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Topic DAF27BZ02-DV020 from the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DAF27BZ02-DV020 is a Department of the Air Force Direct-to-Phase II SBIR topic seeking an affordable, expendable autonomous One-Way Attack (OWA) air vehicle that delivers a mission payload from a 400 nautical mile threshold toward a 1,200 nautical mile objective in communications- and GNSS-degraded environments. No Phase I awards will be made. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DAF27BZ02-DV020
- Official title: Long-Range, Expendable Autonomous Air Vehicle for Distributed Effects in Contested Environments
- Agency: Department of the Air Force
- Program: SBIR (DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Direct to Phase II (no Phase I awards)
- Award amount: Up to $2,000,000. Source: Department of the Air Force Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: No
- Technology areas: Air Platform
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DAF27BZ02-DV020)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Air Force wants
The Air Force wants a low-cost, expendable autonomous aircraft that can carry a mission-relevant payload far beyond the range of many current Group 2/3 UAS. It must fly at least 400 NM, with measurable progress toward 1,200 NM, keep navigating through GNSS denial, continue the mission through lost command links, and accept Government or third-party payloads, autonomy, and navigation without redesign. Recurring unit cost is a primary system-level design consideration, and scalable, production-relevant manufacturing is expected. Phase II uses progressive ground and flight testing culminating in an integrated mission-relevant flight demonstration, with cost, production, and cybersecurity artifacts, reaching about TRL 7 or greater.
Who is a good fit
- An existing long-range attritable or expendable airframe with measured range, payload, and fuel consumption data
- Resilient navigation experience in GNSS-degraded or denied conditions, with characterized accumulated error and recovery
- Modular payload and avionics interfaces that can accept Government-provided autonomy, navigation, and communications components
- Production-relevant, low-labor manufacturing with a credible recurring unit cost estimate and known cost drivers
Watch-outs
- This is Direct-to-Phase II: Feasibility Documentation must show Phase I-equivalent work completed outside SBIR funding, including measured data such as current maximum demonstrated range and associated payload.
- The Government wants existing technologies needing integration and maturation, not clean-sheet conceptual aircraft requiring extended basic research. Navigation concepts should already be mature enough for the D2P2 schedule.
- Phase II must demonstrate the 400 NM threshold or provide Government-accepted evidence of threshold performance, plus cybersecurity and system-security artifacts for an authorization pathway.
- The topic metadata lists CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked as ITAR-restricted in the topic metadata.
Think your company fits DAF27BZ02-DV020? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DAF27BZ02-DV020 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Long-Range, Expendable Autonomous Air Vehicle for Distributed Effects in Contested Environments
Objective
Develop, integrate, flight-test, and demonstrate an affordable, expendable autonomous air “One-Way Attack” (OWA) vehicle capable of delivering a mission-relevant payload over operational ranges of 400 nautical miles threshold to 1,200 nautical miles at varying ranges in between while operating in communications-degraded and GNSS-degraded or denied environments.
Description
Future contested operations may require the ability to generate large numbers of distributed airborne effects at ranges beyond those achievable by many existing Group 2/3 UAS.
The desired system should combine sufficient aerodynamic efficiency, propulsion performance, autonomous mission execution, modular payload integration, resilient navigation, and low-cost manufacturing to enable operations at ranges between approximately 400 and 1,200 NM.
Solutions should emphasize a modular vehicle architecture allowing Government or third-party payloads, autonomy, navigation, and communications components to be integrated without redesigning the entire aircraft.
Range and Mission Performance
≥400 NM threshold to 1,200 NM with demonstrable varying ranges under a clearly defined mission profile. Document payload/range/endurance trade space. Characterize representative payload, launch conditions, altitude, speed, propulsion configuration, and mission profile. Demonstrate sufficient aerodynamic and propulsion efficiency to achieve long-range operation at acceptable recurring cost.
Autonomous Mission Execution
Autonomous launch and transition to mission flight. Autonomous navigation and mission execution. Autonomous terminal mission functions appropriate to the proposed concept. Continued mission execution during intermittent or extended loss of command-and-control connectivity. Deterministic and configurable lost-link behavior. Mission-planning interfaces that minimize operator workload. Architecture capable of incorporating Government-provided autonomy.
