U.S. Army: ~$41.4M for advanced "test & evaluation (T&E)" of AI/ML — a contract with MORSECORP (USAspending)
The U.S. Army awarded a ~$41.4 million ($41,434,075) contract to MORSECORP, INC for advanced test and evaluation (T&E) of rapidly advancing AI/ML — an example of government investment in the "evaluation" of AI performance and safety.
Contract key facts
- RecipientMORSECORP, INC
- Contract value$41,434,075 (≈$41.4M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Army
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2022-08-26 〜 2026-09-30
- Contract ID (PIID)W911QX22C0029
Contract scope (original)
ADVANCED TEST AND EVALUATION (T&E) FOR THE EXPONENTIAL PACE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / MACHINE LEARNING (AI/ML) PROGRESS.
Key points
- The U.S. Army contracted for advanced test and evaluation (T&E) of AI/ML
- Recipient MORSECORP, INC, ~$41.4M ($41,434,075), August 2022–March 2026
- Federal budget goes not only to "development" but also to "verification and evaluation" of AI
- Evaluating AI performance and safety is a prerequisite for real-world military use
- AI/ML models and methods turn over quickly, so an evaluation procedure once built dates fast.
1Test and evaluation as a process
This contract provides advanced test and evaluation (T&E) matched to AI/ML that is advancing exponentially. T&E is the disciplined process of confirming, before something enters service, that it works as required, is safe, and can be relied on. When the subject is AI/ML, what is being confirmed is not metal or circuitry but the behavior of judgments learned from data.
2Rapid progress makes evaluation harder
Because models and methods in AI/ML turn over quickly, an evaluation procedure built once can go stale almost immediately. The award is a definitive contract running from August 2022 to March 2026, and the recipient is MORSECORP, INC. For military uses, how to verify an AI model's performance, robustness (how well it holds up against inputs it was never shown) and safety is a prerequisite for moving into real-world deployment.
3Building and checking as two halves of one job
4Building it, and confirming it
Government AI investment does not go only to development. What this contract carries is the step behind it.
Where the object is AI/ML, what is confirmed is not metal or circuitry but the behaviour of judgement learned from data. In military use, how to verify a model's performance, robustness — how well it holds against inputs never anticipated — and safety is the premise for moving into operation. Which models or missions are evaluated does not appear in the source.
Why it matters
An example of the AI "evaluation/verification (T&E)" market. For vendors and researchers involved in AI quality assurance, red-teaming, and evaluation tools, a useful read on the direction of U.S. government demand.
FAQ
What is T&E (test and evaluation)?
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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)：W911QX22C0029