SOCOM FANTOM Behavior Integration (A2E)

Executive Summary

USSOCOM PEO-Fixed Wing, through SOFWERX, is seeking vendors to integrate existing or new autonomy behaviors into the government-owned FANTOM software using the FANTOM Core SDK for Group 2-3 uncrewed systems. White papers are due November 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET via Submittable.

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This is a SOFWERX Assessment Event, not a direct funding award. PEO-FW subject matter experts review white papers independently, primarily for technical merit, and invite selected vendors to a virtual assessment event December 15-17, 2026. Any award comes later through negotiation. The options include an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that may lead to a follow-on production award without further competition, a CRADA, a prize, or a FAR-based contract.

Solicitation at a Glance

• Agency: U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Program Executive Office Fixed Wing (PEO-FW), via SOFWERX
• Opportunity: PEO-FW FANTOM Behavior Integration (A2E) Assessment Event
• Award Vehicle: Potential SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement, OTA (research or prototype, possible follow-on production), experimental procurement, CRADA, prize, or FAR-based contract
• Funding: No funding amount is posted
• Technology Maturity: Standalone, mature behavior solutions at TRL 6 or higher
• Due date: November 5, 2026, 11:59 PM ET

Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before the November 5 deadline.

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What Is FANTOM Behavior Integration?

FANTOM is the government-owned autonomy software stack deployed across the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E), an interoperable system of systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that uses expendable, autonomous small uncrewed aircraft systems, resilient data paths, and a common control architecture.

Vendors extend FANTOM through FANTOM Extensions: mature add-ons built with the FANTOM Core SDK, such as behaviors, planners, and other services. This event asks vendors to propose new modular behaviors that grow and mature that ecosystem.

What Problem Is SOCOM Trying to Solve?

USSOCOM wants to insert new capability faster into multi-platform, multi-payload uncrewed systems within A2E. Instead of building each autonomy function in-house, PEO-FW wants mature, flight-demonstrated vendor behaviors that plug into the FANTOM Core Mission Autonomy stack and use existing FANTOM services rather than duplicate them. The event also helps the government judge how well vendors can integrate with the SDK and gathers feedback to improve SDK documentation, tooling, and pipelines.

Priority Capability Areas: What PEO-FW Is Looking For

• Mission objective and adaptation
• Swarm coordination and distributed decision-making
• Sensing and navigation
• Task allocation
• Targeting and tracking
• Behavior maturation and validation
• Integration pathways: behavior packaging and versioning, simulation-based evaluation, and flight integration readiness

The assessment criteria name these priority focus areas: collaborative area search; route planning with 3D volumetric avoidance and energy or time-of-flight optimization; a weather data service; multi-UAV target track custody that balances search, identification, and tracking; and prioritized network transmission of full-motion video. Other unique solutions are also welcome.

Funding and Award Terms

No funding amount is posted. The event itself is an assessment, not an award. After the assessment event, PEO-FW may pursue award negotiations through one or more of these mechanisms:

• Partnership Intermediary Agreement: A business-to-business R&D agreement through SOFWERX (15 U.S.C. § 3715)
• Other Transaction: For research or prototype projects (10 U.S.C. §§ 4021, 4022), which may lead to a follow-on production award without further competition
• Experimental procurement: 10 U.S.C. § 4023
• CRADA: 15 U.S.C. § 3710a
• Prizes: 10 U.S.C. § 4025; 15 U.S.C. § 3719
• FAR-based contract

Awardees may need to comply with NIST SP 800-171 to protect Controlled Unclassified Information.

Eligibility Requirements and Participation

• Citizenship: The event is open to U.S. citizens only.
• Technology maturity: Standalone, mature behaviors at TRL 6 or higher, built on flight-demonstrated code.
• Integration: Behaviors must integrate with the FANTOM Core Mission Autonomy stack through the FANTOM Core SDK, as containerized services.
• Cybersecurity: Awardees may need to meet NIST SP 800-171.

How to Apply

• Review the criteria: Read the assessment criteria document linked on the SOFWERX event page.
• Use the template: Download the provided Word white paper template.
• Answer all nine items: The extension service you would provide, how it meets the objectives, a notional architecture diagram within FANTOM Core Services, FANTOM architecture limitations and how you would help address them, your demonstrated TRL, the support you need from the integrator, how your containerized services use existing FANTOM services, your dependencies, and integration risks.
• Submit: Through the SOFWERX Submittable form no later than November 5, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

What Happens After You Submit?

• November 6-20, 2026: USSOCOM reviews submissions and selects vendors.
• On or around November 23, 2026: Selected vendors receive invitations.
• December 15-17, 2026: Virtual assessment event with one-on-one panel sessions to pitch, demonstrate, or discuss your solution.
• Afterward: Possible award negotiations.

Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?

• Mature software: You have a TRL 6+, flight-demonstrated autonomy behavior or service.
• Relevant focus: You work in swarming, collaborative search, route planning, target tracking, sensing, navigation, task allocation, or video transmission for small uncrewed aircraft.
• Integration-ready: You can package your software as containerized services that integrate with a government-owned stack through an SDK.
• Team: You can field U.S. citizens for the event.

It is a weaker fit for early-stage concepts without flight-demonstrated code, or for teams that need a posted funding amount before they commit.

How BW&CO Can Help

BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For SOFWERX assessment events like FANTOM Behavior Integration, we help you:

• Map your fit: Match your autonomy behavior to PEO-FW's priority focus areas and the FANTOM extension model.
• Draft the white paper: Use the SOFWERX template and answer all nine assessment items.
• Show maturity: Present your demonstrated TRL and flight evidence clearly.
• Prepare for the event: Get ready for one-on-one panel sessions if you are invited.
• Plan follow-on paths: Think through OTAs and CRADAs, including NIST SP 800-171 readiness.

Plan Your FANTOM White Paper

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline?

White papers are due no later than November 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET through the SOFWERX Submittable form.

How much funding is available?

No funding amount is posted. The event is an assessment, and any award would come later through negotiation.

What award types could follow?

A SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement, an OTA for research or prototype projects (which may lead to follow-on production without further competition), experimental procurement, a CRADA, prizes, or a FAR-based contract.

Who can participate?

The event is open to U.S. citizens only. Confirm how this applies to your team directly with SOFWERX.

What technology maturity is expected?

Standalone, mature behavior solutions at TRL 6 or higher, built on flight-demonstrated code.

What platforms does this cover?

Group 2-3 uncrewed systems within the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E).

How are submissions evaluated?

PEO-FW subject matter experts evaluate each solution independently, primarily for technical merit.

When is the assessment event?

December 15-17, 2026, virtually. Invitations go out on or around November 23, 2026.

Is NIST SP 800-171 compliance required?

The event page says awardees may need to comply with NIST SP 800-171 to protect CUI.

Can BW&CO help with a FANTOM white paper?

Yes. BW&CO can help you position your autonomy behavior against PEO-FW's priorities, draft a white paper that addresses every assessment item, and prepare for the assessment event if you are invited. Book a call with our team.

Source: SOFWERX: PEO-FW FANTOM Behavior Integration (A2E)