Request for Information: Multi-Source PNT UE

Updated Oct 30, 2026

Presolicitation from the Department of the Air Force, for work in Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Due Nov 16, 2026, 2:00 PM (UTC-7), 17 days left.

Federal prevailing wage rates for this place: New Mexico Davis-Bacon and SCA wage determinations.

Description

Amendment 1: The purpose of this amendment is to change the response date from 16 November 2027 to 16 November 2026. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION MULTI-SOURCE PNT UE 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes (market research). This RFI does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotations (RFQ)) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future.

This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not, at this time, seeking proposals and will not accept any unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI.

All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary.

All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Due to the operational sensitivity of the Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) missions, any future acquisition resulting from this market research will require strict adherence to Department of War (DoW) and Department of Defense (DoD) security, cybersecurity, and supply chain integrity standards. Consequently, while direct responses to this RFI must remain entirely unclassified (reach out to the government contacts below for information on classified submissions), respondents are required to demonstrate their organizational posture regarding facility clearances, information safeguarding, and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supply chain compliance.

For the purposes of this market research, the anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for manufacturing global positioning systems (GPS) and related equipment is 334220 (Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing) with a Small Business Size Standard of $44.0 Million, and the primary Product Service Code (PSC) for Global Positioning Systems (GPS) hardware is 5825 (Radio Navigation Equipment, Except Airborne).

For specialized, airborne GPS or radar navigation, the code is typically 5826. System-level R&D and engineering services for GPS are usually categorized under codes like R425 (Engineering Services) or AC13 (R&D—Defense System: Electronics). 2.0 BACKGROUND With advances in autonomous systems and guided munitions, the force that can best synchronize its activities at a single point in time and space wields a potent strategic advantage.

In the future operating environment, therefore, the Joint Force will increasingly depend on resilient, reliable, and precise position, navigation, and timing (PNT) data to execute combat operations. As such, the Space Force is required to deliver global continuous coverage with stringent civil and military position and timing requirements to assure safety and mission success. This includes at least 88% of the constellation being operationally available more than 98% of the time.

Likewise, a thinking adversary will make focused and deliberate efforts to deny access to this capability, leveraging a growing suite of threats including electromagnetic weapons, cyberspace attacks, and kinetic weapons. The challenge today is that, while satellite navigation (SATNAV) through the Global Positioning System (GPS) is foundational to U.S. military operations, critical infrastructure, and global commerce, the current architecture must adapt to evolving jamming and spoofing threats.

Additionally, the space and ground segments must be modernized and hardened against physical attack. To build readiness for the future operating environment, therefore, the Space Force will pursue a comprehensive navigation warfare (NAVWAR) strategy that emphasizes resilience, technology modernization, modularity, adaptability, and flexibility. Specifically, it will adopt an open hybrid approach to SATNAV architecture that weighs inputs from diverse sources according to user need, generating a more dependable capability that can withstand adversary action while enabling faster upgrade cycles to enable PNT capabilities.

The NAVWAR Objective Force pursues the development and deployment of several key capabilities to advance the SATNAV architecture. One of those elements is User Segment. To make best use of diversified PNT sources, the Space Force will enable a transition to a Multi-Source PNT user equipment (UE) reference architecture that incorporates Modular Open System Architectures (MOSA) and an onboard fusion engine to integrate all available data at the user level.

The key enabler of the NAVWAR Objective Force is continued Joint Force investment in Multi-Source PNT UE that utilizes both traditional and new PNT sources. This equipment is foundational to a user’s ability to devise and execute a NAVWAR PACE (i.e., Primary / Alternate / Contingency / Emergency) Plan in degraded or denied environments. While legacy signals are expected to remain supported for civil and public functions, they are increasingly less effective in the contested environment.

The military-specific M-Code is available today, while the PNT modernization signals are projected to be available by 2035. 3.0 OBJECTIVE, DESIRED CAPABILITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS This Request for Information (RFI) is focused on obtaining access to analytical information on industrial capabilities in Multi-Source PNT UE the NAVWAR Objective Force. Interests include the following: Multi-Source PNT UE for Terrestrial Users on various military platforms Disadvantaged user High value military assets MOSA Signals supported (M-code, CA, commercial), etc Space Service Volume Multi-Source PNT UE (various orbits) Small satellite users Large satellite users MOSA Signals supported (M-code, CA, commercial), etc Interest is

The description continues in the official notice.

Contracting contact

• Hanna Wardell · [email protected] · (505) 846-0946
• LaDonna P. Nivens · [email protected] · (505) 846-1075

As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.

Is your business small enough?

For NAICS 541715, a business counts as small if it has no more than 11 employees (SBA size standard, with exceptions in the notes). This notice is set aside, so only businesses under that size, or in the named program, can bid. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.

Notice history

• Sep 28, 2026: Presolicitation Due Nov 16, 2027, 2:00 PM (UTC-7)

Companies that win this kind of work

Federal contractors paid for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences work, who also hold Air Force contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.

• The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC $1.9 billion in this trade
• Lockheed Martin Corporation $1.8 billion in this trade
• Raytheon Company $1.7 billion in this trade
• The Aerospace Corporation $1.1 billion in this trade
• Booz Allen Hamilton Inc $791.0 million in this trade

About the buyer

The Department of the Air Force awarded $84.5 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were The Boeing Company, The Boeing Company and Raytheon Company. See what Air Force is buying now.

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences contracts right now

There are 278 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 541715), 49 posted in the last 7 days; 32% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Most of the work with a stated place is in Maryland, District of Columbia and New Mexico. A notice in this trade gives a median of 56 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 18 days.

All open research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences contracts

Coming up in this trade

Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.

Recent awards in this trade

• Yale Univ NEW Haven $8.6 million · Department of Veterans Affairs · Oct 29, 2026
• ICF Incorporated, L.L.C. $2.9 million · Environmental Protection Agency · Oct 29, 2026
• UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM Madison WI $1.8 million · Department of the Army · Oct 22, 2026
• The Sherwin-Williams Company $497,806 · Department of the Army · Oct 21, 2026
• Orefine LLC $1.9 million · Department of the Army · Oct 19, 2026

From the award notices agencies publish.

Similar open research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences bids