Special Operations Command asking industry for UAV-delivered lightweight munition with multimode navigation
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. military special operations experts are soliciting industry ideas for a low-cost precision-glide lightweight munition small enough for deployment from small unmanned aircraft for use by U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
Officials of the Special Operations Forces Works (SOFWERX) in Tampa, Fla., issued a special notice (GOLUM_AE) on Tuesday for the Gliding Offensive Lightweight Unmanned Munition (GOLUM) Assessment Event.
GOLUM UAV-delivered munition
SOFWERX, in collaboration with U.S. Army Special Operations Command and U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, will host an assessment event to advance efforts in developing and producing an advanced lightweight precision-glide UAV-delivered munition.
U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., is seeking industry submissions for the GOLUM precision glide munition, which should be smaller than the GBU-69 and be delivered by lightweight uncrewed aircraft.
For reference, the unpowered GBU-69 from Leidos Dynetics in Huntsville, Ala., is 3.5 feet long, 4.5 inches in diameter, and weighs between 300 and 1,400 pounds, depending on its payload. It has semi-active laser guidance, and a 36-pound low-yield explosive payload. The munition is carried on the AC-130J turboprop aircraft, and is planned for the MQ-9 Reaper combat UAV.
The new GOLUM multimode navigation lightweight munition should weigh no more than 30 pounds, including warhead; have interchangeable warhead types, including airburst with adjustable height-above-ground setting, point detonation, and penetration; be able to hit target accurately from as far away as 62 miles from aircraft release; must be able to navigate in an electromagnetically contested environment; have at least three methods of navigation; not rely solely on GPS satellite navigation; operate in temperatures from -50 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit; have a built-in data link; and be able to accept in-flight instructions to change targets or self-destruct.
Teleconference outlines objectives
Companies interested may participate in a teleconference from 1 to 2 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday 26 Feb. 2026 to outline the project's technology objectives. RSVP no later than 25 Feb. 2025 for the teleconference online at https://forms.sofwerx.org/golum-ae-telecon.
Submit ideas for the GOLUM UAV-delivered lightweight laser-guided munition no later than 10 March 2025 online at https://sofwerx.submittable.com/submit/afc34169-e7cd-40dd-afaa-375c0f46aa65/gliding-offensive-lightweight-unmanned-munition-golum-ae.
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Downselects to those submitting promising ideas will be FROM 8 to 10 April 2025 at an assessment event in Tampa, Fla., at which participants will have one-on-one sessions with the U.S. Special Operations Command evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and discuss their solutions.
Those interested may review assessment criteria online at https://swx-strapi-events-images.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Assessment_Criteria_GOLUM_AE_a6606d86fa.pdf, download whitepaper templates at https://swx-strapi-events-images.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/GOLUM_White_Paper_Template_2_267a5819f6.docx, and download a quad chart template at https://swx-strapi-events-images.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/GOLUM_AE_Quad_Chart_2_a939c50865.pptx.
Email questions or concerns to Contracting Officer Ronald Reed at [email protected], or Juanita Bell at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/1c18d98a73824a7da2fe791b8e1c65e3/view.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
