Part of the DoW SBIR/STTR FY27 Release 2 topic list. Browse all 83 topics by industry or service.
Topic DON27BZ02-NV020 from the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27BZ02-NV020 is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic seeking technology that takes historic satellite imagery and modifies it in 10 minutes or less to show a training scenario's order of battle, so imagery analysts can train in maritime exercises. It follows a standard Phase I feasibility, Phase II prototype structure. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27BZ02-NV020
- Official title: Rapid Imagery Creation for Navy Training
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: SBIR (DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Phase I base up to $200,000 plus an option up to $115,000. Source: Navy Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: Yes. Export-controlled (ITAR/EAR); see topic text
- Technology areas: None
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DON27BZ02-NV020)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
Imagery analysts are largely left out of Navy exercises such as SWATT, IWATT, FST-GC/J, and COMPTUEX because realistic imagery cannot be produced fast enough, so they get summaries or stick-figure GRAPHPLOTS instead. The Navy wants a tool that starts from real geo-rectified imagery and quickly changes which ships, submarines, aircraft, and vehicles appear at a site, outputting an NITF image. Phase I proves feasibility on a single electro-optical image and assesses IR and SAR. Phase II builds a SIPRNet prototype that takes a site by BE number and outputs a near real-world NITF image of the requested order of battle.
Who is a good fit
- Generative or physics-based image synthesis that preserves the radiometric and geometric characteristics of real satellite imagery
- Experience with NITF and geospatial intelligence imagery workflows
- Object insertion and removal for ships, submarines, and aircraft in overhead imagery
- An existing facility clearance or a credible path to one, with cleared staff able to work on SIPRNet
Watch-outs
- The topic metadata marks it as ITAR-restricted, so plan for export-control compliance, including limits on foreign national participation.
- Work in Phase II may become classified. Prospective contractors must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence (unless DCSA-approved mitigation is in place) and must be able to acquire and maintain a Secret facility clearance and personnel clearances.
- The Phase II prototype is to be developed on SIPRNet, and the Phase III product would ideally reside on SIPRNet as a portal.
- The topic metadata lists CMMC Level 2 (Self).
Think your company fits DON27BZ02-NV020? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27BZ02-NV020 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Rapid Imagery Creation for Navy Training
Objective
Develop technology to use historic real-world satellite imagery and then rapidly (10 minutes or less) modify it to reflect a training scenario order of battle (aircraft, ships, vehicles, etc.) to allow imagery analysts to practice their tradecraft underway or ashore in support of maritime exercises.
Description
Currently, imagery analysts are excluded from, or extremely limited in, participating in dynamic Navy operational and staff training such as Surface Warfare Advanced Team Trainer (SWATT), Information Warfare Advanced Team Trainer (IWATT), Fleet Synthetic Training General Commander/Joint (FST-GC/J), and Commander Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX).This is due to the limited ability to dynamically generate the required products for imagery analysts within a reasonable amount of time at a quality that supports training.
Currently, either summaries are provided to the training audience circumventing the imagery analysts all together or providing GRAPHPLOTS - the equivalence of stick figure drawing - to track the order of battle (OOB) made up of aircraft, ships, vehicles, etc., without any use of actual imagery or geospatial analysis.
A technology to address this shortfall would need to take real-world geo-rectified imagery as a base and then rapidly adjust/modify the image to reflect the desired OOB and in a National Imagery Transition Format (NTIF) to be provided to the training audience for imagery analysts to process.
For example, in real-life Port A, identified by Basic Encyclopedia (BE) number, is of high interest and has a collection requirement against it for satellite imagery to be collected. In reality, Port A has three Kilo-class submarines and one Luhu-class destroyer, but in the scenario things have dynamically changed such that one of those submarines is now underway and an additional Luda I-class Destroyer has arrived, requiring the rapid (less than 10 minutes) production of an NITF image depicting two Kilo-class submarines, one Luhu DD, and one Luda I DDG to provide the training audience for analysis. The same would be required for airfields depicting aircraft movement as well.
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 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly 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. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and ONR 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 during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Phase I
Create concept formulation for electro-optical imagery, determine technical feasibility of rapidly generating an NITF image, and validation through the modification of a single image (note: format and quality are not relevant here) to change the depicted order of battle. Determine technical feasibility of infrared (IR), and Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) imagery. Create demonstration standard sufficient to assess preservation of imagery characteristics necessary for realistic imagery-analysis training.
Phase II
Develop prototype technology on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRnet) to effectively execute the example provided in the Description for Electro-Optical (EO) imagery. Determine a site by BE number (from a limited provided subset), outputting a near real-world NITF image of the desired OOB (from a limited inventory of platforms). Demonstrate standard sufficient to assess preservation of imagery characteristics. Prepare a Phase III commercialization/transition plan.
Work in Phase II may become classified. Please see note in Description section.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
This technology would be usable and empower any dynamic military training opportunity to support Imagery/GEOINT analysis. Possible transition to National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), Carrier Strike Group FOUR and FIFTEEN (CSG-4/15), Tactical Training Group Pacific (TTGP), Tactical Training Group Atlantic (TTGL) and NSWC Corona.
This product will ideally reside on the SIPRNet as a portal for users to query on RED networks, such as NCTE-RED OPS, NMCI SIPR, SIPR TRANET, then providing the requested images.
Potential work in Phase III could include prototype refinement, testing, production, and transition support.
References
“ Publication 1.0: GEOINT Basic Doctrine, 2018.” 170901-038_GEOINT_Basic_Doctrine_Pub_1.pdf
“National Imagery Transmission Format Standard (NITFS) Technical Board (NTB).” https://nsgreg.nga.mil/ntb.jsp
“National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual (NISP), 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq. 1993.” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-2004
Keywords
Imagery; analysis; maritime training; Geospatial Intelligence; GEOINT; Order of Battle; OOB; dynamic; electro-optical; collections
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27BZ02-NV020?
It is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic to use historic real-world satellite imagery and rapidly modify it to reflect a training scenario order of battle, so imagery analysts can practice tradecraft in maritime exercises.
When is DON27BZ02-NV020 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
The topic describes a standard Phase I for concept formulation and feasibility, validated by modifying a single image, followed by Phase II prototype development on SIPRNet. It does not state that it is Direct-to-Phase II.
Which imagery types are in scope?
Electro-optical imagery is the primary focus. Phase I also asks for a feasibility determination for infrared (IR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, and the Phase II prototype targets the EO example in the Description.