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Proposal for AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI)

AFWERX · AFWERX TACFI · AFWERX

AI-Readiness Score
13/25
Pathway Speed
4/5
Timeline Realism
3/5
Problem Framing
2/5
AI / ML Fit
1/5
Award + Transition
3/5

Award

$1,700,000
Award ceiling
ELROY AIR INC
Awardee
Posted July 7, 2022

Description

Building on prior SBIR efforts, Elroy Air will focus on operations planning, maintainability, reliability, and mission expansion.  Throughout the contract period we will perform sub-component and sub-system validation activities as well as simulation and physical demonstration of full flight envelope, iron bird utility, and cruise (airborne) missions.   Data collected will be analyzed and integrated into procedures, processes and checklists, and reported upon.  Those reports will result in a Rapid Deployment Plan, Packaging, Handling, Storage & Transportability (PHS&T) Plan, and  development of Maintenance and Sustainment Plans. This work will contribute directly to the ability for Chaparral to transition into USAF use, initially for operational test and evaluation and later as an owned and operated asset.   Meetings and Reviews will be held at the Elroy Air Facility to the maximum extent possible to accommodate maximum Elroy Air Team participation to minimize impact to the TACFI work schedule.

Score Rationale

The TACFI instrument is a legitimately fast-track OT-adjacent vehicle (high score), and the $1.7M ceiling with an explicit USAF OT&E transition pathway earns a mid-tier award/transition score. However, the problem framing is primarily hardware/systems validation — flight envelope testing, maintainability plans, PHS&T documentation, and checklists — with no meaningful AI/ML component articulated; 'data collected will be analyzed' is not an AI problem, it is a logistics and engineering documentation problem, earning the lowest score on AI fit.

Source

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