DON26BZ05-NV074 — Automated Post-Mission De-Brief and Re-Planning for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Missions
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Quick Answer
DON26BZ05-NV074 is a Navy Phase I SBIR topic sponsored by NAVAIR. It funds automated analytics and decision-support tools that speed up post-mission debriefs and generate rapid re-planning recommendations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) missions in contested environments. Maximum Phase I award across Base and Option is $315,000. Proposals are due September 23, 2026.
Executive Summary
Multi-day CCA missions need fast turnaround between engagements, but current post-mission analysis is resource-intensive and too slow to feed timely, actionable insight into the next mission's planning. NAVAIR wants to automate that debrief-to-replan cycle using advanced analytics, diagnostics, and algorithms, so operators get explainable, traceable recommendations instead of waiting on manual analysis.
The topic organizes the problem into three areas. Blue Force Optimization refines CCA operational parameters, autonomy behaviors, task allocation, and tactics based on mission outcomes, and must identify expected benefits, survivability implications, and confidence in the projected result. Red Force Modeling improves planning through analysis of adversary tactics and behaviors, and critically, must flag uncertainty and offer alternative threat interpretations when the evidence doesn't support a single high-confidence conclusion, rather than forcing a false level of certainty. Autonomous Re-Planning uses machine learning and optimization to generate and compare follow-on mission plans, recommending multiple feasible courses of action with confidence levels and traceable rationale for operator review.
That last point matters: NAVAIR wants recommendations an operator can actually interrogate and approve, not a black-box output. The topic also poses open research questions worth addressing directly in a proposal, including what data points matter most for post-mission analysis, how to enable rapid iterative plan updates, and how to select and adapt algorithms in real time based on available data.
Phase I is a strategy and literature-grounded effort: select suitable AI/ML approaches supported by a review of existing research. Phase II implements the chosen approach in a Navy-approved simulation environment and demonstrates it across multi-day mission simulations, with documentation for operational use and integration with existing CCA systems.
This topic is ITAR-restricted, and work is expected to become classified in Phase II, requiring a secret facility clearance and personnel clearances. Phase III looks toward integrating this into operational CCA and autonomy frameworks, and the topic notes that industry already using AI-driven decision support could adapt similar frameworks for commercial systems.
Funding
Phase I Base: up to $200,000
Phase I Option: up to $115,000
Maximum Phase I total (Base plus Option): $315,000
Award types: Firm Fixed Price, Basic Ordering Agreement, or Prototype Other Transaction
Phase I period: exactly 6 months Base, exactly 6 months Option
Phase II maximum: up to $2,000,000
Discretionary TABA available: up to $6,500 in Phase I, in addition to the award amount
Timeline
Proposal deadline: September 23, 2026
Submission portal: DoW SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP)
Notifications sent approximately one week after BAA close
Phase I payments: 50% at 15 days, 35% at 90 days, 15% at 180 days, for both Base and Option
Key Requirements
Technical Volume limited to 10 pages
Minimum two-thirds of Phase I work performed by the proposing small business, in both Base and Option
No cost sharing accepted
CMMC Level 2 (Self) projected requirement
ITAR-restricted, with mandatory foreign national disclosures
Must be able to obtain a secret facility clearance and personnel clearances for classified Phase II work
Point of Contact
Kristi DePriest, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
navair-sbir@us.navy.mil
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three main focus areas of this topic?
Blue Force Optimization (refining CCA tactics and operations based on outcomes), Red Force Modeling (analyzing adversary behavior and flagging uncertainty), and Autonomous Re-Planning (generating and comparing follow-on mission plans).
Does the system need to give a single definitive answer for adversary behavior?
No. NAVAIR specifically wants the system to identify uncertainty in Red Force assessments and provide alternative threat interpretations when the evidence doesn't support one high-confidence conclusion.
How are recommendations meant to be reviewed?
With traceable rationale supporting operator review and approval, not as an opaque automated decision.
What environment is Phase II tested in?
A Navy-approved simulation environment, demonstrated across multi-day mission simulations.
Does this require a security clearance?
Yes. Work is expected to become classified in Phase II, and the contractor must be able to obtain and maintain a secret facility clearance and personnel security clearances.
Is there a commercial application for this technology?
Yes. NAVAIR notes industry already using AI-driven decision support frameworks could adapt similar approaches for commercial and civilian systems.
How much funding is available in Phase I?
Up to $200,000 for the Base and up to $115,000 for the Option, for a combined maximum of $315,000.
What is the proposal deadline?
September 23, 2026, submitted through the DoW SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP).
