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05/13/22: AFWERX joins AFRL to support AUVSI Xponential 2022 convention focused on autonomy
Between April 25 and April 28, representatives from all divisions of AFWERX attended AUVSI Xponential 2022, an advanced air mobility (AAM) convention that took place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is “the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of uncrewed systems, robotics, and autonomy,” and the organization features professionals from 60+ countries.
05/13/22: Talyn Air Secures a $1.7 million AFWERX TACFI
Talyn Air secured $1.7 million in funds with the AFWERX AFVentures Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program in support of a two-year design/build/fly effort with the Air Force’s Agility Prime program.
05/11/22: Ditto Earns a $950M Phase III
DittoLive receives Air Force contract with a ceiling of $950 million. “I think the Ditto example shows that the DoD’s approach to chasing innovation can work, that the various “werxes” and use of OTA can in fact get capabilities to warfighters in a hurry.”
USAF Agility Prime partner, Beta Technologies, has signed an agreement with LCI for up to 125 of its Alia electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
05/6/22: Public Spend Forum (PSF) Recieved a five-year, $40 million SBIR Phase III
Public Spend Forum (PSF) was awarded a five-year, $40 million, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Phase III SBIR contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide AI-enabled market and supply chain intelligence, data analytics, and related services to Federal Agencies.
04/26/22: ARCTOS Technology Solutions LLC has been Awarded a $62,988,840 SBIR Phase III
ARCTOS Technology Solutions LLC has been awarded a $62,988,840 SBIR Phase III contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory, which will provide the necessary framework to advance structural materials technologies in a rapid and responsive manner, enabled by a flexible data analysis and visualization framework to identify and bridge the gaps between emerging air Force/Space Force needs and industrial base capabilities.
04/26/22: Agility Prime partner, BETA Technologies, earns $375M in Series B Funding
On the heels of a key milestone when two USAF pilots flew the Alia eVTOL aircraft, Beta Technologies has secured $375 million in its latest series B funding round. These funds will allow Beta to advance flight testing, further refining the Alia-250’s electric propulsion systems, and expanding its multimodal charging infrastructure.
4/18/22: New York Times Highlights Agility Prime Partner, BETA Technologies
Read the latest The New York Times article over Agility Prime partner, BETA Technologies.
"[BETA] has $400 million of funding from the government and institutions, including Amazon. [While] it is not alone in trying to bring something like this — what’s known as a vehicle with “electric vertical takeoff and landing” or eVTOL — to market...Beta is alone in focusing on cargo, and is hoping to win F.A.A. approval in 2024. If it succeeds, it believes it will do more than make aviation history.
4/17/22: 60 Minutes Segment Reports on Agility Prime Partners LIFT Aircraft, Wisk Aero, and Joby Aviation
The latest CBS News 60 Minutes segment reported on electric vertical and take off and landing (eVTOLs) vehicles and the Agility Prime partners LIFT Aircraft, Wisk, and Joby Aviation that are leading this innovative development.
Watch as Anderson Cooper 360 visits and flies some of the partner eVTOLs.
4/7/22: Agility Prime Partner, LIFT Aircraft awarded Phase III
Agility Prime Partner, LIFT Aircraft, has been awarded an AFWERX Phase III contract to continue experimentation and flight test efforts around HEXA, LIFT’s all-electric, single-seat eVTOL aircraft.
4/2/22: Agility Prime Partner, Elroy, Under Contract with FedEx
Under a contract with FedEx Express, Elroy Air will have a chance to demonstrate the capabilities of its autonomous rotorcraft by moving shipments between sorting warehouses.
4/1/22: Slingshot Aerospace is Awarded a $25 Million STRATFI Contract
Space Systems Command and SpaceWERX awarded a $25 million STRATFI contract to Slingshot Aerospace to develop a digital replica of the space environment for the U.S. Space Force aimed at quickly delivering training and war gaming capabilities.
3/15/22: First Airman Crewed Flight of an eVTOL
United States Air Force pilots Hank “Hog” Griffiths and Maj. Jonathan Appleby flew BETA Technologies’ electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, ALIA, as the first-ever Airmen to fly an electric aircraft with a military airworthiness.
3/9/22: Blue Force Technologies has Earned a $9M STRATFI award under the AFRL Bandit Program
Through help from a SBIR contract and an AFWERX STRATFI award with a $9 million initial value, Blue Force Technologies will mature a high-performance unmanned air vehicle design that pilots of Air Force fighter aircraft can use to train against, under the AFRL Bandit Program.
