USAF is seeking out small businesses for F-22 upgrades

The US Air Force is looking to small businesses to offer potential upgrades to its fleet of F-22 Raptors.

According to a LinkedIn post by Afwerx, which is run by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the service is looking for 14 potential upgrades the F-22.

The announcement said: “Have you ever wished to work directly with a Program Office that historically has a $800M+ yearly RDT&E and Procurement budget? Through the SBIR 22.1 Direct to Phase II solicitation, the F-22 Program Office is looking for key technology areas to enable capabilities to the Warfighter faster. Review the attached Focus Areas that outline what the F-22 Program office is looking for.”

Deputy chief of F-22 requirements, Eric Wallace, will be the technical POC (proof of concept) and will help identify if companies are a good fit for the F-22 programme. Potential companies are advised to review submission instruction here, with the deadline for proposals on 10^th February.

Here is a breakdown of the upgrades USAF is looking for:

• Integrating the Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display/weapon cuing system
• A long-range infrared search-and-track sensor
• Manned-unmanned teaming
• Pilot-assisted autonomy
• A GPS-alternative navigation system
• Simulation of “red air” threats
• Algorithms for “optimized intercepts”
• Combat identification of threats
• Cyber intrusion detection and prevention
• Predictive maintenance
• Synthetic data generation
• Sensor fusion
• Improved sensing
• Real-time debriefing

Lockheed Martin was recently awarded a $10.9bn contract to modernise the F-22. This contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment (ARES), includes modernisation hardware kit procurement and services such as upgrades, enhancements and fixes, as well as performance-based logistics services.

The work will be carried out at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. If all options are utilised, work is expected to be completed by 31st October 2031.

USAF had originally planned to buy 750 F-22s. In 2009, the programme was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, delays in competitor Russian and Chinese fighter programmes, a ban on exports and development of the more versatile F-35. The last F-22 was delivered by Lockheed Martin in 2012.

www.af.mil