Army: ~$18.0M for maneuver/reconnaissance AI/ML "SPOONMAN" — a federal contract with Expedition Technology (USAspending)
The U.S. Army awarded about $18.0M ($17,991,360) for AI/ML-enabling technologies for expeditionary maneuver and air/ground reconnaissance, titled "SPOONMAN." Recipient: Expedition Technology. An R&D contract of up to five years under an Army Research Laboratory (ARL) BAA.
Contract key facts
- RecipientEXPEDITION TECHNOLOGY, LLC
- Contract value$17,991,360 (≈$18M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Army
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2024-04-05 〜 2029-04-04
- Contract ID (PIID)W911QX24C0009
Contract scope (original)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR EXPEDITIONARY MANEUVER AND AIR/GROUND RECONNAISSANCE TITLED SPOONMAN UNDER BAA TOPIC ID: ARL-BAA-0037
Key points
- The Army funded maneuver/reconnaissance AI/ML technologies named "SPOONMAN"
- Awarded under an Army Research Laboratory (ARL) BAA (topic ARL-BAA-0037)
- Value ~$18.0M, up-to-five-year period of performance April 2024–April 2029
- Reconnaissance — analyzing large imagery/sensor data — is well suited to AI/ML
- Recipient: Expedition Technology, Inc.
- A Broad Agency Announcement publishes a theme and invites proposals, used where government lacks the answer.
1Awarded under an ARL broad agency announcement
This contract is awarded under an Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) — a mechanism that publicly announces research topics and invites proposals — and is named "SPOONMAN." Its focus is AI/ML technologies supporting expeditionary maneuver and air/ground reconnaissance.
2Why reconnaissance suits AI
3Fixing a specification, or inviting proposals
This contract follows a Broad Agency Announcement. How the government states what it wants differs from ordinary procurement.
The object is AI and ML technology supporting expeditionary manoeuvre and air and ground reconnaissance. Reconnaissance means finding what matters among large volumes of imagery and sensor information, a field well suited to AI. The individual technical content does not appear in the source.
Why it matters
An example of the Army investing in AI/ML for maneuver and reconnaissance over up to five years. Useful for reading how the military uses BAAs to procure R&D and the direction of AI applications at the tactical edge.
FAQ
What is a "BAA (Broad Agency Announcement)"?
Why AI/ML for reconnaissance?
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)：W911QX24C0009