DAF STTR DAF27TZ01-DV003: Fusion of Cooperative Information Sharing for Uncrewed Air Systems (FOCISAUS)

Quick Answer

DAF27TZ01-DV003 (FOCISAUS) is a Department of the Air Force STTR Direct to Phase II topic in DoW STTR 2027 BAA Release 1 for cooperative perception: letting multiple uncrewed and ground sensing nodes share, prioritize, and fuse mission-relevant data in near real time under tight bandwidth. Awards are up to $2,000,000 over up to 24 months, closing November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Data fusion is a core requirement, not an add-on. Proposals must show how fused outputs reach autonomy software, edge analytics, or operators, and how the system copes with degraded or intermittent links.

Topic at a Glance

• Topic number: DAF27TZ01-DV003
• Title: Fusion of Cooperative Information Sharing for Uncrewed Air Systems (FOCISAUS)
• Component: Department of the Air Force
• Solicitation: DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 1
• Program and phase: STTR Direct to Phase II
• Award ceiling: $2,000,000
• Period of performance: 24 months
• Technical volume limit: 35 pages or slides
• Projected CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
• Export control: Restricted under ITAR (22 CFR 120-130) or EAR (15 CFR 730-774). Foreign national participation must be disclosed and may be restricted.
• Focus areas: Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems; Trusted AI and Autonomy
• Keywords: cooperative perception, sensor fusion, data fusion, uncrewed air systems, autonomy, adaptive transmission, compression, edge processing, distributed sensing
• Pre-release: October 7, 2026
• Opens: October 28, 2026
• Closes: November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
• Submission portal: DSIP at dodsbirsttr.mil

What the Air Force Is Looking For

Distributed air operations need awareness beyond any single platform's field of view. Cooperative perception can extend coverage and reduce blind spots, but large sensor data, variable wireless links, and the challenge of combining different geometries and modalities limit it.

The Air Force wants prototype-ready solutions for distributed organization, discovery, and retrieval of sensor data; adaptive selection, fidelity control, compression, and transmission; near real-time fusion across platforms and sensor types (point cloud, image, radar, feature or object level, or track association); delivery of fused products to applications; and measurable gains in latency, bandwidth efficiency, blind-spot reduction, and detection or tracking.

How the Phases Are Structured

Phase I is skipped. No Phase I proposals will be accepted. You must show Phase I type feasibility from prior research, lab validation, commercial development, or operational demonstrations performed outside the SBIR/STTR program. Your Phase I type effort should have identified operational needs and stakeholders, shown feasibility in distributed information exchange, compression, or adaptive transmission, established a credible fusion approach, produced evidence of prototype readiness, and laid out a clear path to Phase II.

Phase II builds and demonstrates an integrated prototype across multiple air and ground nodes, with performance results on latency, bandwidth, perception quality, and mission relevance, plus documentation and a transition plan.

Phase III targets counter-UAS, tactical reconnaissance, base and perimeter security, special operations, disaster response, and search and rescue, with commercial use in public safety, infrastructure inspection, autonomous delivery, and remote operations.

Funding and Proposal Limits

• Direct to Phase II award maximum: $2,000,000. Proposals above this amount will not be considered for evaluation or award.
• Award maximum duration: 24 months.
• Technical Volume (Volume 2) limit: 35 pages or slides.
• No Phase I proposals will be accepted and no Phase I awards will be made under this topic.
• TABA: DAF will provide up to $50,000 per Phase II award in addition to the topic amount. The detailed request must be in Volume 5.

Who Is Eligible

• You must be a U.S. small business concern that meets SBIR/STTR ownership and size rules at the time of award.
• This is an STTR topic, so you need a formal partner research institution (a university, FFRDC, or qualifying nonprofit). At least 40 percent of the work must be done by your firm and at least 30 percent by a single research institution, measured by direct and indirect costs. Deviations are not allowed.
• You must document Phase I type feasibility completed outside the SBIR/STTR program, substantially performed by your firm or principal investigator.
• DoW now limits proposals on a per-topic basis, so plan on one strong proposal for this topic.

Key Dates and How to Apply

• Now through October 28, 2026: pre-release. Topic authors are listed on the DSIP Topics and Topic Q&A page and you can call or email them directly with technical questions. This is the only window for direct contact.
• October 28, 2026: the topic opens for proposals in the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP). After this date, questions go through DSIP Topic Q&A only.
• November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET: complete proposals must be certified and submitted in DSIP. A proposal still marked In Progress or Ready to Certify is not considered submitted.
• Before you submit, confirm an active SAM.gov registration, a DSIP account, completed Volume 6 Fraud, Waste, and Abuse training, and the Volume 7 foreign affiliation disclosure webform.

Is This Topic a Fit for Your Company?

Autonomy, collaborative perception, and networked sensing companies, particularly those working on V2X style data sharing or multi-drone mapping, fit well. Universities with cooperative perception research are natural STTR partners.

BW&CO has helped deep tech founders secure $350M+ in non-dilutive funding. If you want a second opinion on fit, feasibility documentation, or a proposal plan before the deadline, book a call with our team below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DAF STTR topic DAF27TZ01-DV003?

FOCISAUS is a Department of the Air Force STTR Direct to Phase II topic in DoW STTR 2027 BAA Release 1 for cooperative perception and sensor data fusion across distributed uncrewed and ground sensing nodes.

How much funding is available?

Up to $2,000,000 over up to 24 months, plus up to $50,000 in TABA per Phase II award if requested.

Is data fusion required?

Yes. The topic says offerors should address data fusion as a core requirement, whether through point cloud fusion, image or radar correlation, feature or object fusion, track association, or another mission-appropriate method.

Do I need a research institution partner?

Yes. As an STTR, at least 40 percent of the work must be done by your firm and at least 30 percent by a single research institution.

When is the deadline?

The topic opens October 28, 2026 and closes November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET in DSIP.