Resilient Navigation
Maintain useful navigation during representative GNSS degradation, denial, interference, or loss. Characterize navigation performance, accumulated error, availability, and recovery. Support integration of complementary navigation sources. Collaborative navigation approaches are of interest where sufficiently mature for Phase II integration and flight demonstration. Navigation technologies should be mature enough to support the overall D2P2 schedule; maturation of 5-6 TRL fundamental navigation concepts is not the primary intent of this effort.
Modular Mission Architecture
Modular mechanical, electrical, power, data, and software interfaces. Integration of Government or third-party payloads without fundamental air-vehicle redesign. Architecture capable of accepting Government-provided autonomy, navigation, communications, and payload components. Document Government-accessible interfaces necessary for transition.
Propulsion
Characterize propulsion performance. Quantify fuel/energy consumption across representative mission profiles. Identify propulsion reliability and remaining maturation risks. Characterize range, payload, and propulsion trade space.
Environmental and Structural Performance
Demonstrate environmental and structural suitability for representative operational employment. Characterize launch loads, flight loads, environmental limitations, and relevant storage/transport constraints.
Affordability and Scalable Manufacturing
Treat recurring unit cost as a primary system-level design consideration. Identify major unit-cost drivers. Demonstrate production-relevant manufacturing approaches. Reduce dependence on scarce materials, specialized tooling, and labor-intensive production where technically feasible. Quantify production scalability, lead time, labor content, and supply-chain risks. Consider rapid, distributed, or high-rate manufacturing approaches.
The Government is interested in existing technologies requiring integration and maturation, not clean-sheet conceptual aircraft requiring extended basic research.
Phase I
As this is a Direct-to-Phase II (D2P2) topic, no Phase I awards will be made. To qualify, applicant(s) must provide Feasibility Documentation demonstrating prior completion of Phase I-equivalent efforts outside SBIR funding. Offerors should demonstrate Phase I-equivalent prior work establishing that the underlying air vehicle and critical subsystems are technically viable. Relevant evidence may include:
Existing aircraft or representative flight testing.
Long-range flight performance.
Propulsion testing.
Aerodynamic analysis supported by test data.
Autonomous flight demonstrations.
Resilient-navigation testing.
Collaborative-navigation demonstrations, where proposed.
Payload integration.
Structural and environmental testing.
Manufacturing demonstrations.
Hardware-in-the-loop or system-level testing.
Offerors should provide available measured data characterizing:
Current maximum demonstrated range.
Payload associated with demonstrated range.
Propulsion efficiency and fuel/energy consumption.
Aircraft aerodynamic performance.
Autonomous mission capability.
Performance under degraded or unavailable GNSS.
Lost-link and degraded-C2 behavior.
Payload interfaces.
Current recurring-cost estimate and principal cost drivers.
Manufacturing maturity and achievable production rate.
Phase II
The technical effort shall use progressive ground and flight testing and culminate in the integrated mission-relevant flight demonstration described in Task 5 within the period of performance.
Task 1 – Vehicle and Mission Architecture
Baseline the aircraft, propulsion, payload, autonomy, communications, navigation, manufacturing, and mission-system architecture.
Document modular interfaces and identify remaining technical risks associated with meeting the desired range, payload, autonomy, resilient-navigation, cost, and production objectives.
Task 2 – Range and Propulsion Validation
Characterize aircraft aerodynamic and propulsion performance through progressively representative ground and flight testing.
Demonstrate the ability to satisfy the 400 NM threshold, with measurable progress toward the 1,200 NM objective.
Characterize:
Range. Payload. Endurance. Fuel/energy consumption. Propulsion reliability. Cruise efficiency. Relevant environmental factors. Payload/range/endurance trade space.
Task 3 – Autonomous and Degraded-Environment Operations
Demonstrate autonomous mission execution, resilient navigation, degraded-C2 operation, and deterministic lost-link behavior.
Testing should include representative:
GNSS degradation. GNSS denial/loss. Communications degradation. Extended loss of C2. Mission continuation. Recovery or terminal behavior.
Where sufficiently mature collaborative-navigation technology is proposed, integrate and characterize its contribution to navigation performance and mission resilience.
Task 4 – Modular Payload Integration
Integrate and demonstrate at least one representative Government-relevant payload or approved surrogate.
