Department of the navy (don) 18. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions introduction

The TUSWC optimizes mission performance by allocating assets to appropriately exploit the battlespace, developing plan options (also called Courses of Action [COAs]) to optimize total force effectiveness, monitoring execution with in-situ measurements, continuously assessing actual performance as the mission progresses, and dynamically refining and updating the plan as the situation evolves. The desired toolset should take the operator through this process in an automated manner, balancing the employment of AUSs and manned platforms based on their capabilities and mission needs. One significant benefit of this toolset is to minimize “busy work” for Theater watchstanders, thereby maximizing the “think time” available to focus on the tactical and operational problems at hand. Recent advances in ML from big-data such as deep learning and predictive analytics have the potential to achieve this goal—for example, by providing appropriate information or tailoring queries for information at every stage of the mission.

It is worth noting that current planning processes at the Theater watch floor use manual techniques and stove-piped systems that are extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Innovative technology will reduce staffing by optimizing autonomous unmanned system employment in conjunction with manned platforms, and maximizing asset information exchanges during mission planning and execution.

The Phase II effort will likely require secure access. NAVSEA will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. The Phase I effort will not require access to classified information. If need be, data of the same level of complexity as secured data will be provided to support Phase I work. Additionally, the prototype toolset shall meet information assurance specifications for classification security.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. Owned and Operated with no Foreign Influence as defined by DOD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this contract as set forth by DSS and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advance phases of this contract.

PHASE I: Develop a concept for a Mission Planning toolset that includes legacy and AUS systems for TUSW missions. The concept will demonstrate the feasibility of meeting TUSW mission planning. It will establish feasibility by sample testing, modeling and simulation, and analysis. The Phase I Option, if awarded, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype in Phase II. Develop a Phase II plan.

PHASE II: Based on the Phase I results and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), produce and deliver a prototype Mission Planning toolset that includes conventional manned systems and AUS systems. The prototype will be evaluated to ensure that it supports optimal mission planning to take into account both the new AUS capabilities and the existing legacy manned platforms, and the Navy information assurance specifications for classification security. It will demonstrate it meets the Navy needs discussed in the description. System performance will be demonstrated through prototype installation and testing with the prime integrator. The Government will provide the demonstration facility. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology for Navy and potential commercial use.

It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see Description section for details).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the technology to Navy use. Further refine and develop the prototype for evaluation and testing in an operationally relevant environment (e.g., the USW-DSS system platform on the Theater watch floor, using the PEO-IWS 5 Program Office software transition process). Support the Navy for test and validation in accordance with the appropriate peer review and test and evaluation required to support capability integration and fielding.

The technology will have private sector commercial potential for any system that requires the ability to optimize planning across both manned and unmanned delivery systems such as package delivery that could be performed using either drones or traditional truck delivery methods.

REFERENCES:

1. Huang, Hu-Min et al. “Autonomy Levels for Unmanned Systems (ALFUS) Framework.” Ad Hoc Autonomy Levels for Unmanned Systems Working Group, National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 1011-1-2.0, October 2008.

2. Grant, Ronald. "Up in the Air: Drones will change war – and more.” Special Report: Robots – Military uses. The Economist, 29 March 2014; http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21599524-drones-will-change-warand-more-up-air

3. Fabey, Michael. “Navy Will Expand Undersea Drone Operations.” Defense News, 27 December 2016. https://defensesystems.com/articles/2016/12/27/dronesfabey.aspx

4. CDRSalamander. “ASW: abundans cautela non nocet.” U.S. Naval Institute Blog. 07 September 2016. https://blog.usni.org/2016/09/07/asw-abundans-cautela-non-nocet

5. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, “The Future Navy”, U.S. Naval Institute document, 17 May 2017. https://news.usni.org/2017/05/17/document-chief-of-naval-operations-white-paper-the-future-navy
6. (U) Mission Optimization Configuration Item (MOCI) Operational Route Planner (ORP) White Paper (uploaded in SITIS on 12/21/17).