LinQuest Corporation has been awarded a task order, with an initial ceiling value of $48 million over a 5-year period of performance, on one of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contracts to support the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Skyborg Vanguard Program.
2/9/22: Electra.aero Inc. has been Awarded a Phase III Contract
Electra.Aero, Inc. has been awarded a Phase III contract through the USAF AFWERX Agility Prime program! With a previous SBIR Direct to Phase II (D2P2) contract also under their belt for the development of their hybrid-electric propulsion system technology, this PIII will accelerate Electra's plan to begin flight testing a full-scale hybrid eSTOL technology demonstrator aircraft later this year.
2/2/22: Red 6 is Awarded a TACFI Contract
Red 6 is awarded a TACFI contract in support of the continued integration of their Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into the T-38 Talon. With ATARS, the U.S. Air Force can train warfighters more effectively and efficiently to win in future conflicts.
1/28/22: Shield AI Awarded a Max AFWERX STRATFI Contract
AFWERX awards Shield AI with STRATFI contract to accelerate the integration of its combat-proven Hivemind™ autonomy software into various military and commercial platforms.
The capabilities achieved via this STRATFI effort provide the Air Force and other services the ability to employ teams of highly intelligent UAS to operate in highly contested domains. Additionally, Shield AI will start integration of Hivemind™ onto Beta Technologies' ALIA, a commercial eVTOL aircraft and Air Force Agility Prime platform.
Elroy, AFWERX Agility Prime program partner, unveils a pre-production version of their autonomous, hybrid eVTOL cargo drone. Dubbed Chaparral, this cargo drone will be capable of addressing pilot shortages, environmental regulations, and existing market demand for same and next-day delivery including to rural communities often left behind.
1/26/22: Mercury Mission Systems Awarded a $165,000,000 SBIR Phase III Contract
Mercury Mission Systems, has been awarded a $165,000,000 SBIR Phase III contract for the F-16 Secure Mission Data System.
1/19/22: ARES Security Awarded a $1.7M AFWERX TACFI Contract
Following successful SBIR projects, ARES Security has been awarded a $1.7M AFWERX TACFI contract to procure and enhance their AVERT Physical Security software. This will provide the USAF with digital engineering technology to improve risk management and increase security effectiveness to support the warfighter and installation mission goals.
12/02/21: Air Force Awards Contract For Spaceborne Weather Data
As part of a recently awarded $19.3M STRATFI contract, meteorological intelligence company Tomorrow.io will provide the Aerospace Management Systems Division, headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, with three-dimensional global weather and ocean data.
11/22/21: Blue Canyon Earns A $14.6m Phase III
After the success of a previous AFWERX SBIR award, Blue Canyon Technologies lands a $14.6M Phase III contract to produce a small inspector satellite for operations beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit.
11/19/21:RaiderWERX, a New Spark Cell at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Bases across the Air Force are installing Airmen innovation cells, like the RaiderWERX at Ellsworth AFB, which provides airmen with the opportunity to apply their experience in the field to solving problems faced by the DoD with the help of the surrounding community.
11/17/21: Vayu Aerospace Corporation Advances to a Phase III
Alpine 4 subsidiary, Vayu Aerospace Corporation (Vayu), successfully moves onto Phase III SBIR with the Vayu US-1, an autonomous vehicle for the security of nuclear weapons.
11/17/21: Sustainment Technologies Receives a $1.7m TACFI
Sustainment Technologies awarded a 24 month, $1.7 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract by the US Air Force to take the company's enhanced market research software solution into full-scale production for the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing (SCMW) out of Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
AFRL and the state of Ohio each plan to invest $2.5 million into the project, allowing businesses and researchers to test unmanned aerial vehicles beyond the line of sight.
11/09/21: Dynepic, Inc. has Recieved a Phase III Award
Dynepic, Inc. won the AFWERX Mixed Reality Challenge followed by a series of SBIR Phase 1 and 2 contracts then a multiyear Phase 3 contract supporting AETC’s Maintenance Training Next program.
11/04/21: SpaceWERX Launches Orbital Prime
SpaceWERX, the space-focused Air Force technology incubator, launches “Orbital Prime”, to spur government and private investment in on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (OSAM) technologies.
11/04/21: DOD smooths funding path for entrepreneurs
The Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) transforms how companies interact with DOD by making it easier for entrepreneurs to directly present great ideas and earn new business. So far, the project has helped the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) process applications faster, yielding a 10% increase in volume and garnering 20% more first-time submissions to DOD’s SBIR/STTR programs.
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