Q: What specific NDAA compliance requirements apply to counter-UAS systems?
NDAA Section 848 prohibits DOD procurement of drones and components from covered foreign entities (primarily Chinese manufacturers like DJI, Autel). NDAA Section 889 extends to telecommunications components within the drone system (modems, radios, processors from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, Dahua). Contractors must provide supply chain traceability to component level, demonstrate domestic or allied sourcing, and maintain compliance documentation for audit. Non-compliance disqualifies bids regardless of technical superiority.
Q: How can contractors position for follow-on production contracts?
Monitor Army counter-UAS program offices (PM Force Protection, C-UAS Cross-Functional Team) for sources sought notices and RFI releases in Q2-Q3 2025. Establish OTA consortium membership (e.g., National Armaments Consortium, SOFWERX) to access non-FAR-based rapid acquisition opportunities. Develop teaming relationships with Perennial Autonomy or competing prime contractors for subcontracting roles. Ensure ITAR registration and CAGE code activation are current, as production awards will require immediate contract execution capability.
Definitions
- NDAA Section 848: National Defense Authorization Act provision prohibiting DOD procurement of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and components from covered foreign entities, primarily targeting Chinese drone manufacturers and their supply chains.
- Other Transaction Authority (OTA): Non-FAR-based contracting mechanism enabling rapid prototype development and production without traditional procurement regulations, frequently used for emerging technology acquisition.
- Counter-UAS (C-UAS): Technologies and systems designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralize hostile unmanned aircraft systems through kinetic (physical interception) or non-kinetic (electronic warfare, jamming) means.
- Global Response Force (GRF): U.S. Army rapid deployment units maintained at high readiness for immediate worldwide crisis response, serving as operational test beds for emerging technologies requiring accelerated fielding.
- FPV (First-Person View): Drone control method using real-time video transmission to operator, enabling precision maneuvering for interception missions; in this context, refers to the interceptor's guidance system.
- DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement): DOD-specific procurement regulations supplementing FAR, including supply chain security requirements, domestic preference rules, and cybersecurity standards.
Intelligence Response
Cabrillo Signals War Room detected this contract award within hours of Pentagon announcement, automatically classifying it as a MEDIUM-severity event based on rapid acquisition authority usage, NDAA compliance emphasis, and counter-UAS market segment activation. The platform cross-referenced the award against 847 active opportunity pipelines, identifying 23 contractors with overlapping NAICS codes and counter-drone capabilities who should immediately reassess competitive positioning.
Cabrillo Signals Match Engine automatically rescored 156 open opportunities in the counter-UAS and unmanned systems segments, adjusting probability weights for NDAA-compliant vendors (+12-18% score increase) and flagging 34 opportunities where non-compliant supply chains create disqualification risk. The Match Engine identified three upcoming Army solicitations (expected Q2 2025) with similar technical requirements and rapid acquisition language, prioritizing them for capture team assignment.
Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub activated saved searches for "counter-UAS," "NDAA Section 848," "Other Transaction Authority," and "Global Response Force" across SAM.gov, FedBizOpps archives, and agency forecast databases. The Hub is now tracking PM Force Protection and C-UAS Cross-Functional Team procurement forecasts, alerting when follow-on production solicitations or sources sought notices appear. Contractors should configure alerts for NAICS 336411/336413/334511 combined with "rapid acquisition" and "drone interceptor" keywords.
Systems to Configure:
- War Room: Set alert threshold to HIGH for any counter-UAS awards >$1M or OTA vehicles in drone defense; configure daily digest for Army rapid acquisition announcements.
- Match Engine: Rescore all opportunities tagged "unmanned systems" or "force protection" with updated NDAA compliance weighting; flag opportunities requiring supply chain audits.
- Intelligence Hub: Activate saved searches for "Bumblebee," "Perennial Autonomy," "PM Force Protection," and "C-UAS CFT" to track program evolution and teaming opportunities.
- Proposal Studio: Update compliance matrix templates with NDAA 848/889 requirements; add counter-UAS win themes emphasizing domestic sourcing and rapid fielding capability.
Notification Chain: