ONHS Report: FA8750-25-S-7004

Multi-Domain Force Applications and Traffic Management for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (M-FAT)

Solicitation ID: FA8750-25-S-7004

Agency: AFRL/Information Directorate

Type: Presolicitation

Deadline: 2030-08-04T15:00:00 ET

Eligibility: Maybe (Dual Approval Required)

Funding: Total funding of approximately $499M. Individual awards will normally range from $500K to $20M, with a potential for awards up to $99M.

Doc Type: BAA

Clearance: Top Secret

Program Manager: TRISTEN M. CARRIG

Last Updated: 2025-11-24 13:13

Analyzed File: BAA 25-04 synopsis v9.docx

Eligibility Reasoning

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) ... are subject to applicable direct competition limitations and cannot propose to this BAA in any capacity unless they meet the following conditions: FFRDCs must clearly demonstrate that the proposed work is not otherwise available from the private sector; and FFRDCs must provide a letter on official letterhead from their sponsoring organization citing the specific authority establishing their eligibility to propose to Government solicitations and compete with industry...

Note: This is an AI-generated summary...

Summary

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is soliciting research proposals under the Multi-Domain Force Applications and Traffic Management for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (M-FAT) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA FA8750-25-S-7004). With approximately $499M in total funding available until August 2030, this BAA seeks to enhance Counter-small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) kill chain capabilities and advance UAS Traffic Management (UTM). Key technology areas of interest include the integration of Electronic Warfare (EW) and Cyberspace Operations (CO) to disrupt sUAS command links, automation of Command and Control (C2) using AI/ML to counter swarm attacks, development of low-collateral damage interceptors and effectors, improvement of multi-modal sensor technologies for detection and tracking, integration of UTM with existing air traffic control systems, and the creation of resilient communication waveforms and networking protocols for swarm operations. The solicitation is a two-step process, requiring a white paper for initial consideration before a formal proposal invitation. Individual awards are anticipated to range from $500K to $20M.

Overall Technical Areas

Electronic Warfare & Cyber OperationsAI / Machine LearningC2 Automation and AutonomyMulti-Sensor Data FusionDecentralized Swarm OperationsAutonomous Interceptor SystemsUAS Traffic Management (UTM)Resilient Communications & NetworkingCommunication Systems M&SAdvanced Sensor TechnologiesWaveform Design & AnalysisAI-Driven Spectrum ManagementDetect and Avoid (DAA) SystemsHuman-Machine Teaming

Probable LBNL Areas

CSAEESAESAETALDPSA

Focus Areas

Example Priorities:

Develop EW-enabled cyberspace countermeasures (CM).
Develop CM for new and emerging sUAS C2 links (protocol manipulation, access denial, etc.).
Improve performance and resiliency in contested Radio Frequency (RF)/cyberspace environments.
Develop methods for storing and indexing Cyberspace Effects ("Cyber Bullets").

Specific Technical Skills:

Electronic Warfare (EW)Cyberspace Operations (CO)Radio Frequency (RF) EngineeringProtocol AnalysisReverse EngineeringSignal ProcessingAnti-Tamper TechnologiesCybersecurityBattle Damage Assessment (BDA)

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Stijn (Stan) Wielandt	0.69	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept
Sean Peisert	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Alex Newkirk	0.68	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg & Industrial App Dpt
Andre Santos	0.67	EESA \| CESD \| Integrated Ecosystem Sciences
John Wu	0.67	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Boubacar Kante	0.67	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics
Anand Krishnan Prakash	0.67	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Alp Sipahigil	0.67	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics
David McCallen	0.67	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept
Tiffany Connors	0.67	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department

Example Priorities:

Research, develop, and prototype methods to leverage human-machine teaming to reduce C-sUAS operator burden when leveraging multiple sensors and effectors against mass/swarm sUAS attacks.
Research, develop, and prototype technologies to recommend optimized and executable Courses of Action (COA) to mitigate sUAS threats including mass/swarm attacks from a variety of C-sUAS sensors and effectors.
Research, develop, and prototype technologies to identify sUAS swarm characteristics such as, but not limited to, topology, mesh network, follow-the-leader, semi-autonomous, and autonomous swarms.
Develop scalable swarm architectures that are decentralized, heterogeneous in makeup, and can achieve mission effects without centralized coordination or command and control while also absorbing some amount of member attrition.

Specific Technical Skills:

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)Human-Machine TeamingAutonomous SystemsSwarm AlgorithmsSensor FusionCommand and Control (C2) SystemsAutomated Decision-MakingCourse of Action (COA) OptimizationDecentralized SystemsRules of Engagement (ROE) Enforcement

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Zhe Bai	0.68	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Oluwamayowa Amusat	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Alexander Sim	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Shawn Tornga	0.68	LD \| LD \| ONHS
Samuel Williams	0.68	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Cindy Zhu	0.68	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Whole Building Sys Dept
Marco Pritoni	0.68	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Edward Bethel	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Vinay Sawal	0.67	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Marcos Lopez de Prado	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research

Example Priorities:

Research and prototype hardware and software methods to improve threat detection, identification, and tracking with existing COTS sensors such as acoustic, Electro-optical (EO)/Infrared (IR) cameras, Radio Frequency (RF), radar, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), etc.
Research and prototype leveraging existing sensors for C2-silent (signal silent) sUAS detection, identification, and tracking.
Research and develop low-cost BFI/LCEI prototypes to be used in C-sUAS and counter-swarm operations.
Develop low Size, Weight, and Power, plus Cooling/Cost (SWAP-C) BFI payload solutions that enable threat detection, identification, and tracking from BFI platforms.
Integrate EW/CO capabilities in BFI.

Specific Technical Skills:

Sensor DevelopmentEO/IR SensingLiDAR TechnologyAcoustic SensingLow-Collateral Defeat MechanismsAutonomous InterceptorsPayload IntegrationSWAP-C OptimizationHardware PrototypingTarget Tracking

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Andre Santos	0.69	EESA \| CESD \| Integrated Ecosystem Sciences
Linqing Luo	0.69	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept
Emil Rofors	0.69	PSA \| NSD \| ANP
Shawn Tornga	0.68	LD \| LD \| ONHS
Peter Tennessen	0.68	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Nicola Falco	0.68	EESA \| CESD \| Integrated Ecosystem Sciences
Nicholas Wenner	0.68	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Nicolas Abgrall	0.68	PSA \| NSD \| ANP
Zhao Hao	0.67	EESA \| EG \| Geochemistry Dept
Jennifer Stokes-Draut	0.67	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept

Example Priorities:

Research and prototype hardware and software methods to enable and improve DoD/Federal UTM operational capability, including tactical applications.
Integrate capabilities to extend UTM into Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Extensible Traffic Management (xTM).
Develop and integrate AI/ML mechanisms into the DoD/Federal UTM-AAM architecture that provides the means to rapidly and reliably identify cases that will impact airspace safety and security.
Identify and investigate Detect and Avoid (DAA) technologies that enable UAS operations beyond visual line of sight.

Specific Technical Skills:

UAS Traffic Management (UTM)Air Traffic Management (ATM)Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)Detect and Avoid (DAA)Sensor Data FusionAI for Airspace SafetySystems IntegrationBeyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)Air Domain Awareness (ADA)Correlation Algorithms

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Susan Shaheen	0.67	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Energy Analysis Env Impac
Haitam Laarabi	0.67	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept
Zhe Bai	0.66	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Andre Santos	0.66	EESA \| CESD \| Integrated Ecosystem Sciences
Shawn Tornga	0.66	LD \| LD \| ONHS
Emil Rofors	0.66	PSA \| NSD \| ANP
Ana Comesana	0.66	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg & Industrial App Dpt
Jeetika Malik	0.66	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Kunxiaojia (Tammy) Yuan	0.66	EESA \| CESD \| Earth System Sciences
C. Anna Spurlock	0.65	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept

Example Priorities:

Develop new adaptive, intelligent, secure waveforms that are responsive to contested operating environments.
Develop and prototype communication protocols for airborne large-scale networked swarm applications, addressing current research problems in scalability, latency, network organization and sustainable network throughput.
Develop Artificial Intelligence engines to evaluate the spectral conditions present and execute RF communications and spectrum effects to include: Network performance monitoring and anomaly detection.
Develop military real world operational mission scenarios of interest... and perform the desired analysis using multiple M&S tool sets to include AFSIM, CORE, EMANE, Builder, and Matlab...

Specific Technical Skills:

Modeling and Simulation (M&S)Waveform DesignSoftware Defined Radio (SDR)Swarm NetworkingResilient CommunicationsMesh NetworkingAI for Network OptimizationSpectrum ManagementPosition, Navigation, & Timing (PNT)Communication Protocols

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Stijn (Stan) Wielandt	0.70	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept
John Wu	0.69	CSA \| Scientific Networking (ESNET) \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Vinay Sawal	0.68	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Sean Peisert	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Alexander Sim	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Alp Sipahigil	0.67	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics
Sunhee Baik	0.67	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Energy Markets & Policy
Anand Krishnan Prakash	0.67	ETA \| Building Technology & Urban Systems \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Zachary Needell	0.67	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept
Shawn Tornga	0.67	LD \| LD \| ONHS

Potential LBNL PIs (Overall)

Note on PI Matching: These suggestions are generated through an AI-driven semantic analysis of LBNL staff profiles.

Name	Score	Organization
Talita Perciano Costa Leite	0.75	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research · AI / Machine Learning
Prabal Dutta	0.75	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys. \| Bldg Technologies Dept · Advanced Sensor Technologies
Bruce Mah	0.74	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Communication Systems M&S
Anna Giannakou	0.74	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Human-Machine Teaming
Victor Negut	0.73	PSA \| NSD \| ANP · Multi-Sensor Data Fusion
Dipak Ghosal	0.73	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Resilient Communications & Networking
Claire Tomlin	0.73	BSA \| Biological Systems & Engineering \| Department of BioEngineering and BioMedical Sciences · Autonomous Interceptor Systems
Alexandre Bayen	0.72	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Electronic Warfare & Cyber Operations
Edward Nichols	0.72	EESA \| EG \| Geophysics Dept · Waveform Design & Analysis
Arpit Gupta	0.72	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · AI-Driven Spectrum Management

Fundamental Research Exemption (FRE)

As of the date of publication of this BAA, the Government cannot identify whether work proposed under this BAA may be considered fundamental research and may award both fundamental and non-fundamental research. Proposers should indicate in their proposal whether they believe the scope of the research included in their proposal is fundamental or not. While proposers should clearly explain the intended results of their research, the Government shall have sole discretion to select award instrument type and to negotiate all instrument terms and conditions with selectees. Appropriate clauses will be included in resultant awards for non-fundamental research to prescribe publication requirements and other restrictions, as appropriate.