Command and Control

Belgian F-16s began operating from Šiauliai Air Base in early November 2026, joining Italy-led Baltic air-defence activity and Turkish aircraft operating from Estonia. The deployment signals continued NATO demand for interoperable aircraft, ground-based defences, surveillance, and command-and-control capabilities, but identifies no solicitation or procurement action.

The U.S. Air Force’s classified Force Design 2026 replaces its 2024 framework and emphasizes integrated sensors, networks, artificial intelligence, autonomy and command-and-control capabilities, including operations in denied environments. The strategy signals potential future modernization demand, but identifies no solicitation, funding level, contract value or procurement timeline.

The Air Force is using an RFI to shape a vehicle-agnostic communications and command-and-control system for Special Warfare teams, with responses due December 11, 2026. A draft requirements document and draft RFP are tentatively planned for FY2027, but acquisition approval, funding, and contracting strategy remain unresolved.

The U.S. Space Force awarded Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Peerless Technologies Phase I agreements totaling roughly $10 million for a three-month SEWOL command-and-control prototype competition. The competition will evaluate working software and could lead to one company’s selection for a $60 million prototype program to build the operational system.

The Army’s October 26–27 exercise at Fort Carson evaluated Next Generation Command and Control capabilities alongside needs for resilient communications and edge logistics. Industry can track opportunities in data integration, bandwidth management, and AI-assisted sustainment, but no solicitation, contract value, or acquisition timeline has been identified.

AFCEA International’s Annual Data Forum is set for November 19–20, 2026, in Alexandria, Virginia, with senior Army leaders focused on IT, data operations, command and control, and tactical networks. No solicitation or procurement forecast is identified, so contractors should view the event as an opportunity for market insight and stakeholder engagement—not as an active acquisition.

The Government of Kuwait contracted MARSS for a $370 million layered defense system linking existing and new sensors and effectors through its AI-enabled, technology-agnostic NiDAR command-and-control platform. Phased delivery may include future detection capabilities and EOS laser effectors, but those potential additions are not confirmed awards or identified follow-on procurements.

Alphabet’s Google is reportedly discussing participation in a Defense Department industry group to secure data feeding Golden Dome command-and-control software. The $185 billion figure applies to the broader program, not this security effort; no solicitation, award, effort-specific value, or acquisition timeline has been reported.

The U.S. Army awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a $99 million firm-fixed-price, IDIQ contract for Kestrel airspace command-and-control and mission-planning software under NGC2. The award points to potential integration and deployment opportunities as the Army plans to field NGC2 across 11 divisions, while its $3.8 billion FY2027 request remains planned funding—not an award.

U.S. Strategic Command began Global Thunder 27, its annual exercise testing nuclear command, control, and operational readiness across joint-force components. The announcement identifies no solicitation, contract, funding, or industry engagement, so it signals no immediate procurement opportunity.

The Army expanded Striveworks’ enterprise AI agreement from a $70 million ceiling to $700 million over five years after reaching the original ceiling in six months. The expansion widens access to the Chariot platform and supports Next Generation Command and Control, while related intelligence awards signal demand for AI integration in Army mission workflows; no open solicitation is identified.

Reported Army awards totaling $900 million cover enterprise AI and Next Generation Command and Control, while Navy data and MQ-25 requirements point to continued demand for autonomy and integration capabilities. Oshkosh Defense plans a 2027 Vehicle Integration Center intended to cut testing timelines from about 18 months to weeks, and U.S.-Netherlands discussions may bring additional industrial cooperation, though no new solicitation details are identified.

Anduril is planning its Arsenal-1 manufacturing facility in Ohio as it expands its Army work, including a command-and-control data layer award worth up to $1.8 billion and a share of September TITAN production orders. CEO Palmer Luckey says the company intends to go public, but no IPO timeline or facility opening date has been specified.

The U.S. Navy remotely controlled an MQ-25A Stingray from USS Ronald Reagan using the MD-5C Ground Control Station and a proliferated low Earth orbit satellite network. The test advances integration across unmanned aircraft, carrier systems, and satellite communications, but no new solicitation, contract value, or award timeline was announced.

The U.S. Army awarded initial one-year contracts totaling $93.6 million to nine companies to develop applications for its Next Generation Command and Control ecosystem. Following prototyping with the 4th Infantry Division, the Army plans to bring NGC2 to I Corps, creating opportunities for vendors whose software integrates with the shared data and AI foundation.

Ukraine reported that its DELTA command-and-control system integrated aerial, surface, and underwater uncrewed systems with radar data during the REPMUS 2026 exercise in Portugal, including telemetry transmitted using NATO STANAG 4817. The demonstration highlights interoperability capabilities relevant to future maritime defense procurements, but announced no contract, funding, solicitation, or NATO-wide adoption.

The Army’s 2026 posture changes emphasize the Western Hemisphere and Indo-Pacific while adapting to shifting demands in Central Command and Europe. The changes point to potential future needs in command integration, communications, unmanned systems, regional training, and Arctic aviation, but identify no solicitations, award values, or deadlines.

The U.S. Army is accelerating its **Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2)** rollout across 11 divisions, aiming for significant modernization in the Indo-Pacific. The adoption of a continuous delivery model will create new contracting opportunities for vendors involved in command and control solutions.