DON26BZ01-NV014 — Non-Radio Frequency, Covert Maritime Transceiver

Award Maximum: $140,000 (Base) / $100,000 (Option) Period of Performance: 6 months (Base) + 6 months (Option) Phase Type: Phase I

OBJECTIVE: Develop a reliable and covert transceiver for use in contested areas where the use of traditional radio frequencies are not permitted in order to remain concealed. The Navy is looking for new technologies that can transmit and receive wireless communications from distances of at least 5km. The signal medium may be, but not limited to, acoustic, infrared, or ultraviolet. The communications link must be highly resistant to interference, detection, and exploitation.

DESCRIPTION: Covert communications have continuously evolved during the history of warfare. Paradigm shifts in communication (in warfare) have enabled evolutionary tactical advantages that have lasted for finite periods of time until an adversary adjusts technology and tactics to detect, and in some cases monitor, seemingly covert communications. Various modalities are available to attempt to provide secure, covert communications including many Radio Frequency (RF) techniques, free-space optics (laser comm.) and others. Due to the United States's reliance on RF for communications and sensing (e.g., radar), various peer-adversaries have engineered around many of these modalities putting secure communications at risk. For this reason, it is necessary to go "out-of-band" to provide a modality of communication not commonly used and enabled by technology that is wholly new and therefore restricted by rarity.

Therefore, the Navy is looking for a low power, small communications transceiver that offers low probability of intercept (LPI) and low probability of detection (LPD). The new technology must be able to acquire, track, and maintain a secure communications link between rapidly moving vehicles (manned and unmanned). Emerging applications include cognitive operations with other autonomous systems for armed combat, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), casualty extraction, and field communications.

Attributes: Must be able to communicate between two or more points at least 5km away; Low Size, Weight, and Power/Cost (SWaP-C); Reliable, continuous communication link; Field Programmable; LPI/LPD; Flexible data rate requirement (up to 10MB/s).

Work produced in Phase II may become classified.

PHASE I: Evaluation of technical merit of Phase I proposals will be based on design, system functionality, durability and feasibility. Assessment of the performance parameters and identification of the constraints and limitations is required, and a full rationale supporting the advantages and strengths of the design. Justification of the feasibility study will be based on research, part/component availability, sound engineering principles, and market research. Describe maximum transmission distance between points and the reliability of the wireless link. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.

PHASE II: The end state goal of the proposed initiative is to develop and test a prototype system that implements the Phase I design. This prototype will have its ability to communicate wirelessly between two points tested in a relevant environment with input and direction from the Government TPOC. The system should demonstrate that it meets the objective and system attributes in this SBIR topic and will be evaluated based on the reliability and capability of the communications link. Work in Phase II may become classified.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete final testing and perform necessary integration and transition for use in monitoring operations, remote surveillance and reconnaissance applications with appropriate platforms and agencies, and future combat systems under development. Commercially, this product could be used to enable remote environmental and security monitoring or point to point secure communications.

KEYWORDS: Covert transceiver communications; Field programmable; Wireless communications; interference resistant; Low power consumption; Cognitive applications; Radio Frequency; non-RF