DoD SBIR 2021.2

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;Directed Energy (DE);Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons 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 3.5 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 compact/lightweight low-cost broadband/wideband high-power microwave (HPM) source to support intermediate force capabilities, i.e., a long-range vehicle and/or vessel engine stopping system. Provide wideband (100 MHz to 2 GHz) HPM sources with pulse widths of 1 nanosecond (ns) to 200 nanoseconds; pulse repetition frequencies of a few pulses per second to 100 kHz; HPM waveform rise times of 0.25 ns to 100 ns; Electronic Field Strengths of 1kV/meter to 100 kV/meter; polarizations of horizontal or vertical; overall system size and weight of less than 100 lbs threshold (T), 50 lbs objective (O); and a low overall system cost of < $100K (T); $50K (O); effective ranges of 100’s of meters (T) and a few kilometers (3-5km) (O). DESCRIPTION: This SBIR topic seeks to develop a more compact and lightweight long-range counter-electronic vehicle/vessel stopping system to support long range non-lethal vehicle/vessel stopping missions; and to mitigate codified joint non-lethal weapon capability gaps. There is Service transition interest in both the Maritime (U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard) and Ground (U.S. Army and USMC) domains as each Service currently desires long-range threat vehicle/vessel stopping capabilities with significant reduced overall system size, weight, power consumption, thermal cooling and lower system costs (SWAP/C2). Existing Radio Frequency (RF) Vehicle and Vessel Stopping systems have known range and overall system size and weight limitations; the current commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions only mitigate a very small portion of the codified JROC-approved long-range vehicle/vessel stopping capability-gap [Refs 1-4]. The intended system is to replace current RF Vehicle/Vessel Stopper technologies with sizes of ~ 160 cu ft and ~1000 pounds and costs of ~$1M with a prototype wideband-based HPM source/system that is ~ 3 cu ft; 50-100 pounds and costs only $50-100K; low overall system power consumption of < 25kW of prime power. System must operate commensurate with and compliant with MIL Standard 810H environmental performance/operating standards. See Objective section for specific performance specifications required under this SBIR topic. Specifically this SBIR topic is seeking wideband (100 MHz to 2 GHz) high power microwave sources with pulse widths of 1 nanosecond (ns) to 200 nanoseconds; pulse repetition frequencies of a few pulses per second to 100 kHz; HPM waveform rise times of 0.25 ns to 100 ns; Electronic Field Strengths of 1kV/meter to 100 kV/meter; polarizations of horizontal or vertical; overall system size and weight of less than 100 lbs (T), 50 lbs (O); and a low overall system cost of <$100K (T); $50K (O). 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and Marine Corps 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Develop concepts for an improved (more compact/lightweight and longer range) broadband/wideband high power microwave (HPM) source to support intermediate force capabilities, i.e., a long-range vehicle and/or vessel engine stopping system. Demonstrate the feasibility/effectiveness of the wideband HPM source against relevant threat vehicle and vessel engine targets. Collect RF Target Susceptibility data corresponding to the source’s RF-HPM waveform against a broad relevant set of (currently available commercial vehicle and vessel engines, e.g., COTS-available threat vehicle and vessel engine) targets. Demonstrate HPM weapon effectiveness and performance in meeting JNLWD/JIFCO/Marine Corps needs and establish that the HPM weapon concept can be employed throughout the Joint Services. Perform rigorous RF Target Susceptibility testing against a broad set of vehicle and vessel engine targets. Provide a Phase II development plan with performance goals and key technical milestones, and that will address technical risk reduction and define the development of a Phase II non-lethal wideband HPM Vehicle/Vessel Stopping prototype weapon. PHASE II: Develop a next-generation wideband HPM Vehicle/Vessel Stopping prototype weapon. The prototype will be evaluated via rigorous RF Target Susceptibility testing at both the contractor’s facilities and at the Naval Surface Warfare Center - Dahlgren Division (NSWC- Dahlgren) test ranges. The JNLWD-JIFCO maintains a set of relevant threat vehicle and vessel engines at NSWC- Dahlgren. The contractor’s Phase II SBIR prototype weapon will be independently assessed and evaluated at these government lab facilities with minimal cost to the performer. The objective of this independent testing is to determine the weapon’s capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II development plan and the Marine Corps requirements for a RF-HPM Vehicle/Vessel Stopper. The full wideband RF-HPM weapons systems to include integration to a high-gain RF-HPM antenna system will be prototyped and tested. System performance will be demonstrated through the evaluation of the HPM weapon system’s ability to upset, neutralize, and kill (soft and hard) relevant threat vehicle and vessel engines. Confirm and verify the modeling and analytical methods developed in Phase I to include measuring the required full range of parameters including numerous deployment cycles. Evaluation results will be used to refine the prototype into an initial design that will meet the JIFCO/JNLWD/Marine Corps non-lethal vehicle/vessel stopping requirements. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology to Joint Service 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 JIFCO/JNLWD/Marine Corps in transitioning the technology for Joint Service use. Develop this next-generation wideband RF-HPM weapon system for evaluation to determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environments, e.g., exercised in Limited Military User Assessments (LMUAs) held by various Services. Support the JIFCO/JNLWD/Marine Corps for test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Joint Service use. A compact – lightweight long range RF-HPM vehicle/vessel stopping capability has significant commercial applications beyond the DoD. Other government agencies, such as the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to include Customs and Border Patrol, have actively been researching these types of non-lethal counter-electronic effects. Local civilian law enforcement has these type of missions to support both vehicle/vessel interdiction missions as well as to mitigate vehicle/vessel-borne terrorism. Currently overall system size, weight, and cost have hindered the use of these systems by these agencies. This SBIR topic specifically addresses overall system size, weight, power consumption, thermal cooling, and overall system cost all while drastically improving RF-HPM Vehicle/Vessel Stopping weapon performance. REFERENCES: 1. Giri, D.V. “High-power Electromagnetic Radiators: Non-Lethal Weapons and Other Applications.” Harvard University Press, 2004. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4118005. 2. Barker, Robert J. and Schamiloglu, Edl. “High-Power Microwave Sources and Technologies: Volume A.” IEEE Press Series on RF and Microwave Technology, Wiley-IEEE Press, Edition 1, June 2001. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/book/5265060. 3. “Directed-energy weapon.” 18 July 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed-energy_weapon. 4. Glasmacher, Mathias. “High-Power Electro-Magnetics Effector Systems for Vehicle Stopping.” Diehl Defence Group; Diehl Stiftung & Co, KG, 2020. https://www.diehl.com/group/en/technology/innovation/hpem/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop a personnel-portable ruggedized hydroelectric generator that will provide power from hydrokinetic water sources and has the ability to be dropped in a stream or other area of moving water and provide a level of power needed to recharge a unit’s batteries or meet other low-power requirements. DESCRIPTION: There is a need within the DoD to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel power generation. Bulk fuel movement is expensive, presents a high safety risk to personnel, and will become less reliable in distributed operations. Renewable energy is one way to reduce costs, increase safety, and provide more reliable power. Unfortunately, renewable energy systems can be heavy, bulky, difficult to deploy, and have a significant footprint during transport and operation and high cost. The intent of this SBIR topic is to develop a pico-hydro power (micro-hydropower) energy system that is personnel-portable, low volume during transport/operation, efficient, reliable, and cost-effective. The system will be capable of being transported on a vehicle to the hydro resource. It shall be offloaded, carried, and deployed by hand. Water flow and Multi-axes kinetic generation are potential solutions. This SBIR topic seeks innovative scientific and engineering solutions. Proposals should specifically describe the technology that will be applied to solve the problem, how it will be developed, what the estimated benefits will be and how it might be transitioned into the DoD. Definitions: System must meet Threshold requirements = (T) It is highly desirable for the system to meet Objective requirements = (O) The proposed system must address the following requirements, at a minimum: 1. Capable of producing from 500 W (T) to 1500 W (O) (500W continuous, 5kW peak). 