AI/ML contract for embedded operations signed by SRC, AFRL
NewsJanuary 14, 2026
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Defense research and development company SRC, Inc. won a $24 million contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop next-generation embedded artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities across ground, air, and space domains.
Under the terms of the contract, SRC is tasked with developing new ML algorithms; high-performance embedded computing architectures; and ultra-low size, weight, and power (SWaP) hardware, with the goal of using these algorithms for such mission tasks as onboard data processing, situational awareness, and information analysis.
The effort -- according to information in the SRC announcement -- focuses on advancing edge processing, defined here as the ability to parse large amounts of data and run complex algorithms directly onboard a platform instead of relying on distant data centers. SRC is working, say company officials, to substantially accelerate the processing of data as the U.S. Air Force moves toward fielding distributed and attritable systems operating in highly contested environments.
