What US defense is buying this week.

Opportunities

PrizeUncrewed SystemsSensors & ISR

DIU prize: mature medium- or long-endurance ISR aircraft, then a fly-off

Defense Innovation Unit’s LC-ISR prize challenge wants inexpensive aerial ISR that can collect and send multi-int data over land, littoral, and maritime areas without leaning on vulnerable airfields.

Official notice(opens in a new tab)

Facts

Agency / office
DIU
Program
DIU Low Cost ISR (LC-ISR)
Award
$100M prize and initial follow-on pool; fly-off 1 success prize $250K; fly-off 2 success prize $50K
Deadline
Due Oct 14, 11:59 PM ET
Eligibility
U.S. and Non-U.S. Firms
Format
Pitch Deck, 15 Slides, PDF

What they’re asking for

The Department of War seeks medium-endurance (3–12+ hours) or long-endurance (12–24+ hours) UAS or other platforms that collect and transmit multi-int sensor data for real-time operational and targeting decisions. Primary attributes named on the DIU page: rugged/weather performance, expeditionary launch and recovery with little fixed infrastructure, payload SWaP for decision-quality data (EO/IR, SAR, SIGINT called out as examples), and lowest total lifecycle cost, including ISR-as-a-service or other models. For the fly-off, vendors provide the aircraft and representative sensor payloads. Mission scenarios cover ISR tasks against static and mobile surface targets. U.S. and non-U.S. firms may submit, alone or on a team.

How to respond

A horizontal 16:9 widescreen PDF pitch deck, maximum 15 slides, plus a ROM, through DIU’s LC-ISR submit-solution page (PROJ00711) by 14 Oct 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Distinguish capability today vs. in development vs. future, and say which fly-off and endurance category you are entering.

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