DON26BZ01-NV008 TITLE: Automated Expeditionary Airfield Assembly
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Human-Machine Interfaces;Sustainment;Trusted AI and Autonomy
PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)
The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.
OBJECTIVE: Research, develop, and evaluate robotic system methodologies for automating or augmenting the assembly of Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) matting to enhance operational efficiency.
DESCRIPTION: EAFs serve as vital shore-based aviation support systems that enable the rapid deployment and recovery of military aircraft in environments lacking established infrastructure. Currently, assembling EAF matting is a manual process carried out by Marines—a task that is physically demanding, labor-intensive, and exposes personnel to potential hazards.
Developing a robotic system capable of assisting with or fully automating this assembly process would offer significant operational benefits: increasing efficiency, reducing risk to personnel, and enabling Marines to focus on higher-priority mission objectives. The level of autonomy should allow for the robots to navigate and control without human assistance, which includes obstacle avoidance, path planning, and grasping. Such a solution would improve overall force readiness and effectiveness in austere and time-critical operational scenarios.
The approach includes defining and developing a viable system concept, while investigating various robotic configurations—such as mobile manipulators and assistive technologies—for their effectiveness in EAF mat handling, alignment, and interconnection across diverse and austere terrains.
The research will evaluate the proposed system's capacity to:
• Traverse and operate on uneven or unstable surfaces
• Manipulate and position heavy EAF mat sections with precision
• Endure harsh environmental and operational conditions
• Integrate seamlessly with current EAF deployment procedures
Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVAIR to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
PHASE I: Demonstrate the technical feasibility of a robotic system capable of automating or augmenting the assembly of EAF prefabricated surfaced aluminum (PSA) Flat Top-Nested (Top-N) Trackway mats.
This research will lay the groundwork for future development of a deployable robotic solution, enhancing safety, speed, and efficiency in EAF setup operations.
Focus on designing and modeling key system components to evaluate performance across critical metrics, including payload capacity, reach, manipulation precision, power consumption, and operational endurance. Under the Phase I Option, if exercised, simulations will be conducted to assess system behavior in representative virtual EAF deployment environments and to identify key technical risks and milestones. The Phase I effort will culminate in a comprehensive final report detailing the proposed system architecture, design specifications, and simulation-based performance evaluations, along with a clearly defined Phase II roadmap for prototype development, field testing, and integration planning.
The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.
PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a functional prototype of the robotic system for automated or semi-automated assembly of EAF mats. Refine the selected robotic system concept and fabricate a fully functional prototype incorporating the chosen locomotion system, end-effectors, sensors, and control architecture.
Rigorous testing will be conducted in both laboratory and field settings, culminating in a demonstration of the prototype's capabilities in a representative EAF deployment scenario. Testing data and operator feedback will be used to refine the prototype's design and functionality.
Finally, a comprehensive transition plan will be developed, outlining the steps required to move the robotic system towards technology demonstration and eventual deployment, ultimately enhancing the capabilities and effectiveness of expeditionary forces.
The robot shall be able to handle the PSA mats in some manner to aid in the assemble of the airfield, be a closed system, and able be able to operate in a realistic environment.
The system will be judged on feasibility, time to assemble, ease of use, and overall size and mass.
Deliverables include a prototype; the open interface specification; software design documents; the uncompiled, human-readable source code; associated comments and documentation; and any tuned parameters and weights; schematics of the robot.
Work in Phase II may become classified. Please see note in the Description section.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Leverage Phase II findings to develop a robust and deployable robotic system for EAF mat assembly, optimized for real-world operational scenarios. Refine the design and engineering of the locomotion system, end-effectors, sensors, deployment mechanisms, power and charging strategies, and control architecture using collected test date and operator feedback.
Crucially, the system will undergo hardening against electrical, environmental, and cyber threats. The resulting system must demonstrate sustained operation in deployed environments, achieving significant reductions in manning requirements, operational costs, and/or deployment time. Conduct rigorous field testing that culminates in a full-scale demonstration of EAF deployment, showcasing the system's deployment method and power management capabilities.
Collected test data and operator feedback will drive further system refinement and optimization of operational use cases. Evaluation criteria will include feasibility, assembly time, deployment method efficiency, power solution effectiveness, ease of use, and overall size and mass. Deliverables include a full-scale EAF assembly demonstration, open interface specifications, software design documents, uncompiled and documented source code, tuned parameters and weights, robot schematics, and a comprehensive deployment and delivery plan.
The technology developed for this SBIR topic will have dual use in construction allowing for the rapid deployment of flooring and laying of other interlocking material. Other technologies, such as the development of man-unmanned teaming, perception modeling, and enhanced understanding of unobservable environmental conditions, will drive advancements in robotics, computer vision, and autonomy, with broad implications across multiple domains.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: Robotics; Artificial Intelligence; AI; Navigation; Manipulation; Automation; Navigation
TPOC:
NAVAIR SBIR/STTR POC
navair-sbir@us.navy.mil
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoW FY-26 Release 1 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoW Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoW issued its Navy FY-26 Release 1 SBIR Topics pre-release on April 13, 2026 which opens to receive proposals on May 6, 2026, and closes June 3, 2026 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (April 13, through May 5, 2026) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoW begins accepting proposals on May 6, 2026 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until May 20, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoW On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing. DoW Topics Search Tool: Visit the DoW Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoW Components participating in this BAA.
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