While the Army plays a unique role in our society to deploy, fight, and win decisively against any adversary, anytime, and anywhere, many of the technologies that the Army relies on to accomplish this mission are being propelled by the civilian world. Army modernization priorities related to manned and unmanned vehicles, space systems, sensing, networks and connectivity, data visualization and gaming, space, and human performance monitoring (to name a few) all have substantial overlap with civilian sources, uses, and markets.
To capitalize on opportunities for breakthrough research and development in key civil-military technology areas relevant to the Army’s modernization priorities, AFC has established the Army Applications Lab (AAL) to capitalize on the extended marketplace of ideas in government, academia, industry, and civilian innovation
ecosystems and lead the research and development of disruptive innovations – i.e., technology demonstrators and early-stage products that revolutionize Army capabilities and corresponding civilian industries and create a first-mover advantage for the Army across a full spectrum of missions.
This BAA is a continuously open announcement valid throughout the
period from the date of issuance through 4 April 2029, unless announced otherwise.
United States Army Futures Command (AFC) is focused on modernizing the Army
and focuses on seven priorities:
‐ Long-Range Precision Fires
‐ Next Generation of Combat Vehicles
‐ Future Vertical Lift Platforms
‐ Army Network
Network Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence
Assured Position Navigation and Timing
‐ Air and Missile Defense Capabilities
‐ Soldier Lethality
Soldier Lethality
Synthetic Training Environment
‐ Contested Logistics
Areas of interest include but are not limited to the following:
1. Autonomous platforms
2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)
3. Data visualization and synthetic environments
4. Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
5. Power generation and management technologies
6. Sensing
7. Communications & networks
8. Computation
9. Space
10. Internet of Things (IoT)
11. Quantum Technologies
12. Signature reduction
13. Protection
14. Human Performance
15. Contested Logistics
16. Kinetic Payload
Eligible applicants under this BAA include institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, foreign organizations, foreign public entities, and for-profit organizations (i.e. large and small businesses) for scientific research in mechanical sciences, mathematical sciences, electronics, computing science, physics, chemistry, life sciences, materials science, network science, and environmental sciences. In accordance with FAR 35.016, Whitepapers and proposals will be evaluated only if they are “for acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. BAA’s may be used by agencies to fulfill their requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed
toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or
understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware
solution.”