U.S. Air Force adds funding to BlueHalo research contract
Freedom Eagle-1 (FE-1)
The U.S. Air Force has added $11.2 million to a contract with BlueHalo LLC for a program called Aiman Improved Readiness, bringing the deal’s total value to $41.2 million, up from $30 million, according to a Department of War contract announcement.
The modification adds scope to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract Air Force Research Laboratory originally awarded to BlueHalo. Work will be performed in Beavercreek, Ohio, near the lab’s headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The contract is expected to be completed by February 13, 2028.
Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation funds totaling $32,147 will be obligated at the time of this modification. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity managing the award.
BlueHalo, based in Huntsville, Alabama, and Arlington, Virginia, is a defense technology company that works across space superiority, directed energy, counter-drone systems, autonomy, radio frequency and signals intelligence programs. The company has held multiple prior contracts tied to the Wright-Patterson research ecosystem.
In February 2026, the Department of War awarded BlueHalo a separate sole-source contract worth up to $19.95 million to develop AI-enabled frameworks for human biological modeling, work performed in nearby Dayton, Ohio, and managed through the same Wright-Patterson contracting activity. That program focuses on integrating large-scale biological data with artificial intelligence to support monitoring of warfighter health, performance and exposure risks, with work running through February 2029 and options extending to 2031.
BlueHalo has separately built up a portfolio of space technology work. In March 2025, the company said it successfully demonstrated a long-haul, two-terminal laser communication system designed to simulate conditions across low-Earth, medium-Earth and geosynchronous orbit, advancing the technology to Technology Readiness Level 6, a designation indicating the system has been proven in a relevant environment and is ready for accelerated development.
The Air Force has not disclosed the specific technical scope of the Aiman Improved Readiness program, what capability or system it supports, or how this funding increase changes the program’s objectives beyond the added dollar value.
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The U.S. Air Force increased funding by $11.2 million for BlueHalo LLC's Aiman Improved Readiness program, raising the total contract value to $41.2 million. The work will be conducted in Beavercreek, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by February 13, 2028. BlueHalo specializes in defense technology, including AI frameworks and laser communication systems.
- U.S. Air Force added $11.2 million to BlueHalo contract
- Total contract value is now $41.2 million
- Work to be performed in Beavercreek, Ohio
- Contract expected to be completed by February 13, 2028
- BlueHalo involved in defense technology across multiple domains.