Validate modular:
Mechanical interfaces. Power. Data. Software. Communication Mission-system interfaces.
Demonstrate that additional payloads can be accommodated without fundamental redesign of the aircraft.
Task 5 – Integrated Flight Demonstration
Conduct progressively representative flight testing culminating in a mission-relevant demonstration of the integrated autonomous air vehicle.
The demonstration should characterize:
Operational range. Payload. Autonomous mission completion. Degraded-GNSS performance. Degraded-C2 performance. Propulsion performance. Reliability. Navigation error. Operator involvement.
Task 6 – Manufacturability, Cybersecurity and Transition
Demonstrate the production approach and quantify:
Projected recurring unit cost. Cost drivers. Manufacturing labor. Production lead time. Supply-chain risks. Production-rate scalability. Tooling requirements.
Develop cybersecurity and system-security artifacts required to support integration and an appropriate authorization pathway.
Document the proposed transition pathway and remaining platform-, mission-, airworthiness-, cybersecurity-, and production-related activities.
Desired Phase II End State
A flight-demonstrated autonomous air vehicle at approximately TRL 7 or greater, with measured performance sufficient to support follow-on operational evaluation and transition.
The prototype should have documented:
≥400 NM demonstrated range or Government-accepted evidence of threshold performance. Progress toward 1,200 NM objective. Representative payload performance. Autonomous mission performance. Resilient-navigation performance. Degraded-C2/lost-link behavior. Propulsion performance. Recurring-cost estimate. Production scalability. Modular mission-system interfaces.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Successful technology is intended to provide AFSOC, ACC, and operational organizations a rapidly fieldable OWA aircraft capability with payload integration. The transition owner is PAE ISR SOF / Asymmetrical Warfare Division – WISS. The OWA system is intended to support future adaptation to additional platforms through further payload integration, distance requirements, and minimized cost burden. Follow-on funding is exploratory from AFSOC based on D2P2 results.
References
Air Force Research Laboratory. (2021). AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate DMAAPS Attritable Airframe Integration Testing. U.S. Department of Defense.
Defense Systems Information Analysis Center. (2025). Attritable Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Conceptualization and Key Players. U.S. Department of Defense.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. (2019). XQ-58A Valkyrie: Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology. Air Force Research Laboratory.
Masiero, A., Guarnieri, A., & Pirotti, F. (2026). UAV-Assisted Collaborative Positioning in GNSS-Denied Environments. MDPI.
Neuhauser, T., Winkler, S., & Trommer, G. F. (2026). A Solution to GNSS-Denied Navigation for Aeronautics—Combining GNSS-Denied Navigation Means and Collaborative Navigation. Institute of Navigation.
Sun, Y., Zhang, X., & Liu, M. (2022). Research on an LEO Constellation Multi-Aircraft Collaborative Navigation Algorithm Based on a Dual-Way Asynchronous Precision Communication-Time Service Measurement System (DWAPC-TSM). MDPI.
Wang, J., Chen, L., & Li, H. (2025). A Learning-Based Measurement Validation Approach for Cooperative Multi-UAV Navigation Using Kalman Filtering. MDPI.
Keywords
Long-Range UAS, Expendable Aircraft, Attritable Aircraft, Autonomous Aircraft, One-Way Effects, Distributed Effects, Modular Payloads, GNSS-Denied, Collaborative Navigation, Resilient PNT, Low-Cost Air Vehicle, Scalable Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
What is DAF27BZ02-DV020?
It is a Department of the Air Force SBIR topic to develop, flight-test, and demonstrate an affordable, expendable autonomous One-Way Attack air vehicle able to deliver a mission-relevant payload over 400 to 1,200 nautical miles while operating in communications-degraded and GNSS-degraded or denied environments.
When is DAF27BZ02-DV020 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
It is Direct-to-Phase II. No Phase I awards will be made, and applicants must provide Feasibility Documentation demonstrating Phase I-equivalent work completed outside SBIR funding.
Is collaborative navigation required?
The topic does not list it as required. Collaborative navigation approaches are of interest where sufficiently mature for Phase II integration and flight demonstration. If proposed, Phase II integrates and characterizes its contribution to navigation performance and mission resilience.