COPA 500, the first certified, open, multi-vendor automation platform, will address critical industrial control and cybersecurity challenges for the Air Force
SAN MATEO, CA, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CPLANE Networks, Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of $74,928 focused on COPA 500 for Industrial Automation 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 business 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 and now on July 21st, 2026, CPLANE will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Quote From CPLANE
“We’re honored to support the Department of the Air Force with COPA 500. Critical defense infrastructure demands more than perimeter security. OPA’s standards-based architecture delivers cybersecurity by design that is built into the control plane from the start, not patched on after the fact. That’s a cornerstone of open automation, and exactly why it belongs here.”
We are dedicated to cybersecurity and recognize the importance of securing critical defense infrastructure from cyber attacks.
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 War, or the U.S. government.
About CPLANE
CPLANE is the company making open automation real. We built the first certified, multi-vendor automation platform implementing O-PAS standards, and our systems are running in production at top global manufacturers.
Industrial automation is at a crossroads. Operators can stick with limiting proprietary systems or move toward open automation, where the freedom to choose gives them the ability to grow on their own terms, not some vendor’s. We don’t sell pilots. We sell running systems. And through COPA and OPAF, we lead the standards work that makes open automation possible for everyone.
CPLANE empowers industrial operators to move toward open automation without disrupting production. We built the first commercially certified, multi-vendor automation platform on O-PAS standards, and it is running in production. We help them build a path forward, free to choose the best system for their needs, open to grow on their own terms, not some vendor’s. Automation without Compromise. Free to Choose. Yours to Own. Open to Grow.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. AFRL leads the discovery, development and delivery of technologies for air, space and the multidomain. With a workforce spanning seven mission areas at more than 40 locations worldwide, AFRL conducts research ranging from basic science to advanced technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a division within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings American ingenuity from small businesses and startups to solve the most pressing challenges facing Airmen and Guardians. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX strengthens the defense industrial base by expanding access to nontraditional vendors, building new defense partnerships and accelerating the transition of critical technologies to operational capability. In fiscal year 2025, AFWERX awarded more than 1,000 contracts totaling $1.37 billion and achieved 438 Phase III transitions valued at $8.1 billion, supercharging the industrial base that supports U.S. military readiness and battlefield advantage. For more information, visit afwerx.com.
Jarie Bolander
CPLANE
email us here
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