Part of the DoW SBIR/STTR FY27 Release 2 topic list. Browse all 83 topics by industry or service.
Topic DON27TZ02-NV004 from the DoW STTR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27TZ02-NV004 is a Department of the Navy STTR topic seeking a software module that adds decentralized multi-vehicle coordination to existing single-vehicle autonomy on undersea vehicles, with built-in continuous validation of risk and trust. It is a Phase I STTR topic with a research-institution partner. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27TZ02-NV004
- Official title: Validated Modular Autonomy for Undersea Multi-Vehicle Coordination
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: STTR (DoW STTR 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: No
- 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 DON27TZ02-NV004)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
The Navy wants a coordination layer that sits on top of existing single-vehicle UUV autonomy in architectures such as OpenAUV and ROS 2, with minimal changes, and that leaves the vehicle behaving normally when switched off. It must take mission inputs from Navy C2 systems and multi-platform sensor data, run real-time decentralized C2 for tens to hundreds of vehicles, and degrade gracefully with acoustic-only sensing, acoustic modems at 5000 bps or less, and no regular GPS. An essential component is a continuous validation method that quantifies risk and trust for every autonomous decision. Phase II requires lab tank tests and at least one in-water test outside the lab.
Who is a good fit
- Decentralized multi-agent planning and task allocation that works over very low-bandwidth, intermittent links
- Hands-on UUV autonomy development in ROS 2 or OpenAUV-style modular architectures
- Runtime assurance, verification and validation, or risk quantification methods for autonomous decision-making
- Access to vehicles, test tanks, and open-water test sites for Phase II
Watch-outs
- This is an STTR topic, so a research-institution partner is required.
- Continuous validation is not optional: deliverables must include the software and documentation for the method and a report quantifying its efficacy, with an emphasis on repeatability.
- Assume acoustic sensing, acoustic modems at 5000 bps or less, no regular GPS, and growing PNT error. Approaches that rely on high-rate links or shared camera views are unlikely to fit the stated assumptions.
- The topic requires CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked as ITAR-restricted in the topic metadata.
Think your company fits DON27TZ02-NV004? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27TZ02-NV004 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
Validated Modular Autonomy for Undersea Multi-Vehicle Coordination
Objective
Develop software modules for existing autonomous undersea vehicles that support and extend existing system autonomy with multi-vehicle coordination behaviors.
Description
Autonomous undersea vehicles performing expeditionary missions require state-of-the-art cooperative sensing and engagement capabilities. The Navy seeks to enhance those capabilities with modular software designed for reliability and operational effectiveness. The advancement sought is development of a modular coordination layer extending existing single vehicle with decentralized multi-vehicle behaviors to enable autonomous decision making under degraded communications, sensing, and PNT conditions.
The software prototype needs to take in mission requirements provided by existing Navy command and control (C2) systems and sensor data provided by multiple platforms and use those inputs to coordinate mission performance with other vehicles. It should be compatible with modular unmanned autonomy architectures already in use by the Navy, such as the Open Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (OpenAUV) architecture and the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2). Within those architectures, the prototype must interface with existing autonomy designed for single-vehicle operations with minimal changes to already established systems. When the prototype is disabled or unnecessary, vehicle performance and behavior must conform to what would be expected of an unmodified single vehicle.
The multi-mission management functions of the software prototype need to use a decentralized C2 scheme that is robust in low-information environments and that degrades gracefully if communications or sensing are limited. The C2 scheme must demonstrate sufficient scalability to effectively manage many vehicles: tens to hundreds. Real-time C2 is a must.
The prototype should assume the primary sensing mode of each vehicle is acoustic. Realistic sensors include forward-look and side-scan sonar, possibly with a synthetic aperture. Cameras may be available, but if so, their field of view should not be assumed to allow for keeping other vehicles in sight. Realistic communications include acoustic modems with transmission rates of 5000 bps or less, possibly much less. Communications methods with higher transmission rates are unlikely to be available and may only be possible at extremely close range.
The prototype should assume that access to radar and satellite systems is extremely limited or non-existent. In particular, the prototype should not depend on regular access to global positioning system (GPS) data, and it should take into account the possibility that each vehicle is subject to position, navigation, and timing errors that increase in magnitude as each mission progresses.
