Electronic Warfare Technology
The goal of Electronic Warfare (EW) is to control the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) by exploiting, deceiving, or denying enemy use of the spectrum while ensuring its use by friendly forces. To that end, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) EW Discovery and Invention (D&I) program invests in Science and Technology (S&T) initiatives that will provide naval forces (including Navy and Marine Corps) with improved threat warning systems; Electronic warfare Support (ES); decoys and countermeasures against weapon tracking and guidance systems; Electronic Attack (EA) against adversary Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR); and Electronic Protection (EP) of our own weapons and C4ISR from intentional and unintentional interference.
ONR Code 312 Electronic Warfare (312EW) seeks proposals to develop and demonstrate technologies for the next generation systems in electronic warfare. White papers and subsequent proposals should address technology developments in one or more of the following Research Opportunity Areas 1-5.
Area 1 - Subsystem Demonstrator for EO/IR Beam Steering at Multiple Wavelengths
The objective is to leverage prior investments by ONR, other Government organizations, industry, and academia in electronic and photonic technologies, techniques, components, devices and subsystems to create subsystem demonstrators (SSDs) of advanced EW capabilities in the RF, mmW and EO/IR portions of the EMS. For the purposes of this BAA, an SSD is defined as an integrated collection of components, devices and subsystems that, in conjunction with other established or developmental technologies and techniques, will demonstrate an end-to-end EW capability in Research Areas 1 & 2. Each SSD will demonstrate both the functional configuration and capability of a final EW subsystem, though not necessarily the physical configuration, packaging, or form factor. White papers and subsequent proposals will encompass not only the development of these SSDs but also a final government-witnessed demonstration in a tactically relevant real or simulated environment. In order to speed the transition of these capabilities to military (Navy, Marine Corps and Joint service) systems, Offerors are encouraged to make use of existing standards for open and modular systems that are either non-proprietary (e.g. VITA, open VPX, etc.) or to which the government has full and open rights. While each SSD description below highlights the need for reducing Size, Weight and Power (SWAP) by design, actual SWAP savings may be demonstrated through analysis rather than physical measurement. The SSD shall use technologies that are conducive to minimizing SWAP requirements for future tactical implementation on SWAP-constrained vehicles or platforms.
The objective is to create subsystem demonstrators (SSDs) of advanced EW capability in the area of EO/IR beam steering at multiple wavelengths.
The goal of the research is for the SSD to provide the capability to non-mechanically steer multiple bands of the UV, VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR spectrum to be directed in a low divergence beam with minimal or no side lobes over an angular range covering not less than 120-degrees conical (threshold) up to a complete hemisphere (objective). Technologies that span multiple of the UV, VIS, NIR, SWIR, MWIR and LWIR spectral bands (preferably all) are desired, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of the UV, MWIR and LWIR bands. The demonstrated SSD shall operate at room temperature, and the multiple discrete laser emissions shall be combined to produce a single continuous wave (CW) multispectral beam with good beam quality (M^2 < 3) and output powers of not less than 10 Watts (threshold) to greater than 20 Watts (objective) in EACH spectral band. The proposed SSD's non-mechanical beam steering capability should be at least as fast (preferably faster) than current mechanical approaches and the SSD shall use technologies that are conducive to minimizing size, weight and power (SWAP) requirements for future tactical implementation on SWAP-constrained platforms. For the purposes of this BAA, the term "non-mechanical" is used to express the desire to eliminate large, heavy, and power hungry gimbals and motor-positioners along with rotating seals that often result in beam directors with reduced service lifetimes and low mean-time-between-failure (MTBF). Proposed concepts should also be compatible with installations embedded in the skin of a platform/vehicle (preferably conformal). Designs that minimize the impacts of temperature and vibration on the output power and beam quality are also desired.
Area 2 - Intelligent EW Subsystem Demonstrator (SSD):
The objective is to leverage prior investments by ONR, other Government organizations, industry, and academia in electronic and photonic technologies, techniques, components, devices and subsystems to create subsystem demonstrators (SSDs) of advanced EW capabilities in the RF, mmW and EO/IR portions of the EMS. For the purposes of this BAA, an SSD is defined as an integrated collection of components, devices and subsystems that, in conjunction with other established or developmental technologies and techniques, will demonstrate an end-to-end EW capability in Research Areas 1 & 2. Each SSD will demonstrate both the functional configuration and capability of a final EW subsystem, though not necessarily the physical configuration, packaging, or form factor. White papers and subsequent proposals will encompass not only the development of these SSDs but also a final government-witnessed demonstration in a tactically relevant real or simulated environment. In order to speed the transition of these capabilities to military (Navy, Marine Corps and Joint service) systems, Offerors are encouraged to make use of existing standards for open and modular systems that are either non-proprietary (e.g. VITA, open VPX, etc.) or to which the government has full and open rights. While each SSD description below highlights the need for reducing Size, Weight and Power (SWAP) by design, actual SWAP savings may be demonstrated through analysis rather than physical measurement. The SSD shall use technologies that are conducive to minimizing SWAP requirements for future tactical implementation on SWAP-constrained vehicles or platforms.
