Miles Jamison 
- Leidos will research vehicle system design products and thermal management methodologies
- The work is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s VOLARE program
- The IDIQ contract has an $85 million ceiling and runs through September 2036
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Leidos a potential $85 million contract for the Digital System-Level Mission-Driven Integrated Design Methods for Aerospace Systems, or VOLARE, program.
What Does the Leidos Contract Cover?
The Department of War said Friday that under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the Reston, Virginia-based company will conduct research activities supporting vehicle system design products and thermal management system design methodologies.
An October 2024 AFRL notice sought industry input on mission-driven aerospace systems design that combines mission-level analysis with multidisciplinary work involving airframe, propulsion and power and thermal management systems. The effort also called for multi-fidelity physics-based analysis and the ability to rapidly iterate on requirements through system-level designs.
What Are the Air Force Contract Terms?
The award followed a competitive acquisition in which eight offers were received. Leidos will perform work at Dayton, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 18, 2036.
The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, serves as the contracting activity. The basic IDIQ contract carries no obligated funds, though the first task order is incrementally funded with $75,000 in fiscal 2026 research and development funding.
Leidos is one of several contractors awarded positions on the VOLARE vehicle. Anduril Industries received a potential $85 million contract, with its first task order funded at $50,000, while DCS secured an $85 million ceiling with a $110,000 first task order. Peerless Technologies was awarded a separate $85 million award with $75,000 in initial task-order funding.
