Department of War (DoW) Drone Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Consortium- Request for Whitepaper – Brigade Uncrewed Aircraft System (BDE UAS) Prototype Project

1. Synopsis & Purpose

The Uncrewed Aircraft System Program Management Office is releasing this Request for Whitepapers (RFW) in support of the BDE UAS Prototype Project. The goal of this project is to identify innovative, off-the-shelf, Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) systems, sub-components, and software ready for rapid prototyping, operational assessment, and potential transition to production.

This RFW leverages the agile Department of War (DoW) Drone Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Consortium framework to bypass traditional, lengthy acquisition cycles, ensuring that these advanced technologies reach the warfighter at the speed of relevance.

2. Eligibility Requirements (Consortium Members Only)

CRITICAL RESTRICTION: This opportunity is strictly limited to current, approved members of the DoW Drone OTA Consortium.

To be eligible for evaluation and potential subsequent award under the BDE UAS Prototype Project, prospective vendors must have already established Consortium membership, including:

• An acknowledged Vendor Application.
• A fully executed and signed Consortium Vendor Agreement (CVA).
• An active SAM.gov registration, Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number, and active WAWF registration.

Note: If you are not currently a member of the DoW Drone OTA Consortium, you may not submit a response to this RFW. Interested vendors must first apply for consortium membership by submitting an application to DMConsortium@army.mil.

3. Security & Compliance Mandates

All participating Consortium members must ensure strict compliance with federal regulations throughout the submission and performance periods:

• Proper protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with NIST SP 800-171.
• Adherence to the Arms Export Control Act, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Export Administration Regulation (EAR).
• Adherence to NDAA Section 848 (FY 2020) and Section 817 (FY 2023).

4. Accessing the Solicitation & Evaluation Criteria

The complete details, instructions, and grading standards for Phase I of this opportunity are provided in the attachments accompanying this Special Notice:

• Attachment 1 – Request for Whitepapers BDE UAS
• Attachment 2 – System Characteristics and Requirements
• Attachment 3 – Objective Requirements
• Attachment 4 – Phase 1 Go / No-Go Evaluation Criteria
• Attachment 5 – Reference Documents
• Attachment 6 – Acronyms

Note: Upon request, Attachments 2 and 3 will be provided via the DoD SAFE Site, https://safe.apps.mil.

Consortium members must review all attachments in detail before preparing their submissions. White Paper submissions must be emailed to bde_uas@army.mil. DoW Drone OT Consortium applications must be emailed to DMConsortium@army.mil in accordance with the timelines specified in Attachment 1.