Airrow, Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of $74,616.00 focused on Airrow’s Autonomous Dronehub 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 May, 14, 2024, Airrow will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
“Recent world events have highlighted the importance of drones, but also the high cost paid by the daring and skilled pilots who have become high value targets,” said Airrow’s CEO David Kaye. “Airrow’s Autonomous Drone Station addresses this directly by automating ground operations, and enabling robotic systems to do the perilous work done manually on the battlefield. The Dronehub is an asymmetrical force-multiplier, enabling persistent missions, enhancing situational awareness, and increasing a commander’s ability to deploy drone assets, including swarms.”
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 12,500 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.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability.
About Airrow
Airrow has developed and field-tested an autonomous drone station, enabling autonomous drone ground operations. Airrow’s station is able to swap both batteries and payloads, and is agnostic and able to integrate with nearly any drone, sensor, or payload. Our goal is to enable safe, persistent and efficient drone operations.