The objective is to create a subsystem demonstrator (SSD) that can outperform traditional EW systems with static emitter databases and pre-programmed countermeasures. Radio Frequency (RF) systems are becoming increasingly more agile in waveforms, bandwidth, functionality, and EA/EP techniques. Traditional static emitter EW databases and pre-programmed countermeasures could be inadequate against future threat systems employing such agility. The objective of this SSD is to develop the next generation of EW capability for surface ships that (1) autonomously adapts its EW strategies without using static rules, and (2) outpaces red force tactical options by operating within red decision making timelines. The proposed technology should have the ability to dynamically a) identify and track emitters, b) maintain multiple hypotheses with likelihood estimates on aspects of emitter functional characteristics that are uncertain, c) generate and maintain a list of proposed countermeasures for each threat emitter, d) assess countermeasure effectiveness, and e) refine EA technique. The SSD should be able to demonstrate significantly improved performance in one or all of a) -e) over state-of-the-art methods. This intelligent EW SSD needs to perform fast enough to outpace red force tactical options by operating within red decision making timelines. At a minimum, this SSD should counter radar in an environment that contains common RF systems such as communications, jammers, and precision timing and navigation systems for both blue and red forces. This SSD may restrict the hypothetical operational scenario to blue EW assets on a single organic surface platform with or without multiple antennas (or arrays), or consider distributed blue scenarios in which blue EW assets on separate platforms are networked together for collaborative operations. In either case, operations would be optimized to maximize platform and/or weapon survivability and comply with commander's intent/mission objectives.
Area 3 - Networked EW Concepts
Networking of multiple EW transmitters and receivers offers tactical advantages that are only yet partially recognized. Full exploitation and control of the EMS would require every EW asset to "know" what every other EW asset in the network is receiving and transmitting, coherently and instantly, and react with a coordinated response that is also coherent and instantaneous. Clearly, bandwidth, latency, and finite processing resources make this theoretical ideal impossible to approach. The objective of this area is to explore, identify, and define the parameters and techniques required to provide a fundamental networked EW capability. This objective area seeks innovation that advances the capability, reaction, and coordination of networked EW assets rather than management of existing assets or creation of a new communications system. Innovation is expected in which specific capabilities of networked EW substantially exceed that of the individual assets acting alone. Proposals for general EW networking "frameworks" in which the benefits are ambiguous or left to future work are not acceptable.
Area 4 - Innovative Counter Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C-ISR) Concepts:
The objective of this area is to explore truly innovative EW concepts which can counter emerging EO/IR imaging sensor threats. The traditional approach to defeating such sensors is to employ high optical/infrared power countermeasures that saturate or damage the imaging sensor. Proposals are being sought for non-traditional solutions to the problem of deceiving and/or denying imaging sensors without resort to such "brute force" techniques. Proposals responding to this solicitation should focus on innovative solutions involving emerging, cutting-edge technologies. (Note: This sub-section should only be cited by proposals that do not fall within any of the other sub-sections of this Research Opportunity Description.)
Area 5 - Innovative EW Concepts
The objective is to explore truly innovative concepts in the EW areas of EWS, EA, or EP which could fundamentally change the way military (Navy, Marine Corps and Joint service) forces conduct EW operations. (Note: This sub-section should only be cited by proposals that do not fall within any of the other sub-sections of this Research Opportunity Description.)
Offerors submitting proposals in response to this solicitation should focus on innovative solutions involving emerging, cutting-edge technologies. Likewise, proposals that seek primarily to demonstrate the military application of existing technology or techniques, in either a laboratory or field environment, are discouraged unless a truly significant capability advance can be achieved through this demonstration.
Matthew Murray, Contract Specialist, Phone 703-696-4257, Email matthew.murray1@navy.mil - Susan Paolini, Branch Head, Phone 703-696-0554, Email susan.paolini@navy.mil
