A proposal volume title left inside the description field - an automated AI planner for weapons (GBL Systems, about $1.50 million)
A U.S. Air Force contract to GBL Systems obligating about $1,500,364. The description reads "Small Business Innovation Research Phase II - Weapons Automated Artificial Intelligence Planner - Volume 2 Technical Volume."
Contract key facts
- RecipientGBL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
- Contract value$1,500,364 (≈$1.5M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Air Force
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2022-04-18 〜 2024-04-17
- Contract ID (PIID)FA873022C0040
Contract scope (original)
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PHASE II - WEAPONS AUTOMATED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PLANNER - VOLUME 2 TECHNICAL VOLUME
Key points
- A planner assembles the steps and allocations that reach a goal.
- In weapons employment it covers which means is assigned to which target and in what order.
- The description retains "Volume 2 Technical Volume," a marker of proposal structure, alongside programme name and subject.
- SBIR applications conventionally divide a proposal into volumes with a separate technical volume.
- Description practice varies with the person and office, and application structure can be mixed in.
- Processing the wording mechanically, such traces of transcription obstruct extraction of the subject.
1An AI that plans
A planner assembles the steps and allocations that reach a goal. In weapons employment it covers deciding which means is assigned to which target and in what order. Where combinations are many and time is tight, room opens for a machine to narrow the candidates rather than a person examining each in turn.
2Proposal structure left in the description
SBIR applications conventionally divide a proposal into several volumes, with a separate volume for the technical content. "Volume 2 Technical Volume" refers to that structure. That the field describing a contract carries the name of a proposal volume suggests the proposal title was transcribed as it stood.
3Records carry traces of how they were made
Descriptions in public data vary with the practice of the person and office recording them. One record carries only a solicitation number, another sets out the policy behind the work, and a third mixes in the structure of an application as here. Processing the wording mechanically, such traces of transcription obstruct extraction of the subject.
For a reader, the point is that a description does not necessarily state what a contract is for, no more and no less.
Why it matters
Processing that extracts subject matter mechanically from public data loses accuracy where descriptions mix in application structure or category codes. Building a classifier calls for preprocessing that strips such traces. Conversely, a retained volume name is itself a signal of which programme the award came through, and can serve a count by programme.
FAQ
What is "Volume 2 Technical Volume"?
Why is a proposal volume name in the description?
What is a planner?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：FA873022C0040