Combat Identification Automated Target Recognition Technology (CATCH)
This Air Force federal contract program funds TRL 3-7 combat identification automated target recognition work in modeling, simulation, analysis, sensor exploitation and fusion, OMS technologies, integration, test and evaluation, and transition coordination.
⚑ Federal contract opportunity; applicant restrictions are not specified beyond being a federal contract. · Presolicitation notice; details on solicitation and award mechanism are not yet provided. · Focus is defense-oriented sensor exploitation, fusion, ATR, and OMS software/mode exploration.
This is a defense technology R&D program centered on automated target recognition, sensor fusion, and software integration, which is far outside IPPRA’s survey, risk-perception, warning, energy, and policy evaluation lines. The team might only be tangentially relevant to public acceptance of defense technologies, not as a plausible PI-led applicant here.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-08
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 75 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topic: national_security_defense (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; eligibility unclear — verify in the NOFO; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
This program completes work primarily ranging from TRL 3 to TRL 7 in modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A), technology development, integration, test and evaluation (T&E), and transition coordination. The program will look at the follow areas: (1) Sensor exploitation from multiple warfighting domains with focus on air, ground, and surface targets, (2) Exploitation and fusion of multiple sensor modalities, including active and passive modes, from single and multiple platforms, (3) OMS technologies and third-party software and/or mode exploration
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Presolicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE / FA2377 USAF AFMC AFRL PZL AFRL RYKS.
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