Special NoticePosted Aug 3, 2026·Responses due Aug 10, 2026

Request for Information - Sentinel NC3 Market Research

Air Force and Space Force · FA6800 AFICC 767 ESF

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
332994
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
RFI_SENTINEL_NC3_FY26_001
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
1140
Place
Barksdale AFB, LA, USA
Contact
Capt Grant Wilson (grant.wilson.1@us.af.mil)
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CSV Email

Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.

Where this opportunity stands

Every notice posted under solicitation RFI_SENTINEL_NC3_FY26_001 in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Jul 16, 2026
    Special Notice
    Open
  • Aug 3, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Sep 10, 2026 to Jan 11, 2027, middle of the range Oct 22, 2026.
Measured from 253 past early notices at Dept of the Air Force that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Jul 16, 2026).

Next steps for this stage

Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.

  • Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
  • Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
  • Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.

What the notice says

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to determine if Digital HF (DHF) technology is mature enough to be integrated in support of the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapon Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) in the 2031-2033 timeframe. We are soliciting industry feedback on current and near-term (2031-2040) DHF technologies available for fielding as described above. BACKGROUND Sentinel is the replacement system for Minuteman III (MMIII). The program is in a post-Nunn/McCurdy breach approaching a Milestone B decision NLT Dec 2026. Initial Sentine… (show all)

lfielding is slated for 2033. Northrop Grumman is the Prime Contractor designing Sentinel for theAFNWC Sentinel Program Office. As the Air Force prepares to migrate from MMIII (analog environment) to Sentinel (digitalenvironment) we need to examine how the NC3 systems will adapt to the Sentinel environment,which could include new systems. AFGSC is seeking a solution on terrestrial NC3. This market research seeks to understand how Sentinel missile operations could benefit fromincorporating DHF systems into its NC3 architecture. Proposed systems will be required to operate in all environments (pre, trans, and post). High Frequency (HF) radio (between 3 and 30 MHz) can be used to transmit digital data, such as text, images, and emails, instead of traditional voice. Using digital to analog converters, along with software, connected to a HF radio, the software translates digital inputs into specific audio tones the radio transmits. One benefit is HF digital modes can �hear� signals buried deep in atmospheric noise which humans normally miss. RFI Based on your company�s experience, is DHF technology mature enough to support a SentinelNC3 Initial Operational Capability (IOC) of 2033? Is there a preferred methodology yourcompany would utilize to support deploying a DHF system in support of Sentinel NC3? Do you see any limiting factors which would inhibit the use of DHF in Sentinel NC3? What challenges, risks, or limitations should the Government consider when implementing DHFin the Sentinel NC3? How would you use your DHF technology to complement Sentinel NC3 communications in the2031-2040 timeframe? If your system is capable, is that system�s maturity at a minimum of a TRL 6? Will your system support cyber-secure communications including classified data (e.g., NSA High Assurance Communications Security (COMSEC))? If this applies to your organization, please provide a capabilities statement discussing the details of your company�s DHF system. Responses should be delivered to the individuals named within the attached RFI no later than (NLT) 10 Aug 2026 1300 CDT. If you have any questions or require further information on this RFI, please contact Capt Grant Wilson at grant.wilson.1@us.af.mil.

Who won similar work

3 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), same NAICS 332994.

Single-winner award sizes (3): middle half $289K to $876K, median $552K; range $25K to $1.2M.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
Laser Shot, Inc.1$1.2MApr 28, 2026
UNITED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS GROUP, INC.1$552KJul 22, 2026
ML Armaments LLC1$25KSep 19, 2025

Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's last annual revenue from its 10-K.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 3 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 0 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (0 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
  • No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
  • 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
See who and the source records with Pro

Policy around it

Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.

  • 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

Market

For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.

  • 0 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.

Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.