and will be handled accordingly and protected from disclosure. The Government shall not be liable for damages related to proprietary information that is not properly identified.

Any submission in response to this RFI constitutes consent for that submission to be reviewed by Government personnel, Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractor employees, and Advisory & Assistance Services (A&AS) contractor employees supporting AFLCMC/ESA who have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) — unless the respondent clearly objects in writing in a cover letter accompanying the submission. All Government and DoD contractor personnel reviewing RFI responses understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information. All correspondence related to this matter should be emailed to:

Points of Contact

Primary Contracting POC: Tiffany Hinson, Contracting Officer

Tiffany.Hinson.1@us.af.mil

Secondary Contracting POC: Robert Sullivan, Contract Specialist

Robert.Sullivan.39@us.af.mil

Program Manager POC: 2d Lt Blaine Watson, Program Manager

Blaine.Watson@us.af.mil  

Contracting Office Address

AFLCMC/ESAK

75 Vandenberg Drive

Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2103

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

A&AS Advisory & Assistance Services
ABMS Advanced Battle Management System
AC Alternating Current
ACE Agile Combat Employment
ACO Airspace Control Order
ADatP-34 Allied Data Publication-34
ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
AFB Air Force Base
AFFSA Air Force Flight Standards Agency (HQ AFFSA)
AFLCMC Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
AI/ML Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
AO Airfield Operations
Ao Operational Availability
ATC Air Traffic Control
ATCALS Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems
ATO Air Tasking Order
BMC2 Battle Management Command and Control
CDO-L Contested, Degraded, or Operationally-Limited
C-UAS Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System
C2 Command and Control
C2IMERA Command and Control Incident Management Emergency Response Application
CA Conflict Alert
CBC2 Cloud-Based Command and Control
CCA Collaborative Combat Aircraft
CD-2 Common Digitizer Model 2
CDS Cross Domain Solutions
COTS Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
DAF Department of the Air Force
DC Direct Current
DDI Deployable Digital Infrastructure
DLR Depot Level Repairable
DoD Department of Defense
DoW Department of War
DTID Detect, Track, Identify, Defeat
EMP Electromagnetic Pulse
EMSEC Emission Security
EO/IR Electro-Optical/Infrared
ESA Aerospace Management Systems Division
ESAA Air Traffic Systems Branch
EW Electronic Warfare
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FFRDC Federally Funded Research and Development Center
GOTS Government-Off-The-Shelf
GPS Global Positioning System
HEMP High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse
HMI Human-Machine Interface
IAW In Accordance With
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICD Interface Control Document
IDIQ Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity
IFB Invitation for Bids
IFDT Inter/Intra-Facility Data Transfer
IFF Identification Friend or Foe
IT Information Technology
JREAP Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol
KO Contracting Officer
LRIP Low Rate Initial Production
MCI Mode-C Intruder
MLS Multi-Level Secure / Multi-Level Security
MOPP Mission-Oriented Protective Posture
MOSA Modular Open Systems Approach
MSAW Minimum Safe Altitude Warning
MSL Mean Sea Level
NAICS North American Industry Classification System
NAS National Airspace System
NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement
NIPRNet Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network
NOFORN Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals
NOTAM Notice to Air Missions
ODC Other Direct Costs
OPTASKLINK Operational Tasking Data Link
OT Other Transaction
OWS Operator Workstation
PIV Personal Identity Verification
PMO Program Management Office
POC Point of Contact
PoR Program of Record
PSC Product Service Code
PSR Primary Surveillance Radar
REL Releasable
RFI Request for Information
RFO Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul
RFP Request for Proposal
RFQ Request for Quotation
ROM Rough Order of Magnitude
SAFE Safe Access File Exchange
SIAP Single Integrated Air Picture
SIPRNet SECRET Internet Protocol Router Network
SSR Secondary Surveillance Radar
STARS Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System
SWaP-P Size, Weight, Power, and Personnel
TACOS Tactical Air Traffic Control (ATC) Command and Control (C2) System
TDL Tactical Data Link
TEMPEST Telecommunications Electronics Material Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions
UCI Universal Command and Control Interface
UHF Ultra High Frequency
UAS Unmanned Aircraft Systems
USAF United States Air Force
USMTF United States Message Text Format
VHF Very High Frequency
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
WGS-84 World Geodetic System 1984
WX Weather