UNCLASSIFIED
Capability Investment Opportunity

UxS Autonomy & Multi-Vehicle Control

Total Ask ~$1.85M
The Gap

The Air Force lacks a widely adopted common Ground Control Station (GCS) that is modular, adaptable to dynamic mission sets, natively supports multi-vehicle UAS control, and integrates with a common data platform. Units are forced to operate stovepiped, single-vehicle control systems with no interoperability, limiting operational reach and scalability.

The Solution

Three complementary investments that build from software to hardware to AI-enabled autonomy:

1
UMS Tool — Feature Updates & New Platform Integration
Expands the Unmanned Mission System software to support additional UAS platforms and mission sets; enables rapid configuration across diverse operational environments.
2
Universal Third Party Controller (Hardware)
Develops and tests modular hardware enabling autonomous drone operations and 1-to-many UxS control from a single operator station; potential for cost-share with partner organizations.
3
AI-Enabled Tipping & Cueing
Licenses and hardware for AI-driven sensor tipping and cueing; accelerates the detection-to-decision timeline for base defense applications.
The Cost
Initiative Cost Flexibility
UMS Tool Updates $250K Incrementally Fundable
Universal Controller (HW) $1.5M Cost-Share Eligible
AI Tipping & Cueing $100K Incrementally Fundable
Total ~$1.85M All 3 or any combination
Impact
The Return

Enables single-operator multi-UAS control, eliminating the current 1:1 operator-to-vehicle ratio constraint. Accelerates the sensor-to-decision timeline for base defense. Delivers a modular, platform-agnostic GCS architecture adaptable across all AF/SF mission sets, directly supporting ACE, JADC2, and integrated base defense.

Cost of Inaction

Without investment, the Air Force continues to field stovepiped, single-vehicle GCS solutions with no common architecture. Each new UAS platform requires its own controller, training pipeline, and sustainment tail, compounding cost and complexity while the threat adapts faster than our acquisition cycle.