Request for Information (RFI) Regarding a Proposed Acquisition Framework for USAFE-AFAFRICA Command and Control (C2), Sensor, and Effector Modernization

1. Background

United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA), as the air component for both EUCOM and AFRICOM, directs air operations across three continents. The command's mission is to defend vital U.S. interests by projecting combat-ready airpower. This requires agile and technologically superior capabilities to maintain a decisive advantage in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

To meet this need, USAFE-AFAFRICA is exploring a new acquisition framework designed to rapidly identify, evaluate, and field mission-critical technologies from a diverse range of industry partners. This RFI seeks industry feedback on the viability and attractiveness of this proposed framework.

2. Description of Proposed Acquisition Framework

The Government is considering an acquisition framework founded on speed, flexibility, and technical merit. This approach would move away from procuring monolithic "suites" and towards an open-architecture, "building block" model for the following capability pools:

Command and Control (C2): Flexible, open-architecture software; JADC2 data fabric integration.
Sensors: Cameras, radars, RF sensors; Automated Target Recognition (ATR); Edge Computing.
Effectors: Directed Energy (DE) systems; Counter-UAS; Kinetic and Non-Kinetic solutions.

The proposed framework would be structured around three pillars:

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): A competitive, merit-based process where industry proposes innovative solutions to operational problems published in a broad Area of Interest (AOI).
Dual-Award Pathway: The flexibility to award either a FAR Part 12 Contract for ready-made commercial items or an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Agreement for rapid prototypes. This is intended to engage both traditional and non-traditional vendors.
Rapid Evaluation & Award Sprint: A "front-loaded" administrative process designed to enable a 3-5 day evaluation-to-award timeline following live vendor pitches.

Key technical requirements...