A2RM Design Challenge

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Updated 05 August 2025

Air-to-Air Refueling Mechanism (A2RM) Digital Design Challenge #tacticaltanking #PlatformAgnosticPetrol #BoomBuddyTanking #AutonomousAerialRefueling

BLUF

NOTE: This is an update to the original call posted 14 February 2024. Verbiage has been added to emphasize that there is no mandated timeline for proposal issuance following Spiral 2 or Showcase. The contact information was also updated to remove a specific point of contact and refer interested parties to the Contact Information section on SAM.gov. These changes can be found in bullet points 13 and 14 of the Government Contracting Terms and Conditions section.
The United States Air Force (USAF) seeks in-flight, platform agnostic fuel transfer hardware technology that can provide fuel to both receptacle and probe equipped receivers. The USAF is interested in any and all capabilities that can achieve the desired outcome of enabling Department of Defense (DoD) and joint coalition aircraft the ability to transfer fuel from legacy and future aircraft to legacy and future tactical aircraft. Initial scoping for design considerations should focus on a preliminary use for the F-15.

OVERVIEW

The USAF aims to leverage recent technological advancements in automated aerial refueling to modernize fuel transfer systems for smaller, more flexible refueling capabilities. These new systems will enable the USAF to perform tactical refueling missions akin to the United States Navy’s (USN) buddy tanking, enable automated aerial refueling capabilities, and provide flexibility for mission planners & joint strike packages, to name a few. This AFWERX Challenge seeks an in-flight, extendible, modular, and stowable air refueling apparatus that is capable of a boom/receptacle refueling (at a minimum), with a desire for dual boom/receptacle and probe/drogue refueling. The subsystem is intended to remain as platform agnostic as possible. The capability is primarily intended to refuel medium to small “fighter” sized aircraft. The USAF looks to acquire digital designs for feasibility and cost studies and/or experimentation, as well as developed solutions. In either case, the USAF is interested in understanding all underlying designs and technologies upon which the solution relies; to include fuel transfer mechanism hardware, relative navigation sensors, and autonomy.

OBJECTIVES

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FA228023SC0001 0005

Updated 05 August 2025

There are two objectives of the Air-to-Air Refueling Mechanism Design Challenge: