ONR - long-endurance, low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system to support distributed maritime operations and sea denial missions
Challenge ended
Description
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is seeking innovative industry participation to prototype a long-endurance, low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system to support distributed maritime operations and sea denial missions. Current long-range UAVs are either too large to deploy flexibly, too expensive to field at scale, or insufficiently adaptable for a range of mission profiles. This effort seeks to deliver a compact, attritable platform capable of persistent operations across contested maritime zones. The envisioned system will contribute to layered maritime defense by extending surveillance, targeting, and communications capabilities into denied or semi-permissive environments. When fielded, this UAV would enable Navy and Joint Forces to more effectively monitor critical sea lanes, support over-the-horizon targeting, and deliver real-time ISR in support of sea denial objectives.
Overall Objective
This prototyping effort aims to develop and validate a UAV platform with the following attributes: • Cost per unit: (T) $75,000 (O) $50,000 (excluding payloads) • Range: (T) 1800 (O) 2400 nautical miles • Payload capacity: (T) 15 (O) 30 lbs • Cruise speed: (T) 70 (O) 120 knots • Dash speed: (T) 110 knots (O) 150 knots • Endurance: Configurable for loiter, sprint, or extended range/duration missions • Max Takeoff Weight: (T) 120 lbs (O) 100 lbs • Deployment: Capable of flexible launch and recovery from distributed locations The solution should enable scalable fielding and support diverse operational needs including maritime domain awareness, ISR, and electronic warfare support.
Problem Statement
Existing UAV platforms present operational limitations in terms of cost, size, and flexibility, reducing their suitability for distributed sea denial missions. Large, complex systems limit deployment options and require significant infrastructure. Their high cost restricts fleet-wide adoption. Most critically, current systems lack the ability to dynamically adapt endurance profiles to match evolving mission demands. These gaps leave U.S. maritime forces with limited options for persistent surveillance and targeting across broad operational theaters.