Air Force Picks Nine Awardees for Potential $400M Skyborg UAV Prototyping Support IDIQ

Nine entities have won spots on a potential $400M contract to develop autonomous elements and support prototyping of the U.S. Air Force's Skyborg unmanned aircraft for experimental purposes.

The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award includes delivery orders for prototype development and experimentation support for the Skyborg Vanguard Program, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

In July, the Air Force awarded a potential $400M contract to Boeing (NYSE: BA), Kratos Defense and Security Solutions’ (Nasdaq: KTOS) unmanned aerial systems business, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) and General Atomics' aeronautical systems arm to produce Skyborg prototypes.

Under the new award, contractors will work to develop and test a suite of autonomous technologies for the unmanned aerial vehicle to support its combat operations with manned teammates.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center received 18 bids for the IDIQ contract through a competitive acquisition process.

Contact work will take place in various U.S. locations through July 2026.

The awardees are: