Purple Rhombus LLC Receives SBIR Direct-to-Phase II Contract to Design, Build, and Fly Attritable Unmanned Aerial System
Designed for manufacturing, Purple Rhombus unmanned aircraft can be procured in large quantities at sudden notice
(Austin, Texas) – Purple Rhombus LLC announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR in the amount of $1.25m focused on the development of affordable unmanned aircraft, addressing the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on June 11, 2024, Purple Rhombus will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“Purple Rhombus is focused on delivering affordable mass today. Leveraging decades of aerostructure manufacturing and robotic automation experience, Purple Rhombus designs aircraft to be produced in large quantities at low cost. Using established, high-rate manufacturing processes, aircraft production can be rapidly scaled to achieve mass. The low price and short lead time of our aircraft enables warfighters to liberally utilize unmanned aircraft on the battlefield, magnifying the system’s operational relevance for our customers.”
Parker Mays, VP & General Manager – Unmanned Systems
“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.”
About Purple Rhombus
Purple Rhombus LLC is an aerospace and defense company focused on aerostructure manufacturing and unmanned system development. Purple Rhombus develops, manufactures, and tests unmanned aircraft for commercial and government customers.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
Company Press Contact:
Parker Mays
General Manager - Unmanned Systems
info@purple-rhombus.com