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Safe Pro Awarded U.S. Air Force SBIR Contract for AI Dataset Development for Use in Airfield Operations
AVENTURA, Fla., July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Pro Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAI) (“Saf...
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Safe Pro Awarded U.S. Air Force SBIR Contract for AI Dataset Development for Use in Airfield Operations 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...