NAICS 541715 opportunity scan: AFRL JADPACT II Call 01 vs. NRL WISPR sole-source notice vs. NASA Ames High-Rate Mobility RFI

Executive takeaway

All three notices sit under NAICS 541715, but only one reads like an open, competitive R&D opportunity: AFRL’s JADPACT II Call 01 (FA238426SB005). The Navy/NRL item is explicitly a sole-source notice of intent (not a solicitation), and NASA Ames’ High-Rate Mobility is an RFI intended to gather capability inputs rather than award immediately. If you can credibly support human-machine teaming (HMT) concepts for battle management and participate in time-bounded decision-advantage events, prioritize the AFRL call. Treat the NASA RFI as a positioning move. Treat the NRL notice as a “challenge the sole source” pathway only if you have highly relevant developmental experience.

What the buyer is trying to do

AFRL: JADPACT II Call 01 (FA238426SB005)

AFRL is pursuing Human-Machine Teaming concepts that leverage AI/automation to support battle managers. The work is framed around C2 decision advantage, tied to CJADC2 decision-advantage goals, and includes events that support an ABMS transformational battle management model. AFRL emphasizes warfighter involvement and pulling in industry’s cutting-edge approaches that can be adapted to battle manager needs. The notice also references a Multi Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-machine teaming (MASH) event (tentatively scheduled 4–15 May 2026 in Las Vegas) with limited participant capacity and notification planned by 30 March 2026.

NRL: Wide Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (N00173-26-SSN-TJ01)

NRL is posting a FAR/DFARS-required notice of intent to issue a sole-source cost-plus-fixed-fee continuation contract for work supporting coronal tomography and remote diagnosis of the corona using observational data from NRL’s Wide Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR). No solicitation package is planned; the government will consider capability statements from firms that can demonstrate the needed developmental experience, but competition is at the government’s discretion.

NASA Ames: High-Rate Mobility RFI (80ARC026HRM)

NASA Ames is gathering information on planetary surface mobility and navigation concepts to enable robust, high-rate, autonomous mobility for future Moon/Mars surface missions. They’re specifically interested in advances in perception sensors (including rover-capable LIDAR) and high-performance space computing to reduce human oversight and increase traverse pace well beyond today’s “meters per hour” paradigm. NASA is soliciting responses (including via a questionnaire form) and explicitly notes that responders need not provide proprietary or competition-sensitive implementation details.

What work is implied (bullets)

AFRL JADPACT II Call 01

• Develop and adapt AI/automation approaches to support battle managers within command and control decision-making contexts.
• Participate in C2 Decision Advantage Events that support ABMS battle management modeling and learning across approaches.
• Engage with a decision-domain framing (e.g., command, plan, battle management) and align outputs to articulated C2 decisions (model-based decomposition is referenced).
• Support or participate in the MASH sprint event structure (with constraints on space/resources and selection/notification milestones).
• Demonstrate “unique and innovative solutions” against defined technical requirements (verify specifics in the full notice/attachments).

NRL WISPR notice of intent

• Continuation support for coronal tomography and remote diagnosis of the corona using WISPR observational data.
• Submit a capability statement (or proposal) if asserting you can meet the requirement and can show relevant developmental experience (within the notice’s response window).

NASA High-Rate Mobility RFI

• Provide information on mobility system navigation capabilities (existing systems or concepts).
• Address high-rate autonomy enabling elements such as LIDAR-class perception sensors and high-performance space computing for space environments.
• Respond via the provided questionnaire form and optionally additional written input (without proprietary details).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

Bid (or strongly consider engaging)

• AI/automation R&D teams with credible human-machine teaming experience aimed at operational decision support (best aligned to AFRL JADPACT II).
• Firms able to support event-driven demonstrations/sprints and iterate quickly with user (warfighter) involvement (AFRL).
• Planetary autonomy vendors and labs with navigation/perception and space-qualifiable computing concepts looking to shape future NASA requirements (NASA RFI).
• Organizations with demonstrable solar physics / coronal tomography and WISPR-relevant developmental experience that can credibly argue they are a responsible alternative source (NRL capability-statement path).