KEYWORDS: Autonomy Levels for Unmanned Systems; Autonomous Unmanned System; Theater Undersea Warfare; Mission Planning; Unmanned Underwater Vehicles; Antisubmarine Warfare

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace, Electronics, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IWS 2, Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM)

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a highly efficient, high-power density, kilowatt-level, diode pumped fiber coupled laser module.

DESCRIPTION: High-energy laser (HEL) systems represent a revolutionary advancement in naval warfare. Laser weapons are often described as having an unlimited “magazine depth,” being instantly available, and as not suffering from the issues associated with explosive ordnance storage and handling. However, the lethal power of laser weapons fundamentally derives from the ship’s onboard power. Furthermore, the ship must supply cooling to the laser, in essence, shifting the combat burden onto the ship’s auxiliary systems. As ship’s power (which also fundamentally limits cooling capacity) is a precious resource, deployment of a laser weapon will be greatly facilitated by optimizing the system’s efficiency. More efficient laser technology does not so much reduce the cost of the laser weapon itself but rather reduces the cost associated with shipboard prime power and cooling.

Targeting and control of the laser represent a trivial portion of the system’s overall power budget. The power consumed by the system is predominantly used to produce the desired high-power laser output. The cooling required by the system is then directly determined by the overall power conversion efficiency. Even though the laser weapon is highly complex, system efficiencies can be allocated to three basic areas: 1) conversion of prime power to usable voltage levels, 2) conversion of electrical power to light, and 3) losses in the optical system. Prime power conversion (i.e., DC to DC and AC to DC conversion) is an area that has been well addressed elsewhere. The losses in the optical transmission system, which are largely constrained by system design trade-offs, are second-order effects. The fundamental efficiency of the individual laser module, the heart of the system, primarily determines overall efficiency.

Under current laser weapons programs, the high-power laser output is achieved by a combination of multiple diode-pumped fiber coupled modules (FCMs) operating at a center wavelength of 976 nm. The FCM is the basic building block of the laser system and therefore largely determines system performance but is constrained by system-level design. A key constraint is the fiber coupling that imposes a fiber core diameter of 225µm and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.22. In order to limit the number of FCMs that must be combined, the minimum output (mode stripped) optical power is 1000W. However, higher single-FCM output powers present an obvious advantage, provided the efficiency can be optimized at that higher output power. Finally, maximizing optical power density (FCM power output per unit volume in W/cm3) is an additional objective. Even though shipboard applications are not critically sensitive to the FCM weight, optimization of the power density makes the technology viable for airborne applications, thereby reducing cost through commonality and increased transition opportunities that enable economies of scale in production. Restricting the minimum power density also serves to preclude solutions that are overly complex or focus on improvements extraneous to the core FCM technologies.

Although FCM technology is continually advancing, current technologies do not exist that solve the Navy’s need. The Navy seeks development of a highly efficient FCM technology meeting the objectives described above. Efficiency is the overriding objective and efficiency exceeding 60% (DC to optical output at the fiber exit) is the minimum expectation. Input voltage is system defined at 18VDC and any further power conversion required by the proposed technology should be included in the efficiency calculation. Minimum mode stripped power output is 1kW although obtaining peak efficiency at a higher output power is highly desirable. Consequently, proposed solutions shall consider the efficiency trade-space for output power up to 5kW. Power density is an important consideration; second only to efficiency and desirable for the reasons explained above. A power density of 1.0 W/cm3 is therefore a threshold requirement. The intended application requires that the technology meet shipboard storage temperature requirements of -51°C to 40°C.

PHASE I: Define and develop a concept for a diode-pumped fiber coupled laser module as defined in the description. Prove the feasibility of the concept in meeting Navy needs and establish the feasibility of producing the FCM. Feasibility will be established by some combination of initial concept design, analysis, and modeling. The Phase I Option, if awarded, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype in Phase II. Develop a Phase II plan.

PHASE II: Based on the Phase I results and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), design, develop, test, and deliver prototype FCMs for evaluation. Approximately six prototypes are desired in order to assess stability and demonstrate suitability for optical combining; however, the exact number should be proposed by the company based on the projected cost of development. Demonstrate that the prototypes meet the parameters in the description. Demonstrations will take place at a Government- or company-provided facility. A manufacturability analysis will propose best-practice manufacturing methods to prepare the FCM technology for Phase III transition. The company will prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology for Navy laser systems production and potential commercial use.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the technology to Navy use. Further refine the FCM technology according to the Phase III development plan for evaluation and testing to determine its effectiveness and reliability in an operationally relevant environment. Perform test and validation to certify and qualify initial production units for Navy use. The FCM should be a fully functional and packaged sub-assembly, ready for insertion into a laser weapon system. Produce the final product (or under license) and transition to the Government directly through technology upgrades to the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (SNLWS) program or through insertion into new program baselines in partnership with the SNLWS prime contractor.

High power laser technology has a multitude of military, industrial, and scientific applications such as electro-optical countermeasures, materials processing, laser cutting, and materials research. Advances resulting from this topic have wide application in these fields.

REFERENCES:

1. Zervas, Michalis N. and Codemard, Christophe A. “High power fiber lasers: a review.” IEEE J. Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 20, September/October 2014, article sequence number 0904123, 23 pages. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6808413/?reload=true

2. McNaught, Stuart J., et al., “Scalable coherent combining of kilowatt amplifiers into a 2.4-kW beam.” IEEE J. Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 20, September/October 2014, article sequence number 0901008, 8 pages. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6732914/

KEYWORDS: High-Energy Laser; Laser Weapons; Fiber Coupled Module; Optical Power Density; Fiber Coupling; Fiber Core

N181-063

TITLE: Mast Antenna Coupler

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground/Sea Vehicles

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 435, Submarine Electromagnetic Systems Program Office

OBJECTIVE: Develop a modular, enclosed antenna coupler to assist in the radio frequency (RF) testing of imaging mast antennas.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy needs the ability to perform an on-site pier-side test of the antenna mast without environmental interference. Currently, no commercial technologies are capable of performing this function. Today’s submarine electronic warfare (EW) suite, which includes the outboard sensors, RF distribution, and inboard electronics support measures (ESM) equipment, require system grooms as part of a maintenance cycle. Conducting open air RF testing as a part of these grooms can be difficult due to the congested nature of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum in and around Navy ports. The submarine community is interested in an antenna coupler housed in a shroud enclosure to improve radiated end-to-end testing and calibration routines for ESM systems. Utility in grooming the submarine imaging masts is of primary interest.

The ability to absorb or scatter incident energy in order to simulate free space is most frequently seen in an anechoic chamber. This technology, along with shielding mechanisms, can be harnessed to create an apparatus capable of testing sensitive RF antennas and associated RF paths in EM environments that would normally preclude such testing.

The shroud should be capable of accepting radio signals from a supplied RF source and radiating the signals into the mast mounted antennas in order to validate the full functionality of ESM system. The shroud should be capable of operating from 2MHz to 50GHz while maintaining modularity such that it could be adapted to accommodate multiple types of masts. The shroud has to receive and radiate RF signals with a vertical polarization, in the operating frequencies provided above, along a 360-degree azimuthal field of view at the horizon. The shroud should be capable of testing GPS (L1, L2, and L5) and Iridium functionality at zenith and provide a minimum of 70dB of attenuation from the ambient environment over the entire operational frequency range.

In compliance with MIL-STD-810G this unit should operate during various weather conditions i.e. rain (506.5-1 – 506.5-11), high wind speeds, humidity up to near 100% (507.5-1 – 507.5A-1), salt air environments (509.5-1 – 509.5-10), and temperatures varying from -10°C to +55°C (501.5-1 – 501.5-13 and 502.5-1 – 502.5-9). The unit should be only tall enough to accommodate the antennas under test without exceeding 600% of the antenna diameter or 250% of the antenna height. The unit should be portable, waterproof, and tearproof o the greatest extent possible, to include a transit case to hold and transport the unit when not in use.

