The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is seeking industry and nonprofit partners to develop and field advanced maritime capabilities for special operations forces, according to a government notice published Friday.
The effort is part of USSOCOM’s Advancing Naval Capabilities through the Holistic Opportunities and Resources (ANCHOR) initiative, which aims to develop prototype solutions across six focus areas: unmanned systems, counter-unmanned systems, command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, scalable effects, human performance and human-machine teaming.
The notice emphasized the need for systems that can operate in degraded communications environments and reduce logistical burdens for deployed forces.
“USSOCOM is particularly interested in capabilities that improve cross-domain coordination, reduce the logistical footprint of deployed forces, and deliver reliable data and effects in dynamic maritime conditions,” the notice reads.
It also highlighted the need for technologies that enable control of unmanned systems through natural interfaces such as voice commands and gesture recognition, to “reduce the cognitive burden of system management” and allow operators to focus on tactical decision-making.
USSOCOM is also prioritizing counter-UAS capabilities capable of detecting and neutralizing unmanned threats, from individual platforms to coordinated swarms, “within the constraints of maritime special operation. “
“Solutions optimized for size, weight, and power; capable of functioning in contested electromagnetic environments; and effective against both kinetic and electronic attack vectors are of particular interest. These capabilities are critical to enabling mission assurance, safeguarding personnel, and maintaining tactical advantage in multi-domain maritime operations,” the notice reads.
USSOCOM’s acquisition, technology and logistics directorate will execute the effort using Other Transaction Authority agreements under 10 U.S.C. 4022, a mechanism that allows the Pentagon to bypass traditional procurement rules and move more quickly from prototypes to production.
According to the notice, responses are due June 1, 2026.
