Air Force solicits ideas for over 1,000-mile range weapon from industry

Editor’s Note: This article by Cristina Stassis was originally published by the Air Force Times.

The U.S. Air Force is seeking the next generation of a long-range weapon with the capability to reach a minimum of 1,000 nautical miles in an Industry Day hosted by the service.

For two days in late August, the Industry Day is slated to accommodate traditional and nontraditional vendors who are interested in providing the Air Force with the weapon that has both an air-to-air and air-to-surface variant, according to an Air Force Materiel Command notice posted Wedesday.

“This two-day engagement will provide a comprehensive overview of the [Air Force Long Range Weapon, or AFLRW] purpose, performance requirements, and fielding timeline with the goal of soliciting industry feedback on potential solutions for the A/A and A/S variants,” the announcement reads.

The notice details that the force is looking for a weapon that can reach over 1,000 nautical miles and be able to strike air-to-air and air-to-surface targets in what the service calls Defense Planning Scenario 2.1 and 7.1.

The release did not give details into the scenarios specifically since they are classified Defense Department wargaming and strategic models.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the office hosting the Industry Day, might select multiple vendors for the variants’ initial production rounds, with the latter needing to comply with Weapons Open Systems Architecture and Government Reference Architecture requirements, according to the announcement.

In “priority order,” the Air Force is requesting All-up-round Solutions and Weapon System Integrator Solutions.

For the All-up-round Solutions, the force is asking for companies to deliver them with a vertically integrated missile system that manages subsystem design and manufacturing for the weapon’s air-to-air and air-to-surface variants compliant with WOSA and GRA.

The Weapon System Integrator Solutions, which acts as the “master integrator” like the notice says, is responsible for assimilating varied subsystems into the physical missile shell, while maintaining WOSA compliance, integrating GRA and running the “digital twin environment.”

The solution is also meant to input government-directed and third-party modular components into the all-up round to meet the objectives at the cost agreed upon.

The event will be hosted at the Guided Weapons Evaluation Facility on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on Aug. 25 and 26. Industry partners that wish to participate in the event must express their intent by July 24, according to the notice.

After Industry Day, the Air Force Air Dominance Division, Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command will request one-on-one meetings with industry partners throughout October and November to discuss the vendor’s ideas.

Feature Image: The Air Force, Army and Navy coordinated to launch a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a rapid infiltration mission for Red Flag-Alaska 18-1 in May, 2018, at Fort Greely, Alaska. (Photo by Senior Airman Isaac Johnson/U.S. Air Force)

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