The Phase II and Phase III efforts will likely require secure access, and NAVSEA will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. The Phase I effort will not require access to classified information.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. Owned and Operated with no Foreign Influence as defined by DOD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this contract as set forth by DSS and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advance phases of this contract.

PHASE I: Develop a concept for an enclosure describe in the description where an antenna mast is isolated such that RF interferers outside the enclosure do not interfere with an ongoing test. Demonstrate the feasibility of the concept in meeting the Navy needs and establish that the concept can be developed into a useful product for the Navy. Based on technical analysis, determine the ideal solution for achieving the performance goals. The Phase I Option, if awarded, should include the initial design specification and capabilities description to build a prototype in Phase II. Develop a Phase II plan.

PHASE II: Based on the result of Phase I and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), develop and deliver a prototype system with the capability to isolate an antenna mast while the shroud is equipped and perform the functions stated in the description. Evaluate the prototype to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the description and in the Phase II SOW. Prepare a Phase III SOW to transition the technology developed for Navy use.

It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see Description section for details).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the shroud for Navy use if Phase II is successful and receives approval. Develop a system according to Phase III SOW for evaluation to determine effectiveness in an operational relevant environment. Support the Navy for test and validation to certify and qualify the system for grooming the AN/BLQ-10B (V) and associated program of record sensors under PMS 435 Submarine Electromagnetic Systems Program Office.

This technology could be beneficial to commercial antenna companies that use anechoic chambers to perform tests of their products in order to verify it is functioning properly.

REFERENCES:

1. Abdelaziz, Abdelmonem Abdelaziz. "Improving the Performance of An Antenna Array by Using Radar Absorbing Cover." Progress In Electromagnetics Research Letters 1 (2008): 129-38. Web. http://www.jpier.org/PIERL/pierl01/16.07112503.pdf

2. Fenn, J. "Analysis of phase-focused near-field testing for multiphase-center adaptive radar systems." IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, August 1992, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 878-887.

3. Kraz, Vladimir. “Near-Field Methods of Locating EMI Sources.” Compliance Engineer, May/June 1995. http://www.bestesd.com/library/NEARFIELD.pdf

KEYWORDS: Radio Frequencies from submarine masts; Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC); Radar Cross Section (RCS); Anechoic Chamber; Antenna Mast Shroud; Electronic Warfare

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace, Electronics, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IWS 6.0, Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) Program Office

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a scalable, directional C-Band active array antenna system suitable for Group-IV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy is seeking to develop alternative routing of data through low-cost airborne Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) nodes to enable high data bandwidth, robust connectivity, and data routing flexibility between platforms in the surface fleet. A critical component necessary for this capability is a directional antenna architecture that has the flexibility to scale in size, weight, and power (SWaP), and is suitable for airborne applications. Such an antenna architecture would enable line-of-sight networked communications utilizing Group-IV UAV platforms (for the purpose of demonstrating this capability, an MQ-8C Fire Scout will be used as the air platform). This will greatly increase data throughput, system availability, and the ability to dynamically implement alternative routing, thereby improving the fleet’s ability to successfully execute complex multi-ship missions.

Currently the Navy utilizes both omnidirectional and point-to-point systems to move data between surface combatants, air platforms, and ground forces. A need exists to develop an airborne node that can provide directional data distribution enabling rapid rerouting between platforms, and achieve robustness in hostile Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) environments. Current directional airborne systems rely on antennas that have SWaP attributes unsuitable for installation on Group-IV UAV platforms. An active array antenna subsystem that minimizes the SWaP footprint will enable enhanced data routing utilizing a wide range of UAV platforms and provide robust alternative data paths for the fleet. Achieving these attributes requires an innovative antenna architecture that is highly directional, and supports rapid beam steering. No suitable C-Band antenna exists today in the commercial marketplace.