Is the U.S. Air Force actually buying counter-drone radars right now?

Not yet. The notice is a Request for Information (RFI) — a market survey to identify available solutions. It does not constitute a formal solicitation or contract award. A procurement process has not been launched at this stage.

What are the key specs the Air Force is looking for in a C-UAS radar?

The system must use an X-band pulse-Doppler radar with 360-degree coverage, detect a 1.4 kg drone at a minimum range of two miles, include track-while-scan capability, weigh no more than 75 lbs for the radome assembly, and support remote operation from an indoor environment.

Where can vendors respond to this Air Force RFI?

The RFI is published on SAM.gov, the U.S. government's official procurement portal. Interested vendors should visit the site to access the full notice and submission details.

U.S. Air Force Issues RFI for Counter-Drone Radar Systems

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking vendors capable of supplying counter-UAS (C-UAS) radar systems. The notice is a market survey only and does not constitute a formal solicitation. Key requirements include an X-band pulse-Doppler radar with 360-degree coverage, capable of detecting a 1.4 kg drone at a minimum range of two miles.

20 days ago

Highlights

The U.S. Air Force posted a C-UAS radar RFI on SAM.gov as a market survey only; no formal procurement or contract award has been initiated.

The radar must be an X-band pulse-Doppler system providing 360-degree coverage and detecting a 1.4 kg drone at a minimum distance of two miles (approx. 3.2 km).

The radome assembly weight ceiling is 75 lbs (approx. 34 kg), and the system must support track-while-scan and remote indoor operation.

Required software must visualize drone tracks on a map and alert operators when a drone enters a user-defined zone, while also classifying drones versus birds or other objects.

U.S. Air Force Issues RFI for Counter-Drone Radar Systems

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is soliciting information from industry on counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) radar solutions. The notice, published on the government procurement portal SAM.gov, is a market survey intended solely to assess whether qualifying systems exist commercially — no formal request for proposals has been issued at this stage.

Technical Requirements

The Air Force has outlined the following specifications for the required system:

Radar type: X-band pulse-Doppler radar
Coverage: 360-degree azimuthal detection
Detection range: Minimum of two miles (approx. 3.2 km) against a target drone weighing 1.4 kg
Software interface: A web-based application capable of visualizing drone flight tracks on a map and generating alerts when a drone enters a user-defined area
Target classification: Must be able to distinguish drones from birds and other flying objects
Radome assembly: Weight not to exceed 75 lbs (approx. 34 kg)
Scanning capability: Track-while-scan (TWS) functionality required
Remote operation: When deployed outdoors, the system must be operable remotely from an enclosed indoor environment

Background

The RFI has been posted to SAM.gov, where interested vendors can access full details. The current notice is limited to gauging market availability; formal procurement proceedings have not yet begun.

As drone threats grow increasingly sophisticated, the U.S. military has been stepping up investment in C-UAS capabilities. This RFI signals that the Air Force is actively evaluating ground-based radar solutions that offer high-precision detection and classification performance.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

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