SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Darkhive Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for two SBIR Phase II, one Direst-to-Phase II, and one STTR Phase II contracts in the total amount of $4,997,007 focused on resilient, low-cost, autonomous drone swarming technologies to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on the 25th of September 2023, Darkhive will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
About Darkhive
Founded in 2021, Darkhive has placed an emphasis on developing affordable, US-manufactured uncrewed systems with open hardware and software interfaces to provide life-saving situational awareness at home and abroad. Darkhive has previously been awarded a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research IDIQ with AFWERX Autonomy Prime, an RDT&E contract with the OUSD RE, and an OTA contract with the Defense Innovation Unit National Security Innovation Capital.
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
SOURCE Darkhive
