ONHS Report: FA8750-26-S-7004

Alternate Access for Cyber Applications: Exodus

Solicitation ID: FA8750-26-S-7004

Agency: AFRL/Information & Spectrum Warfare Directorate

Type: Presolicitation

Deadline: 2031-06-30T18:00:00 ET

Eligibility: Maybe (Dual Approval Required)

Funding: Total funding of approximately $999M. Individual awards will normally range from $10M to $50M, with a potential for awards up to $99.99M.

Doc Type: BAA

Clearance: TS/SCI

Program Manager: Thomas Parisi

Last Updated: 2026-07-15 16:05

Analyzed File: 26-04 synopsis v5.pdf

Eligibility Reasoning

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) ... cannot propose to this BAA (or ARA) in any capacity unless they meet the following conditions: a. FFRDCs: 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... This information is required for FFRDCs proposing to be prime contractors or sub-awardees... FFRDC and Government entity eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

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

Summary

The Department of the Air Force, through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is soliciting proposals for the 'Alternate Access for Cyber Applications: Exodus' program (ARA #FA8750-26-S-7004). This initiative aims to develop offensive cyberspace operations (OCO) alternate access cyber capability prototypes for use in disconnected and contested environments, supporting Long Range Kill Chains (LRKC). The focus is on creating cyber platforms and weaponry that enable Special Operations Forces (SOF) to access adversary infrastructure not reachable by traditional means. Key technology areas of interest include capabilities for last-mile operations, command and control, effects delivery, predictive analysis, cross-domain operations, intelligence gathering, stealth, and persistence. The program has a total estimated funding of $999M, with multiple individual awards anticipated, typically ranging from $10M to $50M over periods up to 60 months. This is a two-step announcement, requiring initial white paper submissions, with formal proposals accepted by invitation only. White papers are accepted until September 30, 2030. The program is generally closed to foreign participation and awards may be structured as FAR-based contracts or Other Transactions (OTs).

Overall Technical Areas

Offensive Cyberspace OperationsAlternate Access CapabilitiesCyber Weaponry DevelopmentDisconnected Command and ControlCyber Effects CapabilitiesPredictive AnalysisCross-Domain Cyber EffectsCyber Intelligence GatheringAutomated Data AnalyticsStealth & Persistence TechniquesHigh Assurance ArchitecturesAdvanced Endpoint MonitoringNetwork Automation & Deception

Probable LBNL Areas

CSAESAETA

Focus Areas

Example Priorities:

develop offensive cyberspace operations (OCO) alternate access cyber capability prototypes in support of Long Range Kill Chains (LRKC)
facilitate gaining adversary infrastructure access that would otherwise not be possible through traditional cyber capabilities
facilitation of last mile cyber operations conducted in disconnected and/or contested environments
cross domain capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments

Specific Technical Skills:

Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO)Vulnerability ResearchExploit DevelopmentReverse EngineeringEmbedded SystemsRF EngineeringTactical NetworkingCross-Domain SolutionsDisconnected Operations

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Christopher Tracy	0.70	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Michael Dopheide	0.68	CSA \| ESNET \| Security
Steven Hofmeyr	0.68	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Zhi Yao	0.68	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics
Chris Anderson	0.68	ESA \| MSD \| Center for X-Ray Optics
Bruce Mah	0.68	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Daniel Gerber	0.67	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys. \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Zhi Jackie Yao	0.67	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics
Sung-Joo Yoo	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Eric Pouyoul	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement

Example Priorities:

command and control capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
intelligence gathering capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
intelligence processing capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
predictive analysis capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
planning based utilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments

Specific Technical Skills:

C2 Systems ArchitectureTactical Data LinksEdge ComputingAutomated Data AnalyticsPredictive AnalyticsMission Planning SystemsSignals Intelligence (SIGINT)Data FusionNetwork Automation

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Venkatesh Akella	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Christopher Tracy	0.70	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Dipak Ghosal	0.69	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Eric Pouyoul	0.69	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Alexander Sim	0.69	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Research
Anna Giannakou	0.69	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Sung-Joo Yoo	0.69	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Dale Carder	0.68	CSA \| ESNET \| Networking Services
Bin Dong	0.68	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Christoph Kirst	0.68	CSA \| SciData \| Data & Computational Science

Example Priorities:

This includes both cyber platforms and cyber weaponry.
stealth delivery capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
stealth and persistence capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
effects based capabilities for the facilitation of cyber operations in disconnected and/or contested environments
The disruption and degradation of malicious cyber actors within disconnected and/or contested areas of operations will be achieved through forward deployed state-of-the-art OCO alternate access capabilities

Specific Technical Skills:

Malware DevelopmentRootkit DevelopmentCode ObfuscationCovert ChannelsPayload Delivery MechanismsPost-Exploitation FrameworksDigital Forensics EvasionNetwork DeceptionFirmware Analysis

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Steven Hofmeyr	0.68	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Michael Dopheide	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Security
Jason Lowe-Power	0.66	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Angelos Ioannou	0.66	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Lavanya Ramakrishnan	0.66	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Scott Beamer	0.66	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Amir Kamil	0.66	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Cary Whitney	0.65	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department
Arpit Gupta	0.65	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Nirmalendu Patra	0.65	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science

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
Jason Lowe-Power	0.75	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · High Assurance Architectures
Venkatesh Akella	0.74	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · High Assurance Architectures
Anna Giannakou	0.74	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Automated Data Analytics
Alexandre Bayen	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Cross-Domain Cyber Effects
Steven Hofmeyr	0.73	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science · Cyber Weaponry Development
Tiffany Connors	0.73	CSA \| NERSC \| Data Center Department · Cyber Intelligence Gathering
Marta Gonzalez	0.72	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Predictive Analysis
Abdelilah Essiari	0.72	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications · Stealth & Persistence Techniques
Arpit Gupta	0.72	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Alternate Access Capabilities
Dipak Ghosal	0.72	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement · Disconnected Command and Control

Fundamental Research Exemption (FRE)

As of the date of publication of this ARA, the Government does not anticipate work proposed under this ARA to be considered fundamental research.