The software prototype must include as an essential component a method of continuous validation that establishes and quantifies risk and trust for all autonomous decision-making, with an emphasis on repeatability. Deliverables must include the documentation and software necessary to implement this continuous validation method, as well as a report quantifying the efficacy of the method.
The ideal prototype will be mission agnostic, instead focusing on a generalized set of multi-vehicle behaviors and objectives.
The software prototype should minimize potential negative impacts on mission effectiveness, vehicle endurance, vehicle survivability, and operator workload. The prototype can include enabling hardware, provided that such hardware can be installed on existing autonomous undersea vehicles. The complexity of any vehicle modifications should be minimized. The prototype software and any accompanying hardware should also minimize their overall power consumption. Deliverable reports should include analysis identifying and quantifying any such impacts.
Phase I
Develop a concept for an architecture for a prototype multi-vehicle mission module. Ensure that this architecture should provide an approach for decomposing missions into generalized multi-vehicle behaviors and objectives. Identify and design a method of continuous validation that establishes and quantifies risk and trust for autonomous decision-making. Provide required deliverables that include prototype module architecture designs; documentation for the method of continuous validation; and analysis of how those approaches attain the topic’s goals, including both academic research and validated modeling and simulation.
Phase II
Develop a method of continuous validation and determine the extent to which that method can quantify risk for autonomous decision-making, including repeatability analysis. Validate the method itself against a series of reference vehicles running a set of standard missions.
Using the proposed method of continuous validation, develop the prototype software module. Analyze its performance on one or more reference vehicles running standard autonomy. Base the analysis on modeling and simulation, component-level testing, laboratory tank tests, and at least one in-water test outside of a laboratory environment.
Demonstrate reliability and operational effectiveness in subsea environments with low-bandwidth communications.
Prepare a Phase III commercialization/transition plan.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Assess the performance of the prototype method of continuous validation as it would be used by Fleet stakeholders for their autonomous vehicles. Modify the method as necessary in response to Fleet feedback and any discrepancies between expected and actual performance. Complete the prototype software module, any associated hardware, and the documentation necessary for integration into modular unmanned autonomy architectures already in use by the Navy.
References
Bovio, E., Cecchi, D. and Baralli, F. “Autonomous underwater vehicles for scientific and naval operations.” Annual Reviews in Control, 30(2), 2006, pp. 117-130. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136757880600054X
Fanelli, F. “Development and Testing of Navigation Algorithms for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.” Springer, 2019. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-15596-4
Harris, C. A., Phillips, A. B., Dopico-Gonzalez, C. and Brito, M. P. “Risk and reliability modelling for multi-vehicle marine domains.” 2016 IEEE/OES Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). November 2016, pp. 286-293. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7778685
Razdan, R., Akbas, M. I., Sell, R., Bellone, M., Menase, M. and Malayjerdi, M. “Polyverif: An open-source environment for autonomous vehicle validation and verification research acceleration.” IEEE Access, 11, 2023, pp. 28343-28354. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10075634
Wang, F., Song, R., Zhou, R., Wang, X. and Chen, L. “Verification and Validation of Intelligent Vehicles: Objectives and Efforts From China.” IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, 7 (2), 2022. Pp. 164-169. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9826530
Keywords
Autonomous; Autonomy; Continuous Validation; OpenAUV; Robot Operating System; ROS; ROS2; Validation
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27TZ02-NV004?
It is a Department of the Navy STTR topic to develop software modules for existing autonomous undersea vehicles that extend their single-vehicle autonomy with decentralized multi-vehicle coordination behaviors under degraded communications, sensing, and PNT.
When is DON27TZ02-NV004 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. After that, questions go through DSIP Topic Q&A.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
It is a Phase I STTR topic. Phase I develops the module architecture and designs the continuous validation method, supported by research and validated modeling and simulation. Phase II builds and tests the module. A research-institution partner is required.
How many vehicles must the coordination scheme handle?
The decentralized C2 scheme must show enough scalability to manage tens to hundreds of vehicles, and real-time C2 is required.