DIU Solicits Commercial Solutions for Converting Manned Vehicles Into Autonomous Platforms

The Defense Innovation Unit is asking vendors to propose commercial technologies capable of turning manned vehicles into autonomous systems. 

In a solicitation, DIU said it seeks networking and communications systems, autonomy critical hardware, graphical user interfaces for vehicle command and control, teleoperation enhancements, and autonomous navigation software, among other commercial solutions.

The products should be compatible with the Army’s Palletized Load System and can be adapted to other vehicles within the Department of Defense’s fleet, including tactical wheeled vehicles, DefenseScoop reported. Solutions should be based on open architecture standards and be capable of supporting convoy operations, waypoint navigation and teleoperations.

The effort is under the Ground Expeditionary Autonomy Retrofit System program. According to DIU, the DOD’s existing fleet of manned military vehicles for logistics operations poses an unnecessary risk to warfighters and limits operational tactics. Having autonomous vehicles will speed up the delivery of supplies, help sustain operations and maintain the safety of troops, DIU said in the notice.

The DIU will award prototype other transaction agreements, which may result in a follow-on production contract. Selected vendors will be required to turn up to six human-operated vehicles into autonomous platforms within 12 months following the contract award.

Interested parties must submit responses to the solicitation by June 13.