The Air Force is launching a new research, development, test and evaluation program focused on providing continuous Advanced Research for Air-delivered Munitions, according to a notice published today.

“The Air Force Research Laboratory is seeking to advance the state of the art for air delivered munitions, attritable unmanned aerial systems and their enabling technologies through ARAM,” the service wrote in its request for information to industry. “The overarching objective is to conduct RDT&E to support strategic goals in Hypersonics, Modular/Scalable [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles], Affordable Mass and Advanced Concepts.”

The new effort comes as the Defense Department is rolling out several new framework agreements aimed at buying tens of thousands of missiles in the coming years to replenish barren stocks.

Concepts developed through ARAM and deemed critical for operational use will undergo a “modernized, rapid acquisition strategy,” the service wrote in its notice, following a new organizational philosophy dubbed Mission Analysis Driving Technology.

MADTech is underscored by two driving factors, according to AFRL: “Integration by design, right from the start, and every step along the way” and “flipping the script to prioritize mission effect.”

For each strategic portfolio related to hypersonics, modular/scalable UAVs, affordable mass and advanced concepts, ARAM will be used to further mature mission systems, mission management and mission design, AFRL said.

“The program scope encompasses basic research, applied research and advanced technology development for air munitions and their enabling technologies,” according to the draft statement of objectives. “The fundamental purpose is to create a decisive technological advantage by translating advanced scientific concepts into tangible capabilities.”

Mission systems work will in part consider hardware-in-the-loop simulations and technology development, automatic target recognition for munitions and biologically inspired solutions for navigation and sensing.

Mission management work, meanwhile, is intended to create technologies for autonomy, agility, control and maneuver for air-launched weapons by looking at drone swarms and conducting novel experimentations to test solutions.

Mission design work would explore open systems networks, cybersecurity processes and other advanced computing technologies to optimize performance.

Responses from vendors about their ability to conduct this kind of RDT&E are due by May 29.