AFWERX, the innovation program of the United States Air Force, initiated a Base of the Future Challenge to seek new technologies that greatly enhance the security and defense of Air Force Bases.
As the Air Force builds new and restores existing installations, they have the opportunity to examine and improve the existing security and defense systems that protect the people and critical resources they house. The focus areas of this challenge include Air Force bases with perimeters that require safeguarding from threats such as unauthorized or attempted illegal entry, active shooters, explosives, cyber risks and many other potential threats.
AFWERX received more than 1,500 submissions and accepted 374 proposals for the Challenge. McQ was down-selected in an initial group of 92 proposals followed by a virtual presentation by McQ of the firm’s “Global Multi Domain Security and Base Defense” solution. Based on the presentation, McQ was selected to receive direct-to-contract authorization under the RAPIDx Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) AFWERX program.
With the Base of the Future initiative, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has an opportunity to start from the ground up and create an installation that will become a universal symbol of innovation and excellence. For this challenge initiative, AFWERX was seeking solutions that will increase the effectiveness of base security and defense.
AFWERX requested proposals to restore and rebuild Tyndall Air Force Base into the “Base of the Future” as a model for future base upgrades.
McQ developed a “Global Situation Awareness System” that enables deploying the company’s advanced sensors anywhere in the world and immediately connecting the information to distributed users via Iridium’s secure satellite network. This system architecture enables multi source fusion, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning via a secure Cloud Based system approach. This eliminates terrestrial infrastructure and provides globally distributed information for “Multi Domain Operations.”
McQ’s innovative solution uses our new surveillance products, McQ RANGER® and McQ OWL™. These products and our other McQ technologies are currently providing security at many domestic and foreign Air Force bases with real-time reporting of human activity for Base Security and remote area Situation Awareness missions.