Safe Pro Awarded U.S. Air Force SBIR Contract for AI Dataset Development for Use in Airfield Operations
Rhea-AI Summary
Safe Pro Group (Nasdaq: SPAI) announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a U.S. Air Force SBIR contract to develop a new AI dataset using images of Foreign Object Debris/Damage (FOD) found on U.S. Air Force and civilian airfields.
According to Safe Pro, the project will adapt its proprietary SPOTD AI computer-vision platform, originally used to detect explosive threats in battlefield and post-conflict environments, for airfield operations. The award follows recent U.S. Army interest, including an invitation for Safe Pro to support an upcoming airfield exercise.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
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Key Figures
Previous AI Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23 | AI subcontract award | Positive | -4.9% | New $1.3M U.S. Government subcontract to integrate AI threat detection into UGVs. |
| Jun 23 | AI Army subcontract | Positive | -4.9% | U.S. Army $1.3M subcontract for AI landmine detection on unmanned ground vehicles. |
| Jun 11 | Army AI support | Positive | +4.5% | Contract for edge AI support during U.S. Army airfield exercise using SPOTD dataset. |
| Jun 08 | Threat kit execution | Positive | +1.8% | Rapid execution of ~$743K U.S. Army order for NODE and Black Widow drones. |
| Jun 02 | Threat kit order | Positive | -4.2% | New U.S. Army order for AI-powered Threat Analysis Kit using NODE and SPOTD. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-related contract announcements have produced mixed reactions, with three of five prior AI-tag events selling off despite positive defense wins and an average move of about -1.56% the next day.
Key Terms
small business innovation research (sbir) financial
small business technology transfer (sttr) financial
foreign object debris/damage (fod) technical
uxo technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
AVENTURA, Fla., July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Pro Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAI) (“Safe Pro” or the “Company”), a developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled defense, security, and situational awareness solutions, today announced that it has been selected by AFWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract focused on the development of a new AI dataset using images of Foreign Object Debris/Damage (FOD) that are commonly encountered on both U.S. Air Force (USAF) and civilian airfields to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded.
AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The mission of AFWERX’s SBIR program is to fund emerging technologies to deliver Air Force and Space Force capabilities and broaden access to disruptive innovation.
The development of AI datasets for use in U.S. Air Force airfield operations could significantly expand the applicability of the Company’s proprietary computer vision technology designed to rapidly detect and identify small objects beyond use in battlefield and post-conflict zone land reclamation and rebuilding missions. This AFWERX SBIR award follows recent interest in this capability expressed by the U.S. Army which has invited the Company to provide operational support to soldiers during an upcoming airfield exercise.
“The receipt of this Air Force award represents a significant new potential market opportunity for our novel AI-powered image analysis platform, expanding it into both defense and commercial airfield operations. We look forward to working with the AFWERX team on this exciting new capability and to further expanding our ability to deliver AI-powered solutions for improved situational awareness and operational decision making,” said Dan Erdberg, Chairman and CEO of Safe Pro Group Inc.
Powered by Safe Pro’s patented SPOTD (Safe Pro Object Threat Detection) technology, the Company’s technology uses AI and machine learning algorithms trained on one of the world’s largest real-world drone-based imagery datasets to instantly detect small, hard-to-find threats such as landmines, cluster munitions, UXO, and ambush drones. The platform can identify explosive threats and objects of interest across large-scale, high-risk environments, creating a novel and scalable approach to situational awareness on the battlefield.
For information about Safe Pro Group, its subsidiaries, and technologies, please visit https://safeprogroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
About Safe Pro Group Inc.
Safe Pro Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAI) is a mission-driven technology company delivering AI-enabled security and defense solutions. Through cutting-edge platforms like SPOTD, Safe Pro provides advanced situational awareness tools for defense, humanitarian, and homeland security applications globally. The Company is a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions specializing in drone imagery processing, leveraging commercially available off-the-shelf drones with its proprietary machine learning and computer vision technology to enable rapid identification of explosive threats, providing a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional human-based analysis methods. Built on a cloud-based ecosystem and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Safe Pro Group’s scalable platform targets multiple markets, including commercial, government, law enforcement, and humanitarian sectors where its Safe Pro AI software, Safe-Pro USA protective gear, and Airborne Response drone-based services can work in synergy to deliver safety and operational efficiency. For more information on Safe Pro Group Inc., please visit https://safeprogroup.com.
About AFWERX
AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a division within the Air Force Research Laboratory, partners with small businesses, startups and nontraditional vendors to address challenges facing Airmen and Guardians. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX strengthens the defense industrial base by expanding access to innovators, building partnerships and accelerating the transition of critical technologies to operational capability. In fiscal year 2025, AFWERX awarded more than 1,000 contracts totaling
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements relate to future events, future expectations, plans, and prospects. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding its ability to create new AI models for use in air field damage assessment and recovery operations and the ability to license its software and the acceptance and continued use of its solutions by potential government, military, and humanitarian organizations, market size projections for unmanned ground vehicles, and the Company's future business plans and expectations. Although Safe Pro Group believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Safe Pro Group has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “projects,” “intends,” “potential,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “seek," "target," "forecast," "continue," "approximately,” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including market and other conditions. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth under Item 1A in the Company’s most recently filed Form 10-K and updated from time to time in the Company’s Form 10-Q filings and in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of its date. Safe Pro Group undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
Media Relations for Safe Pro Group Inc.:
media@safeprogroup.com
Investor Contact:
Ankit Hira, Managing Director
Solebury Strategic Communications for Safe Pro Group Inc.
spai@soleburystrat.com
