USAF Awards Contract to Essential Aero to Help Advance and Automate Air Base Operations

Rocklin, CA, October 23, 2024 --(PR.com)-- Essential Aero announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II contract focused on use of autonomy and AI to mitigate foreign object debris (FOD) on the flightline and 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 March 12, 2024 Essential Aero 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.

About Essential Aero
Essential Aero automates air-side operations using autonomous vehicles, computer vision, and AI. Essential Aero is experienced in both airport and air carrier operations and is trusted to deliver a solution that will meet your safety expectations and those of your regulators, FAA or otherwise. Customers include FAA, USAF, and EU airports. For more information, visit essentialaero.com.

About 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. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

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 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

Company Press Contact:
Steve Boyle
CEO, Founder at Essential Aero
info@essentialaero.com