U.S. Air Force opens bids for its Megatron contract

The U.S. Air Force has given one of its newest contracting vehicles a name that sounds like it belongs in a Hollywood blockbuster: Megatron.

The Department of the Air Force posted a notice on September 4 on the government’s public contracting portal, opening a new multi-year purchasing arrangement called the “DAF Battle Network ‘Megatron’ Multiple Award Contract.” The deal will let the Air Force and Space Force buy a wide range of command-and-control technology from several companies over time, rather than negotiating a separate contract for each purchase. Despite the name recalling the shape-shifting villain from the Transformers franchise, Megatron here refers only to the contract’s internal nickname, not a weapon system, robot or any single piece of hardware.

The contract falls under an Air Force office that oversees the service’s effort to link sensors, data systems and decision-making tools across the Air Force and Space Force, known by the acronym PAE C3BM. That broader effort, called the DAF Battle Network, grew out of the Advanced Battle Management System, the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon’s push to connect sensors and weapons across every branch of the military so commanders can act on information faster.

Under Megatron, companies would compete to supply technology across several categories: digital infrastructure, sensor integration, secure data processing, network connectivity, software applications and computer-simulated training environments. The Air Force plans to split the winning companies into two groups, one reserved for small businesses and one open to companies of any size.

The September 4 notice released a draft version of the contract’s requirements for companies to review and comment on before the Air Force finalizes its plan. That draft document is restricted, meaning interested companies must formally request access and pass a review of their business registration before they can see it. Companies have until September 30 to send written feedback to the Air Force contracting officer overseeing the program, Julianne Payne.

The Air Force will also hold a virtual industry day on October 7, running from 8 a.m. to noon Eastern time, where the program’s manager, Jeffery “Ryan” Compton, and Payne will brief companies on the formal bidding process expected to follow. Air Force officials said they won’t hold one-on-one meetings with individual companies during the event because of how many are expected to attend, though all questions submitted live will be compiled and made public afterward.

According to the timeline the Air Force released, officials approved the plan for Megatron in early August. A draft request for bids is expected by the end of this year, with a final version following in early 2027 and a contract award targeted for the summer of 2027.