Air Force launches program for resilient intelligence platforms
Gettyimages.com/ Yaroslav Kushta
By
Nick Wakeman
The RAPID program will use traditional and other transaction authority contracts to develop cloud-based tools that can combine multiple intelligence sources with automation and cyber defense tools.
The Air Force is laying the groundwork for a multiple-award program to develop what it is calling “resilient analytic platforms for intelligence delivery.”
An advanced research announcement for RAPID was published Wednesday, where the Air Force Research Laboratory describes a program that will use traditional contracts as well as other transaction authority mechanisms to develop cloud-based intelligence platforms.
The Air Force wants to combine multiple types of intelligence such as geospatial, signal and human into common dashboards. The branch also wants automated workflows and cyber resilience.
The goal is to reduce the time from data collection to actionable intelligence as well as integrating diverse sensor and intelligence data.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning that can automate some tasks and improve extraction of information and correlation of data also is key in this effort.
“The aim is to enable access to data, knowledge-based information, and model-based inference engines to meet operational needs and mission objectives,” the Air Force wrote in its announcement.
RAPID has funding of $237 million over five years and the Air Force Research Lab expects awards to range from $10 million to $50 million, though they could go up to $99 million if needed.
Types of awards will vary. Some awards may be traditional FAR contracts, but OT awards for research and prototypes are expected as well.
The Air Force Research Lab will determine the type of contract on the nature of the work, bidder qualifications, cost sharing arrangements and through negotiations.
This announcement builds on previous programs the Air Force has run in the past, but this time it is broadening the range of intelligence disciplines and adding more cyber defense.
The lab will follow a two-step process to pick winners. In the first step, the Air Force will review white papers and then will invite proposals for step two.
The Air Force will accept submissions over the next three years. The first deadline is Feb. 25, followed by Sept. 30.
Submissions are expected to be due every year after that: Sept. 30, 2027; Sept. 30, 2028; and Sept. 30, 2029.