CHAOS1 · AUS · AUKUS PILLAR 2
MISSION OCTOBER SKY 26
Expression of Interest
01PROJECT BACKGROUND
PROJECT BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
Mission October Sky is an Operational Readiness accelerator for Advanced Capabilities, led by Chaos1 in collaboration with AUKUS Allied Government partners. This year marks the next evolution of the program, with a sharp focus on informing critical One Way Attack capability options, counter-measure development and industrial capacity.
This EOI marks the first phase of an annual program to mobilise the best talent and capabilities across industry to drive new capability options for the warfighter in less than 12 months.
This EOI marks the first phase of an annual program to mobilise the best talent and capabilities across industry to drive new capability options for the warfighter in less than 12 months.
PHASE 01
RAPID PROTOTYPING
Replicate core threat characteristics; establish baseline
0 – 3 MONTHS
PHASE 02
RAPID ASSESSMENT
Operationally-relevant test & evaluation; inform requirements
3 – 6 MONTHS
PHASE 03
RAPID EXPERIMENTATION
User-led experimentation; validate mission effectiveness
6 – 9 MONTHS
PHASE 04
RAPID FIELDING
Certification, scale production, rapid deployment
9 – 12 MONTHS
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
Current threats continue to demonstrate that low-cost, high-volume OWAUAS — spanning Group 1 weaponised multi-rotors to Group 3 long-range strike systems — represent an asymmetry that undermines Allied combat advantage. Combat operations in Europe and the Middle East are providing stark early-warning that demands sovereign capacity and capability to rapidly field new and novel solutions.
02SCOPE
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Chaos1, as a mission integrator, is seeking to identify Australian and AUKUS-aligned industry partners who can supply, manufacture, prototype or co-develop systems, sub-systems, components, and enabling capabilities across low-cost, threat-representative OWAUAS Groups 1 to 3.
OWAUAS GROUP DEFINITIONS
| Designation | Group | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Small OWAUAS | G1 | < 9 kg |
| Medium OWAUAS | G2 | 9 – 25 kg |
| Large OWAUAS | G3 | 25+ kg |
Designations of OWAUAS remain developing doctrine, and are not constrained by multi-rotor, fixed-wing or vertical take-off and land baseline platforms.
CAPABILITY AREAS OF INTEREST
- Propulsion & Motors — Electric motors, combustion engines, fuel systems, ESCs
- Airframe & Structures — Fixed wing, multi-rotor, hybrid, composite / additive manufactured frames
- Avionics & Flight Control — Flight controllers, IMUs, autopilot systems, GCS integration
- Communications & Datalinks — RF datalinks, encrypted comms, SATCOM, jamming resilience
- Navigation & Positioning — GPS/GNSS, INS, denied-environment navigation, EO/IR
- Payload Systems — EO/IR cameras, EW payloads, warhead integration (ITAR-controlled items subject to clearance)
- Power Systems — Battery technology, energy density, fuel cells, hybrid power
- Launch & Recovery — Rail launchers, catapult systems, nets, vertical recovery
- Manufacturing & Production — CNC machining, additive manufacturing, composite layup, assembly and integration
- Test, Evaluation & Certification — Environmental testing, EMC/EMI, flight test services, airworthiness support, non-defence test facilities and ranges
- Logistics & Sustainment — Supply chain, spares, field-level maintenance, training
IMPORTANT — CLASSIFICATION REMINDER: This EOI is UNCLASSIFIED. Do not include any CLASSIFIED, PROTECTED, or export-controlled information in your response. If your capability involves controlled items, provide only general descriptions without technical specifications that may breach export control obligations.