The Department of War has issued an area-of-interest solicitation for a Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System aimed at improving the storage, launch and recovery of unmanned aerial systems, according to the Defense Innovation Unit.

The initiative, known as CADDS, seeks transportable, containerized systems capable of storing, launching, recovering and refitting multiple unmanned aircraft with minimal human involvement. The department said the systems should support persistent coverage or massed operational effects while reducing crew requirements, increasing operator-to-robot ratios, and enabling rapid setup and relocation.

Preferred designs would automate core UAS functions and support both homogeneous and mixed fleets. The systems must be capable of operating from land or maritime platforms and use flexible power sources. Proposals are expected to align with Modular Open Systems Approach principles, including compatibility with government-directed command architectures and resilient command-and-control capabilities in contested environments.

The department said proposed systems must be demonstrable within 90 days of award.

The solicitation addresses limitations in current UAS deployment models, which rely heavily on human operators. The existing one-to-one operator-to-aircraft approach slows deployment, constrains scale and increases operational risk during both kinetic and non-kinetic missions.

The effort will be executed through the Defense Innovation Unit’s Commercial Solutions Opening using prototype other transaction agreements. The solicitation is open to U.S. and international vendors.

According to the department, successful prototypes could transition directly to follow-on production agreements or contracts without additional competition, potentially enabling broader adoption across the Department of War.

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Pentagon seeks containerized systems for autonomous drone deployment

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