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USAF Looks for Long-Range Communications Drones Deployable from AFSOC Fixed Wing Platforms
The U.S. Air Force is seeking industry proposals for a long-range, air-launched communications-relay drone deployable from Air Force Special Operations Command fixed-wing aircraft. The desired system would be autonomous, expendable, and mature enough for demonstration, extending resilient links and potentially supporting sensing in contested areas where conventional communications are degraded. The commercial-solutions notice identifies an operational need but does not announce a selected design, contract, or fielded capability. Vendor responses and testing will determine whether available small unmanned aircraft can meet range, launch, networking, survivability, and integration requirements.