Pass (or deprioritize)

• Firms seeking an immediate competed award should generally deprioritize the NASA item because it is an RFI (not a solicitation).
• Most firms should deprioritize the NRL item because it is explicitly a sole-source notice of intent with a named intended awardee; engage only if you can document directly relevant developmental experience.
• AFRL JADPACT II may be a pass if you cannot support the implied tempo of decision-advantage events or cannot credibly map your approach to battle management decision contexts.

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say “verify in attachments”)

AFRL JADPACT II Call 01 (FA238426SB005)

• Technical response describing the proposed AI/automation/HMT approach (verify structure and page limits in attachments).
• Description of how your solution supports battle manager decision advantage and aligns to the ABMS transformational decision framing (verify required format in attachments).
• Plan for participation in decision-advantage events / sprint-style activities (verify logistics requirements in attachments).
• Any required representations/certifications (verify in attachments).

NRL WISPR notice of intent (N00173-26-SSN-TJ01)

• Capability statement (or proposal) demonstrating the ability to meet the requirement, with supporting evidence showing relevant developmental experience (verify any formatting constraints in the notice).
• Submission within the notice’s stated response window (verify exact timing language in the notice text).

NASA High-Rate Mobility RFI (80ARC026HRM)

• Completed questionnaire form covering navigation/mobility capabilities (verify in attachments).
• Optional supplemental write-up (avoid proprietary/competition-sensitive implementation details, consistent with the notice).
• Submission by the stated RFI due date/time.

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

• For AFRL JADPACT II, expect evaluation to hinge on technical differentiation and feasibility under an event/sprint cadence. Research pricing by comparing prior internal R&D labor mixes for AI/autonomy prototyping, integration, and event participation support; then stress-test against the schedule implied by decision-advantage events. Use your own historical burn rates for rapid iteration work rather than long-cycle deliverables.
• For the NRL notice of intent, pricing is not the lever—credibility and developmental experience are. If you respond, focus on substantiating capability rather than attempting to undercut price.
• For the NASA RFI, do not over-invest in cost build-ups unless requested; instead, use the response to shape future acquisition language. If you want to be helpful, provide cost drivers at a high level (e.g., sensors, compute, test environments) only if the questionnaire asks for it.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• AFRL JADPACT II: Pair AI/automation developers with teams experienced in operational C2 workflows and event-based demonstration support to cover both algorithmic innovation and battle-management relevance.
• AFRL JADPACT II: Team with groups that can rapidly integrate and iterate solutions for time-boxed “sprint” style events.
• NASA RFI: Combine mobility autonomy software with providers of rover-capable perception sensors (including LIDAR-class sensing) and space-oriented computing capabilities to present a coherent high-rate autonomy concept.
• NRL WISPR: If responding at all, consider teaming only where it strengthens documented developmental experience in coronal tomography and WISPR-like observational data exploitation.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• AFRL JADPACT II: Participation limits due to resource/space constraints and a defined selection notification timeline—plan for the possibility of not being selected for the event even if your concept is strong.
• AFRL JADPACT II: The notice stresses “defined technical requirements”; ensure your approach maps to those specifics (verify in attachments) rather than staying at a generic AI decision-support level.
• NRL WISPR: Not a solicitation; the government may decide not to compete even after receiving capability statements.
• NASA RFI: RFI responses can influence future requirements, but there is no guarantee of a follow-on procurement or of how input will be used.
• All three: NAICS alignment alone is not a fit test—each opportunity targets very different technical domains (battle management AI vs. solar physics data exploitation vs. planetary mobility autonomy).

Related opportunities

• Call 01 - Joint All Domain Persistent Adaptive Collaborative Technologies II (JADPACT II)
• Wide Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe
• High-Rate Mobility Request for Information (RFI)

How to act on this

1. Pick your lane: competitive AFRL R&D (JADPACT II), market-shaping RFI (NASA), or sole-source challenge path (NRL).
2. For AFRL, review the full notice and verify in attachments the technical requirements and required response format; then draft a solution narrative tied to battle management decision advantage and an event participation plan.
3. For NASA, complete the questionnaire with clear capability claims around high-rate autonomy, perception sensing (including LIDAR-class options), and space computing—avoid proprietary detail.
4. For NRL, only submit a capability statement if you can document relevant developmental experience sufficient to be considered an alternative responsible source.

If you want a fast go/no-go recommendation and a response outline tailored to your capabilities, contact Federal Bid Partners LLC for proposal support and capture strategy.