Nextgov.com The United States Postal Service recently announced it’s exploring introducing drones into its vehicle fleet to advance mail delivery operations and support its collection of geospatial, sensor, image and other data. The independent agency published a document of answers to potential participants’ questions Friday, offering new details into its plans.
“The Postal Service recognizes that the ability of [unmanned aircraft systems] to supplement mail delivery and information collection can substantially benefit the country and further the development of other autonomous systems,” agency officials wrote in the original request for information.
The Postal Service currently has no incumbent contractors fulfilling drone-related services and noted that, if implemented, this would be a first-of-its-kind program. Through the initial RFI published in late September, the agency does not aim to award a direct contract to a vendor to immediately deploy services. Instead, it’s conducting market research, to better inform the future of the postal service’s delivery operations and potentially accelerate the safe adoption of UAS technology across the nation.
The agency noted it would likely work with multiple entities to integrate drones into its fleet, and that it “may identify candidates for a future solicitation” aimed at boosting its operations and testing the viability of unmanned aircrafts to transport mail.