OSW26BZ01-DV001 TITLE: Establishing Ad-Hoc Distributed Network Across Heterogeneous RF Systems
Award Maximum: $2,000,000 | Period of Performance: Not to exceed 12 months | Phase Type: Direct to Phase II
OBJECTIVE: Successful Joint Operations executed by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) rely on tight coordination, synchronization, and tactical communication across multiple service components and platforms. The Joint Force faces real-time communication and coordination challenges between modern, more flexible systems and the much larger inventory of older legacy platforms that were independently acquired by each service. Virtually all platforms have one or more types of Radio Frequency (RF) apertures and backend electronics that could be used to coordinate effects, but they lack the appropriate firmware (FW) or software (SW) to enable cross platform synchronization of those effects due to compatibility or proprietary software interface constraints. Multiple land, sea, air, and space assets would benefit from software and firmware enhancements to increase communication and synchronization effectiveness across the Joint Force. The objective of this effort is to assess and implement advanced SW/FW enhancements onto existing platform(s) to enable heterogeneous multifunction RF systems to communicate and synchronize activities to increase effectiveness of Joint Force operations. A large defense contractor that produces high volume, (hundreds or thousands of production units) may be hesitant to change their baseline SW/FW to incorporate new capabilities. The Government is interested in an experienced agile, small business software developer to study and implement communication applications onto a large defense contractor's target software defined radio (SDR) to enable greater Joint interoperability. Key aspects of the study are to assess SW/FW compatibility with the target SDR; identify hardware and software constraints; assess cyber vulnerabilities; and culminate in a proof-of-concept lab demonstration to establish an ad-hoc network between heterogeneous RF systems. Additionally, the study seeks to generate a roadmap and identify risk reduction activities that should be performed in order to fully integrate these new capabilities into operational systems. The proposed solution should support integration with DoW's existing RF systems, payloads, and operations to improve mission agility, reduce mission risk, and enhance Joint Operations. Competitive proposals must originate from performers that have previously demonstrated SW/FW integration of multi-function operations, in a laboratory environment or in open-air testing, between heterogeneous DoW RF systems. The Government is particularly interested in enabling diverse ad-hoc data network node establishment between dissimilar RF mission systems. These DoW payloads or platforms of interest for this application are Communication, Command and Control (C2), Electronic Warfare (EW), or Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems. This use of diverse RF mission platforms, payloads, and leveraging multiplexed signals to establish non-traditional data distribution nodes while still performing the primary mission would greatly increase Joint interoperability.
DESCRIPTION: The proposer will need to work closely with a DoW-DIRECTED defense contractor to implement SW/FW modifications to the target SDR to enable heterogeneous multifunction RF systems to communicate and synchronize activities. The specific defense contractor will be identified to the proposer upon notification of selection for the D2P2 award.
PHASE I: This topic is accepting Direct to Phase II proposals only. Strong proposals should document prior experience collaborating and working with large defense contractors in many or all the following ways: Demonstrated ability to transition software enhancements to operational DoW platforms; Ability to modify / enhance existing legacy tactical platform payloads with additional capabilities; Real-world or open-air experiments to validate hypotheses and concepts; Experience implementing and testing Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) & Low Probability of Detection (LPD) waveforms. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to: technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results.
PHASE II: The DoW requires synchronization of effects at tactical timelines, which could be achieved through primary or secondary data pathways. Dynamic, distributed C2 enabled in an active conflict allows for alternate C2 methods should adversary jamming deny specific frequencies in the environment. The purpose of this study is to assess feasibility and implement an alternate data pathway through SW/FW modifications to target hardware, identify constraints, and implement an ad-hoc data network via heterogeneous RF systems. A crawl, walk, run approach is envisioned for this Phase II effort where the contractor would initially assess SW/FW compatibility with the target SDR, identify hardware and software constraints, test code initial on the target hardware, and culminate in a proof-of-concept lab demo with representative HW. A roadmap for future full system integration with the operational system is also desired. An ideal proposal will be able to demonstrate these new SW/FW capabilities on the development hardware kit that will be made available through the large defense contractor to winning proposal(s). Proposers should have access to an existing SAPF accredited facility and access to classified IT (JWICS, SIC, CORE, or SAV); or provide a credible plan for having access to accredited SAPF facilities and IT systems by the projected contract award date to collaborate with the large defense contractor. Close collaboration via remote telecons or in person meetings with the defense contractor will be required in order to integrate and test the SW/FW updates on the target hardware.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: SCO believes that there is significant potential for this technology to be incorporated across multiple DoW programs and operational platforms to enhance Joint Operations.