2. Capable of producing 500W using a water flow that has a velocity of 0.5 m/sec (O) or 1 m/sec (T). 3. Operable in rivers or streams with a minimum depth of 0.5 m (O) or 1 m (T). 4. Capable of optimizing electrical power output for any range of water velocities and minimum depths (O). 5. Capable of making use of input water velocity, kinetic energy, or pressure from any direction to generate required and additional electrical power. (O) 6. Component weight of no more than 88 lbs (two-person portable). 7. Total system transport volume/cube not to exceed 1 m3, which includes electrical cables, connectors, ropes/tethering/anchoring (if applicable). 8. Ability to meet the requirements of the Marine Corps in all of its operating environments (MIL-STD 810). 9. 24VDC output (MIL-STD-1275D, Ref 3). 10. Operated with little or no human intervention. 11. Capable of repair in the field with plug-and-play line replaceable units or parts produced by expeditionary advanced manufacturing (additive manufactured 3D printed / subtractive manufactured CNC milling or lathing parts). 12. Capable of operation in fresh and brackish water. 13. Able to withstand debris fouling without degrading performance. 14. Capable of being quickly and easily interconnected to produce power in excess of the 500 – 1500 W range of an individual system. (See #1 above.) 15. Able to be deployed and operational by 2 people, after reading quick card instructions, within 30 minutes (T), less than 5 minutes (O), starting from its transport configuration. 16. Retrievable and ready for transport within 30 minutes (T), less than 5 minutes (O). PHASE I: Develop concepts for an improved hydro-electric generator that meets the requirements described above. Demonstrate the feasibility of the concepts in meeting Marine Corps needs. Establish that the concepts can be developed into a useful product for the Marine Corps. Feasibility will be established by material testing and analytical modeling, as appropriate. Provide a Phase II development plan with performance goals and key technical milestones, and that will address technical risk reduction. PHASE II: Develop a scaled prototype for evaluation to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II development plan and the Marine Corps requirements for the hydro-electric generator. Demonstrate system performance through prototype evaluation and modeling or analytical methods over the required range of parameters including numerous deployment cycles. Evaluation results will be used to refine the prototype into an initial design that will meet Marine Corps requirements and develop hydro-electric generator for evaluation to determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environment. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology to Marine Corps use. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Marine Corps in transitioning the technology for Marine Corps use. Support the Marine Corps for test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Marine Corps use. Commercial applications include recreational use, humanitarian aid/disaster relief, and “off-grid” home designs. The recreational industry has seen a significant increase in the last few years specifically with off grid application. This application is directly applicable to this market segment. This recreational market is seen as having the highest potential for commercialization and sales. Support for disaster relief and humanitarian aid are other applications. Additionally, there is application in developing countries and areas underserved by electrical power distribution. REFERENCES: 1. Beerman-Curtin, Sharon. “SBIR Topic N112-147: Person-Portable Micro-Hydropower System.” Solicitation 11.2, 2012. https://www.navysbir.com/n11_2/N112-147.htm. 2. “Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water current converters - Part 300: Electricity producing river energy converters - Power performance assessment. IEC TS 62600-300:2019, 12 September 2019. https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/iec/8a96e94d-2e9a-4597-b14e-74749352eb54/iec-ts-62600-300-2019. 3. “Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water current converters - Part 301: River energy resource assessment.” IEC TS 62600-301:2019, 12 September 2019. https://tc114.us/standards-development/purchase-iec-tc-114-documents/. 4. Lambert, Brent. “Check Out the Incredible New Portable Air Conditioner & Underwater Turbine Powered River Current.” FEELGuide, 9 September 2019. https://www.feelguide.com/2019/09/09/check-out-the-incredible-new-portable-air-conditioner-underwater-turbine-powered-by-river-current/. 5. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. “WPTO Announces $4.4 Million for Phase I Small Business Innovation Projects.” 21 May 2020. https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/articles/wpto-announces-44-million-phase-i-small-business-innovation-projects. 6. Naval Sea Systems Command. “2019 Naval Power & Energy Systems Technology Development Roadmap: Energy Harvesting.” https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/2019_NPES_TDR_Distribution_A_Approved_Final.pdf?ver=2019-06-26-132556-223. 7. “Underwater Turbines.” Pioneer Valley Renewables, LLC. 13 July 2020 http://pioneervalleyrenewables.com/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms 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 3.5 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: Design and develop a multispectral scene projector capable of presenting a scene to a gimbaled sensor under test. DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Navy currently operates a number of legacy spectral scene generators to test a number of single and dual band sensors. The background comprises a Visible (VIS) band projected onto a blocking target that is opaque to all VIS wavelengths, prior to entering a collimating optic and presented to the gimbaled sensor. A number of blocking targets with various angular sizes exist on a filter wheel allowing the system to characterize sensor resolution. A target beam, maintained at the center of the scene, represents the Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) signature of an air platform, generated by an IR source with an aperture to control angular extent and a variable Neutral Density (ND) filter to rapidly change intensity. These two collimated sources, the MWIR target and VIS background, are combined by an optic with the MWIR target aligned to the collimated blocked portion of the background. Finally, a pickoff mirror allows 90% of the combined beam to pass to the sensor under test, while reflecting 10% toward a camera used for scene awareness. The scene projected and presented to the sensor under test is comprised of a collimated background of VIS light, a negative target of blocked VIS light with MWIR superimposed on the negative target. This is a simplistic static system allowing for investigation of target resolution and sensor sensitivity. However, this system lacks the required dynamics of other targets in the scene, required for investigating tracking algorithms. This SBIR topic is seeking to extend the technology of legacy generators by adding additional targets with the ability to move within the scene and change their spectral content. An example scene may comprise a mixture of Ultra-Violet (UV)/VIS intensities as a background; a static target that blocks the background but retains a signature with Long Wave Infrared (LWIR), MWIR, Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR), VIS, and UV components; and three other moving dynamic targets comprised of a mixture of LWIR, SWIR, MWIR, VIS, and UV emissions. This system will evaluate a gimbaled sensor and the performance of tracking algorithms in a spectrally complex environment having dynamic targets with signatures comprised of LWIR, MWIR, SWIR, VIS, and UV bands, combined with an illuminated background emitting in the UV and/or VIS bands (Ref 5). This system should reside on one or two optical tables in which the scene is generated and allow for positioning the sensor under test. The background presented to the sensor under test must provide an illuminated background emitting in the UV and/or VIS bands. The background represents the sky as seen by a sensor. The sensor under test will typically be banded, but that defined band may be anywhere from the UV to VIS portions of the spectrum. The intensity of the background should have a comparable intensity to that of the sky and be adjustable to simulate differing intensities, such as a sunny day, overcast, and heavy cloud cover; as well as time of day, such as morning, noon, and evening. The bands described in this document are defined as follows: a. UV: 300-400 nm b. VIS: 400-700 nm c. SWIR: 1-3 µm d. MWIR 3-5 µm e. LWIR: 8-12 µm A single primary target source represents an air-platform in a scene as a spot, blocking the UV and VIS portions of the background as an aircraft traveling across the sky. However, while blocking the background, the Primary Target may be emitting in any of the UV, VIS, SWIR or MWIR, and LWIR bands and overlay on the blocked spot. The mixture of bands, angular extent, and intensities must be variable as a function of time to simulate platforms operating at different ranges at different headings. The secondary targets represent other emitters in the spectrally rich scene such as other air-platforms, munitions, or countermeasures. These sources have variable intensities and emit in the UV, VIS, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR bands. However, these sources do not block the UV and VIS emissions of the background. These sources must also have the ability to vary the mixture of LWIR, SWIR, MWIR, VIS, and UV emissions, intensities in each band, angular size, and following a pre-programmed trajectory, dynamically move in relation to the primary target. The projector should present three or four secondary targets. There is a requirement to provide awareness of the scene presented to the sensor under test, in real time, as the scene develops. This imagery output is used to create a data product that overlays a sensor's gimbaled track-point on the scene as it develops. For more simplistic projectors involving only two adjacent bands, a beam splitter is used to capture a portion of the energy and present it to a camera. This is a more difficult problem since a single camera cannot capture the spectral data across the spectrum and will require multiple cameras, each with a fused spectral output. Just as in the legacy system, a camera(s) must capture and display the scene presented to the sensor under test. Software is required to control the many elements of the scene projector and has two main functions. First is designing and planning the scene as it evolves in time, including the spectral content, intensities of the different bands, angular size, and motion of each source. The second function is the control of the optical components as the test occurs. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 NAVAIR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate the feasibility to build a scene projector, employing beam combining/mixing optics that have previously been built, combining two neighboring spectral bands such as MWIR and SWIR, and methods for controlling the motion in the scene, including moving combining mirrors and sending the image into a collimating optic. The Phase I demonstration will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop a prototype multispectral scene projector capable of presenting a scene to a gimbaled sensor under test. Provide schematic and layout of optics, emitters and other components. Develop a method for viewing the entire scene in all bands presented to the sensor. Develop a controlling Graphical User Interface (GUI) and identify variables. Demonstrating the multispectral projector is capable of giving similar results to more simplistic legacy system, while considering radiometric measurement of spectral components of the scene. It is probable that the work under this effort, particularly in the sensor portion, will be classified under Phase II (see Description section for details). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype and provide demonstration of the multispectral projector on an advanced sensor. Perform final testing and validation. Transition to applicable naval platforms and/or naval laboratories. The multispectral scene generator will be suitable for testing hardware-in-the-loop systems incorporating multiple sensors across multiple EO/IR bands, such as missile seekers, ISR camera systems, and targeting systems. The scene projector will also provide a critical laboratory-based pathway for the development of EO/IR algorithms employing sensor fusion and the merging of information across multiple bands to achieve increased accuracy. Industries include Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Missile Defense. REFERENCES: 1. Jennison, P. J., Tritchew, S., Johnston, F., Demers, L. and Trottier, G. “The infra redtarget generator (IRTG).” Proceedings of SPIE 1110, Imaging infrared: scene simulation, modeling, and real image tracking, September 20, 1989. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.960749. 2. Pinsky, E. and Sturlesi, D. “Generation of dynamic IR scene for seekers testing.” Proceedings of SPIE 3061, Infrared technology and applications XXIII, August 13, 1997 https://doi.org/10.1117/12.280388. 3. Nelson, N. R., Bryant, P. T. and Sundberg, R. L. “Development of a hyperspectral scene generator.” Proceedings of SPIE 5151, Earth observing systems VIII, November 10, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.506376. 4. Sturlesi, D. and Pinsky, E. “Target scene generator (TSG) for infrared seeker evaluation.” Proceedings of SPIE 3084, Technologies for synthetic environments: hardware-in-the-loop testing II, July 15, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.280941. 5. Ashley, G. W., Jr., Buenting, E. O., Leonard, C. A. and Lessman, G. “Dual spectral range target tracking seeker. (U.S. Patent No. 4,009,393).” U. S. Patent and Trademark Office, 1977. https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=4009393&idkey=NONE&homeurl=http%3A%252F%252Fpatft.uspto.gov%252Fnetahtml%252FPTO%252Fpatimg.htm.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms 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 3.5 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 and package a multimode, pigtailed, high-frequency, high-current, optical photodetector operating at a wavelength near 1.5 µm for radio-frequency (RF) photonic link applications on military platforms. DESCRIPTION: Current airborne military communications and electronic warfare systems require ever-increasing bandwidth, while simultaneously requiring reductions in space, weight, and power (SWaP). The replacement of the coaxial cable used in various onboard radio frequency (RF)/analog applications with RF/analog fiber-optic links will provide increased immunity to electromagnetic interference, reduction in size and weight, and an increase in bandwidth. However, it requires the development of high-performance, high-linearity optoelectronic components that can meet extended temperature range requirements (-40 °C to 100 °C). Additionally, avionic platforms pose stringent requirements on the SWaP consumption of components for avionic fiber communications applications [Ref 4]. To meet these requirements, new optical component technology will need to be developed. Typical microwave photonic links for 20 GHz and higher frequencies utilize single-mode fiber between transmitter and receiver. Single-mode fiber eliminates modal dispersion associated with multimode fiber, which reduces bandwidth in long fiber lengths [Ref 1]. Many links on airborne platforms however are short in length and can utilize multimode fiber, yielding installation, maintenance, and durability advantages. A standard 50 µm core multimode fiber is easily coupled to photodiodes larger than 50 µm in diameter, but 50 µm photodiodes are limited to bandwidths below 20 GHz due to capacitive limitations. If the light from a 50 µm multimode fiber could be focused onto high-current photodiodes with diameters of 25, 15, or even 10 µm using a high-numerical aperture optical system [Ref 2], while still capturing a majority of the light in the fiber, link bandwidths can be pushed to over 50 GHz. With a typical 1 GHz-Km graded index 50 µm fiber, this allows for link lengths upwards of 50 and 20 m at 20 and 50 GHz, respectively, when all modes contain energy. This will negate standard butt-coupling approaches and will require optical lenses to be utilized with higher numerical apertures. This, combined with the fact that many high-current photodiodes are rear illuminated through the substrate, leads to long optical path lengths, a challenge for compact packaging. One additional challenge is the speckle pattern that will appear within the image of the output of the fiber on the photodiode surface. If too large of a fraction of this reduced image falls outside the photodiode active area, speckle variations will result in variations in the detected photocurrent that will be unavoidable and cause deleterious link gain variations. These current variations must be kept below +/- 5% to limit link gain variations to +/- 0.5 dB. The packaged photoreceiver must perform over the specified temperature range and maintain hermeticity and optical alignment upon exposure to typical Navy air platform vibration, humidity, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and temperature cycling environments [Ref 3], and which can include unpressurized wingtip or landing gear wheel well (with no environmental control) to an avionics bay (with environmental control). PHASE I: Develop, demonstrate feasibility, and package (non-hermetic) a sub-35 µm diameter photodiode (> 12 GHz bandwidth) with a 50 µm graded-index multimode fiber pigtail. The detected photocurrent should maintain +/- 5% current variation as the input modal pattern is varied. Provide calculations to support the development of 20, 35, and 50 GHz versions for development during Phase II. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop a prototype design and package hermetic prototypes at 15, 20, 35, and 50 GHz. Test prototype receivers to meet the above photocurrent variation specification over input modal conditions, and over temperature, to meet design specifications in a Navy air platform representative of a relevant application environment, which can include unpressurized wingtip or landing gear wheel well (with no environmental control) to an avionics bay (with environmental control). The packaged receivers should be tested in an RF photonic link over temperature with the objective performance levels reached. Demonstrate a prototype fully packaged receiver for direct insertion into analog fiber optic links. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype. Perform extensive operational reliability and durability testing, while optimizing manufacturing capabilities. Transition the demonstrated technology to naval aviation platforms and interested commercial applications. Commercial sector telecommunication systems, fiber optic networks, and data centers could benefit from the development of a Multimode Coupled High Frequency Photoreceiver. REFERENCES: 1. Agrawal, G. “Fiber-optic communication systems (4th ed.).” John Wiley & Sons, 2010. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yGQ4n1-r2eQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR15&dq=Fiber-optic+communication+systems+&ots=PYFbM1hFlq&sig=iqLoAJCdW3hwt5Tgxsc1RHoInW4#v=onepage&q=Fiber-optic%20communication%20systems&f=false. 2. Saleh, B. E. and Teich, M. C. “Fundamentals of photonics.” John Wiley & Sons, 2019. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rcqKDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Fundamentals+of+Photonics&ots=tGkk82ECw1&sig=jl6xAcEUJEvtT7OAqySCwBLZrDo#v=onepage&q=Fundamentals%20of%20Photonics&f=false. 3. “MIL-STD-810H, Department of Defense test method standard: Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests.” Department of Defense, US Army Test and Evaluation Command, January 31, 2019. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/. 4. “RTCA DO-160G - Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment, December 16, 2014.” Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics. https://do160.org/rtca-do-160g/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML);Autonomy TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes 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 3.5 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: Design an Inlet Debris Monitoring System (IDMS) to detect when jet engines ingest Foreign Object Damage (FOD) [Ref 1] and quantify its sensitivity to typical Navy/Marine Corps flight and environmental operating conditions. DESCRIPTION: Foreign Object Damage (FOD) is a top engine removal driver for nearly every platform in naval aviation. Debris ingestion causes unacceptable readiness and safety levels for a variety of fixed- and rotary-wing platforms. FOD is responsible for seven Class A mishaps (i.e., an accident that leads to fatality, dismemberment, or greater than $2 million in damages) (Ref 4) and cost the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) over $400 million in the past three years. The FOD Program, which applies research to understand, quantify, and prescribe solutions to FOD that require coordination across commands and installations, projects FOD will cost the NAE > $2 billion over the next five years. The FOD Program is developing a method for synthesizing and analyzing data from novel sensing technologies to quantify the risk of operating aircraft in an environment with a dynamic debris field. The prototype, known as the FOD System-of-Systems Approach (SOSA), enables the integration of multiple sensor suites, data logistics, data fusion, data analysis, and automation. The purpose of the FOD system is to calculate and remediate the risk of engine FOD strikes. The FOD Program requires an on-wing, Inlet Debris Monitoring System (IDMS) capable of detecting when an engine ingests debris and particulate. The IDMS will act as feedback to the FOD SOSA to continually refine the FOD SOSA’s predictive analytical capability and improve the FOD SOSA’s ability to reduce FOD events. Topic requirements include, but are not limited to: 1. The design and build of a flight qualified prototype IDMS 2. An established system interface and interface control document (ICD) for the IDMS 3. Determination of which factors limit or affect its Probability of Detection (Pd) and Probability of False Alarm (Pfa) 4. Quantification of how those factors limit or affect its Pd and Pfa 5. A mathematical model to represent the IDMS’s Pd and Pfa as a function of IDMS configurable elements, environmental conditions, and FOD related variables. Flight and environmental conditions an IDMS may experience, and thus affect a Pd and Pfa, include (*Note the following conditions are not a comprehensive list of factors): 1. Operationally relevant environmental factors (Ref 2): (a) Temperature (b) Temperature distortion (steam ingestion) (c) Humidity (d) Rain (e) Snow (f) Ice (g) Fog (h) High and Low ambient light conditions (i) Non-uniform airflow (j) Dusty/Sandy conditions (k) Non-pristine airflow consisting of oil, insects, etc. which deposit on airflow boundaries 2. Operationally representative inlet velocities at all phases of the flight envelope: (a) Ground maneuvers (b) Takeoff/Descent maneuvers (c) Flight maneuvers 3. Operationally representative flight noise [Ref 3]: (a) General aircraft noise (b) Vibrations (c) Acoustics (d) Electromagnetic Interferences Common examples of discrete events, consisting of both hard and soft debris, include (*Note the following materials are not a comprehensive list of FOD): (a) Sand (b) Bolts (c) Nuts (d) Concrete (e) Carrier decking material (f) Lock wire (g) Pavement (h) Plastic (i) Cloth (j) Organics A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of an IDMS should be flight qualified and integrated into at least one test aircraft and possess the ability to: 1. Demonstrate the sensitivity of the IDMS prototype to detect a FOD event in a relevant Navy/Marine Corps environment that includes: (a) Quantifiable Pd and Pfa of the prototype (b) Identify factors that affect the Pd and Pfa (c) Degree that each factor affects the Pd and Pfa 2. Detect when an engine ingests debris during conditions typical of Navy/Marine Corp idle, taxi, take-off, and landing (these include inlet velocities of 0–600 ft/s (0–183 m/s) (a) Produce a time stamped data log indicating when an engine ingests debris (b) Tag the timestamped data log with where the engine ingests debris; for example, land-based operations could include GPS coordinates while ship-based operations could include a location on the carrier deck (the IDMS may use external data sources to achieve this objective) 3. Integrate with the FOD Program’s SOSA 4. Possess well-defined system interfaces with an interface control document The IDMS should: 1. Integrate with other inlet debris monitoring technologies. 2. Quantify details of the FOD event such as: (a) The physical attributes of the debris such as its type, volume, mass, density, material composition, etc. (b) The velocity of the debris (c) Where, within the engine, the debris strikes and/or damages 3. Operate in all areas of the flight envelope. Detect when an engine ingests debris during typical Navy/Marine Corp flight (an MVP already includes idle, taxi, take-off, and landing). 4. Be capable of optimizing along the following parameters: (a) Adaptability/Modularity: The system should be able to integrate into various military and commercial aircraft. (b) Spatial Footprint: The system should fit within an engine/airframe. (c) Maintainability: Maintainers should be able to access and maintain the IDMS (d) Robustness: The IDMS should not fail and create FOD itself. (e) Safety: The IDMS should not pose a safety risk to people, including pilots, maintainers, airfield personnel, bystanders, etc. PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of the technology through a series of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) maturation events. Demonstrate the technology’s basic scientific principles. Demonstrate the feasibility of applying the technology to an IDMS by designing, testing, and validating a basic breadboard laboratory experiment. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop, demonstrate, and validate the breadboard and test it in an environment that represents the speed and particulate size/material typical of a Navy/Marine Corps environment; begin studying Pd and Pfa. Produce a prototype system that consolidates the breadboard into an operationally representative IDMS configuration; increase the testing rigor to include representative mechanical effects such as engine acoustics and vibrations and aerodynamic effects such as temperature, pressure, and non-uniform airflow. Characterize the prototype’s performance when exposed to these mechanical and aerodynamic effects. Refine the prototype to be worthy of flight qualification. Quantify the Pd and Pfa under varying operational and environmental conditions (see Description section for details) before exiting this stage and the IDMS does not pose a safety of flight risk to an aircraft. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype for a selected Navy and/or Marine Corps aircraft. Integrate the prototype into the select aircraft and the SOSA. Support flight-testing. Work to enable the retrofit of operational aircraft with the IDMS. FOD costs the commercial aviation industry over $2 billion per year [Ref 4] and an average of $43 million per year at major U.S. hubs. The FOD Program projects that the FOD SOSA’s risk remediation techniques, enabled by the IDMS subject to this topic, will increase commercial aircraft availability by between 15 and 30 aircraft per airfield per year and reduce cost of ownership for airlines by between $20 million and $50 million per airfield per year where the SOSA is operational. REFERENCES: 1. “FOD education: What is FOD?” The FOD Control Corporation (n.d.). https://www.fodcontrol.com/what-is-fod/#:~:text=What%20is%20FOD%3F%201%20Foreign%20Object%20Debris%E2%80%A6.%20Foreign,Facilities.%20...%205%20Sources%20for%20more%20information.%20%3E. 2. “MIL-HDBK-310, Military handbook: Global climatic data for developing military products.” United States Department of Defense, June 23, 1997. http://everyspec.com/MIL-HDBK/MIL-HDBK-0300-0499/MIL_HDBK_310_1851/. 3. “MIL-STD-810H, Department of Defense test method standard: Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests.” United States Department of Defense, MIL STD 810 Working Group, January 31, 2019. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/. 4. Sides, J. “Zero FOD [Paper presentation].” American Association of Airport Executives Industrial Aviation and Military Operations Workshop, Colorado Springs, CO, United States, March 3-4, 2020. Paper available upon request.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms 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 3.5 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 and package a 2 x 2 single mode optical switch operating at 1.55 µm wavelength capable of switching speeds below 1 µs with a directivity of 50 dB and an excess loss of less than 1.0 dB with a continuous intensity change from port-to-port. DESCRIPTION: Current airborne military communications and electronic warfare systems require ever increasing bandwidths while simultaneously requiring reductions in size, weight, and power (SWaP). The replacement of the coaxial cable used in various onboard Radio Frequency (RF)/analog applications with RF/analog fiber optic links will provide increased immunity to electromagnetic interference, reduction in size and weight, and an increase in bandwidth. However, routing these signals to different locations within the airframe with high efficiency, or for routing/reconfiguring within the front end of an RF processor, requires the development of low-loss optical switches that can meet extended temperature range requirements (-40 °C to 100 °C). Additionally, avionic platforms pose stringent requirements on the SWaP consumption of components for avionic fiber communications applications. To meet these requirements, new optical component technology will need to be developed. Typical microwave photonic links for 20 GHz and higher frequencies utilize single-mode fiber between transmitter and receiver. Many antennas on airborne platforms will be required to send their signals to a plurality of RF processors at different locations on the platform, which will require low-loss optical switching devices. In addition, for some RF front ends and processors, re-configurability in the front end is needed that will require optical path reconfiguration. Optical switches for these applications require continuous power transfer from two inputs to two outputs with continuous optical connectivity (without dead time) so RF information is not lost during the switching process. Switching speed will also need to be below 1.55 µs for these applications to minimize the transition time. Electro-optic [Ref 1] or magneto-optic technologies [Ref 2] offer the potential for fast switching if optical losses can be minimized. Other technologies, including integrated photonics platforms, may also be promising so long as the above specifications are met. The packaged 2 x 2 optical switch in single, dual, and quad switch packages must perform over the specified temperature range and maintain hermeticity and optical alignment upon exposure to typical Navy air platform vibration, humidity, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and temperature cycling environments [Refs 3, 4], which can include unpressurized wingtip or landing gear wheel well (with no environmental control) to an avionics bay (with environmental control). PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a 2-input, 2-output 1.55 µm optical switch that can switch at microsecond or better speeds. The switch must be capable of continuously variable coupling ratios between the two inputs/outputs so that no dead time results during switching. Provide detailed design and packaging plan to support the development during Phase II. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Optimize Phase I design, develop, and package prototype 2 x 2 switches in single, dual, and quad switch packages. Test prototype switches to meet the loss and switching speed specifications over temperature to meet design specifications in a Navy air platform representative of a relevant application environment, which can include unpressurized wingtip or landing gear wheel well (with no environmental control) to an avionics bay (with environmental control). Demonstrate a prototype fully packaged switch for direct insertion into single-mode analog fiber optic links. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype. Perform extensive operational reliability and durability testing, as well as optimize manufacturing capabilities. Transition the demonstrated technology to naval aviation platforms and interested commercial applications. Commercial sector data centers, industries utilizing local area networks and telecommunication systems, as well as companies that install networks and telecommunications systems would benefit from the development of this fast, low-loss, uninterrupted optical switch technology. REFERENCES: 1. Kaur, S., Singh, M., Singh, H. and Singh, M. L. “Design and Performance Analysis of 2x2 electro-optic based MZI switch using Ti: LiNbO 3 as a waveguide at 1.46 µm.” 2019 IEEE International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Communication Technologies (ICECCT), February 2019, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICECCT.2019.8869376. 2. Bahuguna, R., Mina, M., Tioh, J. W. and Weber, R. J. “Magneto-optic-based fiber switch for optical communications.” IEEE transactions on magnetics, 42(10), 2006, pp. 3099-3101. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2006.878870. 3. “MIL-STD-810H, Department of Defense test method standard: Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests.” Department of Defense, US Army Test and Evaluation Command, January 31, 2019. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/. 4. Verification of Discrete and Packaged Photonic Device Technology Readiness: ARP 6318.” https://www.sae.org/standards/content/arp6318/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms;Materials / Processes;Weapons OBJECTIVE: Develop a novel low-cost, high-yield metallic-powder production system capable of rapidly producing small batches (i.e., tens of grams to hundreds of kilograms) of feedstock for Additive Manufactured (AM) structural parts and repairs. DESCRIPTION: Current production systems are capital and labor intensive, making the powders inordinately expensive, especially for small batches. The AM powders are also very costly with limited availability due to low yield and the needs for specific, high-quality, narrow particle size distributions (PSD) that are optimal for each AM process. For instance, the powder particles are usually specified with a size range of 15-45 µm diameter (dia.) for Laser Beam Melted (LBM)/Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process, 45-106 µm dia. for Electron Beaming Melting (EBM)/PBF, and 45-75 µm dia. for Directed Energy Deposition (DED)/Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS). In the academic and research arena, the lack of willing powder producers, long lead time, and high cost for low-quantity orders severely hinder the ability to rapidly validate and optimize the chemical compositions, microstructures, and mechanical performance for various material designs. To accelerate the performance optimization and verification of new alloy designs, high-quality feedstock in affordable small batches needs to be readily obtained for build trials. As AM is adopted by more and more manufacturers, part designs will become more diversified and customized. There will be lower manufacturing volume of custom designed parts and assemblies as compared to the traditional mass production. A similar trend will also develop for new alloys used for different future applications. There will be more demand for alloys that are specifically designed for specific applications and less for standard alloys. This will drive the production of feedstock toward smaller scales and perhaps distributed where it is needed. In the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), and fleet sustainment communities, the availability of small quantity supply with short-turnaround time without the needs for provisioning and storage is essential for timely part replacement and repairs. A low-cost, small-batch, high-yield feedstock production system for AM processing is required. The targeted cost for a production unit should be in the range of $10K’s to low $100K’s. The system must be user-friendly, and provide sufficient adjustable controls, coupled with integrated internal monitoring sensors, to assure consistent and uniform high-quality powders (Refs. 10-13) (e.g., particle size distribution, sphericity, internal porosity, surface roughness, oxygen level, amount of satellite particles that adhere to spherical powders, flowability). It must also be capable of making high-yield (50% or greater), small batches (tens of grams to hundreds of kilograms) of traditional metallic powders (e.g., Ti64, 17-4PH SS, IN718, AlSi10Mg), as well as specialty designed alloys. Integrated Computational Material Engineering (ICME)-based modeling & simulation (M & S) of the powder fabrication process should be utilized to support the system design and development. PHASE I: Develop and design a low-cost, small-batch, high-yield powder production system for metal AM applications. Perform system design, M & S, and associated experimental testing to validate the concept (Refs. 14 & 15). Generate preliminary performance and system specifications for the proposed design including powder handling, storage, and disposal procedures. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop, design and prototype a complete powder production system for AM applications. Demonstrate that the metallic powders can be successfully used for AM of aircraft components. Update performance and system specifications and special handling procedures including powder handling, storage, and disposal procedures. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Conduct final system checkout and acceptance testing. Perform production demonstration for multiple types of materials and alloys. Finalize performance and system specifications and special handling procedures. This topic has a great and widespread potential benefit to commercial sectors ranging from academic research arena to the automobile industry. REFERENCES: 1. Dietrich, S., Wunderer, M., Huissel, A. and Zaeh, M. F. “A new approach for a flexible powder production for additive manufacturing.” Procedia Manufacturing, Vol. 6, 2016, pp. 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2016.11.012. 2. Anderson, I. E., White, E. M. H. and Dehoff, R. “Feedstock powder processing research needs for additive manufacturing development.” Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, 22(1), February 2018, pp. 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2018.01.002. 3. Kotlyarov, V. I., Beshkarev, V. T., Kartsev, V. E., Ivanov, V. V., Gasanov, A. A., Yuzhakova, E. A., Samokhin, A. V., Fadeev, A. A., Alekseev, N. V., Sinayskiy, M. A. and Tretyakov, E. V. “Production of spherical powders on the basis of group IV metals for additive manufacturing.” Inorganic Materials: Applied Research, 8(3), 2017, pp. 452-458. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075113317030157. 4. Sun, P., Fang, Z. Z., Zhang, Y. and Xia, Y. “Review of the methods for production of spherical Ti and Ti alloy powder.” Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (JOM), 69(10), August 15, 2017, pp. 1853-1860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-017-2513-5. 5. Sungkhaphaitoon, P., Plookphol, T and Wisutmethangoon, S. “Design and development of a centrifugal atomizer for producing zinc metal powder.” International Journal of Applied Physics and Mathematics, 2(2), 2012, pp. 77-82. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJAPM.2012.V2.58. 6. Yang, S., Gwak, J. N., Lim, T. S., Kim, Y. J. and Yun, J. Y. “Preparation of spherical titanium powders from polygonal titanium hydride powders by radio frequency plasma treatment.” Materials Transactions, 54(12), 2013, pp. 2313-2316. https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.M2013329. 7. Backmark, U., Backstrom, N. and Arnberg, L. “Production of Metal Powder by Ultrasonic Gas Atomization.” (Retroactive Coverage). Powder Metallurgy International, 18(6), pp. 422-424. 8. Kumar, M. and Pandey, A. B. “Ultrasonic Gas Atomization: Pros and Cons.” Key Engineering Materials, Vol. 29, 1988, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.29-31.1. 9. Clyne, T. W., Ricks, R. A. and Goodhew, P. J. “The production of rapidly-solidified aluminum powder by ultrasonic gas atomization.” Heat and Fluid-Flow. International Journal of Rapid Solidification, 1(1), January 1984, pp. 59-80. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280139600_PRODUCTION_OF_RAPIDLY-SOLIDIFIED_ALUMINIUM_POWDER_BY_ULTRASONIC_GAS_ATOMIZATION_PART_I_HEAT_AND_FLUID_FLOW. 10. SAE AMS7002 Process Requirements for Production of Metal Powder Feedstock for Use in Additive Manufacturing of Aerospace Parts, www.sae.org. 11. ASTM F2924-14, Standard Specification for Additive Manufacturing Titanium-6 Aluminum-4 Vanadium with Powder Bed Fusion, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2014, www.astm.org. 12. ASTM F3184-16, Standard Specification for Additive Manufacturing Stainless Steel Alloy (UNS S31603) with Powder Bed Fusion, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, www.astm.org. 13. ASTM F3055-14a, Standard Specification for Additive Manufacturing Nickel Alloy (UNS N07718) with Powder Bed Fusion, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2014, www.astm.org. 14. ASTM F3049-14, Standard Guide for Characterizing Properties of Metal Powders Used for Additive Manufacturing Processes, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2014, www.astm.org. 15. ASTM F3318-18, Standard for Additive Manufacturing – Finished Part Properties – Specification for AlSi10Mg with Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2018, www.astm.org.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes 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 3.5 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: Design and develop a steel processing method to dramatically reduce the inclusion content of steel bar stock for current gear material X-53 double vacuum melt (AMS 6308) beyond levels currently available commercially in steel intended for use in aerospace-level gear-and-bearing components. DESCRIPTION: The naval aviation community, as owner and operator of aerospace systems, continuously seeks improvement in the manufacturing arena. The Navy occasionally faces issues with inclusions in aerospace components made from the current gear material X-53 double vacuum melt (AMS 6308). Developing a cost-neutral manufacturing technology that would allow higher grade steel material with dramatically lower inclusion content would increase fatigue life, improve safety, and lower sustainment costs for a steel component. The goal is a lower inclusion content level of 90% objective (75% threshold) than is documented in the current inclusion standard in the material standard AMS 6308. This would result in a decrease in cost to the Government and/or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), while improving homogenous performance of the material in production creation of components and use of those components. Transmission components, such as gears and bearings, are made from steel in the 4 to 14 inch diameter bar sizes. Determination of the size, type, distribution, and location of inclusions within the created material is the desired output. Comparison to current gear material X-53 double vacuum melt with ASTM E45 inspection standard is required to verify improvement. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate feasibility of an analytical concept of technology allowing lower level of inclusion content. Projection of size, type, distribution, and location of inclusions within the bar stock are desired identifiable characteristics of a material. Exogenous inclusions such as refractory material are the primary concern, but indigenous inclusions are also a concern. Reduction in both types of inclusions is desired. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype production process with creation of sample material. Determination of the size, type, distribution, and location of inclusions within the created material are the desired output. Comparison to current gear material X-53 double vacuum melt with ASTM E45 standard is required to verify improvement. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize and demonstrate a larger scale production process with creation of a heat lot of steel material. Determine the size, type, distribution, and location of inclusions within the created material output. Comparison to current gear material X-53 double vacuum melt with ASTM E45 standard and fatigue test transverse created specimens to verify improvement. Material failure due to inclusions limits the useful life of gear-and-bearing components. Commercial gear-and-bearing products would have higher and more predictable life. Aerospace, Industrial Machine, and other applications that require more predictable run time to avoid downtime and component changes would benefit from the technology. REFERENCES: 1. SAE Technical Standards Board. “AMS6308F: Steel, bars and forgings 0.90Si-1.0Cr-2.0Ni-3.2Mo-2.0Cu-0.10V (0.07-0.13C) vacuum arc or electroslag remelted.” SAE International, May 16, 2018. https://www.sae.org/standards/content/ams6308f/. 2. Sub-committee E04-09 on Inclusions. “ASTM E45 - 18a Standard Test Methods for Determining the Inclusion Content of Steel.” ASTM International. http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/resolver.cgi?E45. 3. “ISO 4967:2013 Steel — Determination of content of non-metallic inclusions — Micrographic method using standard diagrams.” International Organization for Standardization, July 2013, https://www.iso.org/standard/63156.html.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Human Systems OBJECTIVE: Optimally design and develop life preserver units (LPU) that automatically inflate for downed rotary-wing and non-ejection seat aircraft in which naval air crew have egressed their aircraft. DESCRIPTION: The current LPU require either manual activation or oral inflation which require aircrew that are conscious and physically able to activate or orally inflate the LPU. Aircrew in non-ejection aircraft must manually activate their LPUs. In the event of partial or total non-inflation, aircrew must tread water while orally inflating their LPUs. A recent fatality occurred when an aircrew member was unable to manually or orally inflate the LPU and, subsequently, drowned. In other occurrences, injured or unconscious aircrew have been unable to manually or orally inflate their LPUs leading to loss of life. This SBIR topic seeks a capability that would auto-activate LPU inflation. Innovative solutions must include consideration of whether aircrew are within the aircraft trying to egress or outside the aircraft and incapacitated. Critical escape and survival equipment should work on time, every time, with minimal/no user input (similar to ejection seat technology). Major concerns related to early auto-inflation are creating a larger presented volume relative to egress paths, additional bulk to snag on the structure, vulnerability of the LPU to puncture or tear, or the occupant floating up and having to move downward against buoyancy to egress. Keeping the device stowed until needed is required for operational, evasion, and reserving LPU function for when actually required. Most of these concerns are serious to the point of being showstoppers, if they are realized. However, this topic presents the opportunity to preserve human life in situations where life could be lost, and that may result in an incremental improvement in survival for aircrew and other aircraft occupants. An automated system may be able to replace horse collar flotation devices for passengers who have not had egress training while wearing devices. While passengers are not the norm, this could also be important in increasing the odds of survival among passengers. Under certain conditions, aircrew may desire not to have LPU automatic inflation or to disable it after water entry. For example, the aircraft might be in shallow water or partially submerged and the aircrew might want to remain inside. Or aircrew could be in a mission or survival situation where water entry is desired but LPU is not needed, e.g., shallow water crossing. Also in some situations—e.g., fixed wing ditch—aircrew can enter a raft without inflating the devices and save inflation for a more critical situation such as leaving the raft, for rescue, or capsize. As such, designs should include an optional disable capability. The logic, data acquisition and flow, algorithm development, and the means to implement/package it with the LPU system will be key portions of the effort and will determine success. It is not required, but highly recommended that performers interact with the qualified naval LPU manufacturers as needed. Additional considerations: (a) “escape buoyancy” should be addressed in the topic. Escape buoyancy is the total buoyancy from trapped air and insulation that is present in a survival suit “system” and still allow the wearer to escape a submerged helicopter. This includes net positive buoyant items that are part of the systems such as any foam mittens, hood, thermal liners and suit insulation, and trapped air. (b) does not appreciably increase the weight and bulk burden of the LPU; (c) operates in windy or calm air and in turbulent or calm water conditions; (d) operates at a submerged depth of less than or equal to 30 ft (9 m); (e) operates in cold water (32 °F (0 °C)) through the range of freshwater and seawater salinities; (f) operates in chlorinated swimming pool water; (g) operates reliably in cold and hot ambient air (-65 °F [-54 °C] to 160°F [71.1 °C]); (h) resists inadvertent actuation while traversing ship ladders/hatches, operating within 120 knot rotor outwash, conducting pre-flight inspections and boarding aircraft, flying routine missions, flying combat missions, and egressing aircraft in routine or emergency situations; (i) does not create hazards (e.g., injury, foreign object debris, snag/trip, static discharge) in any mission or survival operations to include survivable vertical crash loads (those less than or equal to 5Gs); (j) does not interfere with vest or vest gear, armor/armor release, seat harnesses, fall arrest tethers, helmets or head-mounted gear, communication cords and devices, clothing or other body-mounted gear; (k) does not impede water survival or land survival procedures to include raft boarding and hoisting; (l) does not contribute to wearer’s burn injury hazard; (m) does not give away wearer’s position in covert day or night operations; (n) is tolerant of naval aviation environments (e.g., salt spray, humidity, drop impact, exposure to petroleum/oil/lubricant contaminants; exposure to sun); (o) has an obvious visual indicator for correct rigging; (p) possibly a design consideration is when/how to fully inflate. The key word here is “fully”. Crews are wearing net negative buoyant gear loads, and it is possible that a flotation system could be designed that inflates in stages (immediate inflation, then to neutral state to enable egress or reduce effort to tread water/drown proof, then 15 s later to full state to serve as a surfacing aid and for flotation). (q) inflation at depth considerations. Crews surfacing quickly and holding their breaths can cause air trapped in their lungs to expand. This may rupture lung tissue (i.e., pulmonary barotrauma), which can lead to gas bubbles being released into the arterial circulation (i.e., arterial gas embolism). Note: NAVAIR will provide Phase I performers with the appropriate guidance required for human research protocols so that they have the information to use while preparing their Phase II Initial Proposal. Institutional Review Board (IRB) determination as well as processing, submission, and review of all paperwork required for human subject use can be a lengthy process. As such, no human research will be allowed until Phase II and work will not be authorized until approval has been obtained, typically as an option to be exercised during Phase II. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate feasibility of new and innovative solutions that have the potential for auto-activation for downed aircrew that are egressing an aircraft or who are on the outside of the aircraft and incapacitated. An analysis of the auto-activation for the range of the downed aircrew scenarios, in which it is or is not appropriate, must be performed, and the risks associated with auto-activation for the range of those scenarios must be addressed. Those trades must be realized in the proposed solution. The risks to the wearer of fully inflating an LPU in a submerged aircraft must be addressed, mitigated, and reported on as a part of Phase I. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. Note: Please refer to the statement included in the Description above regarding human research protocol for Phase II. PHASE II: Develop and produce a prototype naval aircrew LPU inflation device. Perform laboratory and human validation testing to evaluate performance in mission-representative scenarios. Develop life-cycle costs and supportability estimates. Note: Please refer to the statement included in the Description above regarding human research protocol for Phase II. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype, validate, integrate and transition to naval platforms. Coordinate with naval platforms to test and qualify production representative units as needed. Commercial air and sea safety, general aviation over water safety, and recreational boating industries could all benefit from this technology. REFERENCES: 1. Kovach, G. “Deadly Osprey crash spurred safety changes.” The San Diego Tribune, June 30, 2015. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-osprey-crash-at-sea-command-investigation-2015jun30-story.html#:~:text=1%2C%202014%20during%20a%20deadly,Marine%20Corps%20photo%2Freleased.)&text=The%20V%2D22%20Osprey%20that,mode%2C%20Marine%20Corps%20investigators%20concluded. 2. Quinn, R. “Beach Marine one of four killed in Iraq copter crash.” The Virginian-Pilot, December 7, 2006. https://www.pilotonline.com/military/article_57e53572-0cf4-5301-a6d0-2901302a4bb5.html. 3. “Naval Safety Center Annual Report 2019. Naval Safety Center, p. 15. https://navalsafetycenter.navy.mil/Portals/29/Documents/ANNUAL%20REPORT-Updated%20JUL15_compressed.pdf?ver=2020-07-16-143235-193.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML);Cybersecurity;Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems 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 3.5 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: Design and develop a Tactical Cross Domain Solution (CDS) Cryptography Module for a Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) that will achieve certification per the National Security Agency (NSA) Cross Domain Enterprise Service (CDES)/National Cross Domain Strategy Management Office (NCDSMO) and achieve Authority to Operate (ATO). DESCRIPTION: Currently, MUM-Ts employ encryption/decryption on their communications links, usually through dedicated box-level components referred to as Encryption Control Units (ECUs). The use of ECUs in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must be certified by the NSA as “Type 1”. The 10 OCT 2018 Department of Defense CIO memo, “Suspension of New Point-to-Point Cross Domain Solutions and Changes to Existing Point-to-Point Cross Domain Solutions Implementations,” directed that development of new point-to-point CDS solutions be halted in favor of “enterprise” CDS solutions managed and monitored by the National Cross Domain Strategy and Management Office (NCDSMO). In addition, NSA released the Cross Domain Solution Design and Implementation Requirements: 2019 Raise the Bar Baseline Release (RTB). The RTB policy identifies four foundational concepts for a CDS, which are Redundant, Always Invoked, Independent Implementations, and Non-Bypassable (RAIN). Using the nomenclature of the NCDSMO, this SBIR topic-requested system would classify as a Tactical-Class Transfer CDS (TCDS) with environmental constraints such as heat, humidity, and vibration, as well as a need to operate in an environment where communications capabilities may be interrupted. Usually these TCDS systems support a limited number of message formats. For this SBIR topic, the TCDS system should be designed to use a modular design capable of supporting a potentially large number of message formats, although any single instantiation would likely support a smaller set of message formats based on MUM-T mission requirements. The proposed MUM-T CDS cryptography module may be either a multifunctional ECU, or a chassis ECU with multiple crypto functions on computer Printed Circuit Board (PCB) slices, or multiple smaller ECU modules with crypto functions in individual modules electronically connected together or being stand-alone ECUs. The CDS cryptography module must be capable of supporting multiple CDS channels at 100 Mb/s in less than or qual to 0.5 watts and within a threshold 1.5 cubic inches with an objective 0.5 cubic inches and a weight of threshold 0.7 ounces with an objective of less than 0.5 ounces, certified for Top Secret and Below (TSAB) Interoperability environments. The “Raise the Bar” compliant CDS cryptography module key factors in an envisioned NCDSMO certified solution would have minimally: (a) an intelligent domain security hierarchy control point as an intellectual property (IP) core that is capable of reading, parsing, and intelligently routing to associate security domains, messages, data, images, and/or video. The proposed intelligent domain security hierarchy control point would be able to automate Object Identifier/Globally Unique Identifier (OID/GUID) data tagging that can be used for data analytics and distribution in the DCGS-N Inc. 2 Multi-Domain Federated Query (MDFQ) Architecture; manage and disseminate diverse types and formats of multi-domain messages, data, images, and/or video with different volumes, velocities, variability, and veracity characteristics; and handle changes in formats/fields of existing messages, data, images, and/or video types and feeds from multiple data sources. (b) a scalable, guard-agnostic, cross-domain discovery service to communicate between different security domains allowing individual messages, images, or data fields within them to be selectively passed, blocked or changed. (c) reprogrammable or configurable rulesets that allow adaptability in configuring each security domain to automate the “man in the middle” screening of message exchanges, thereby accelerating communications and reducing human error. (d) pluggable filters, which include functions to filter data based on user programmable rulesets. (e) machine learning (ML) algorithms to create data-driven content checkers for data leakage prevention (DLP), autonomous screening of message exchanges with no operator required, and also for an adaptive power management solution. (f) a protocol adapter that uses an agile performance-enhancing proxy (PEP) protocol to be enabled during a disadvantaged network condition. (g) an operator interface that allows role-based access and administration for configuration of each security domain through a separate management port. (h) Raise the Bar Compliant filters supporting multiple message formats including images, video, audio, Link 16/JREAP-C, USMTF, FDMP, FTP, and SMTP formats. (i) modular connectors for a cross-platform solution to enforce domain separation using separate high-and low-data ports. (j) zero packet loss in disadvantaged networks where communication performance suffers, or is disrupted, or is not feasible due to characteristics of the datalink or subnetwork on the path to transfer information. (k) a scalable guard-agnostic cross-domain discovery service using a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to autonomously screen message exchanges with no operator required. (l) machine-to-machine (M2M) algorithm to authenticate all outbound traffic using the high assurance Transport Layer Security (TLS) cryptologic and NSA Key Management Infrastructure (KMI) trusted certificates with no operator required. (m) anti-tamper protection with device zeroization built-in. (n) full audit logging of all system, security, and message events. (o) encrypted storage of rule sets and audit logs. (p) secure boot and trusted platform verification upon power up. (q) authenticated, role-based, device administration through management port. The CDS cryptography module must be able to operate in the following environments: • Operational Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C • Storage Temperature: -51 °C to 85 °C • Operational Altitude: 0–65,000 ft above sea level • Mechanical Shock: 40g, 11 ms, each axis • Vibration: Tracked and Wheeled Vehicle, Fixed-and Rotary-Wing Aircraft, Gunfire • Fluid Contaminations: Diesel, Hydraulic, Oil, Bleach • Relative Humidity: 10-95% • EMI/EMC: MIL-STD-461F, RE102, CE102, CS101, CS114, CS115, CS116, RS103 • Power: MIL-STD-1275E, MIL-STD-704F 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor 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 NAVAIR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Design and demonstrate feasibility of a flyable routing solution scalable to various platform configurations with a CDS addressing multiple security levels. Develop a draft architecture and plan for attaining NSA approval for cryptologic systems. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. The Phase I final report must include in the appendices: (a) a plan for NCDSMO certification of the final design which would achieve Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) greater than four; (b) a Hardware/Software/Firmware Requirements/Design Specifications including use case diagrams (i.e., file drop, API/socket data transfers, database data transfers, video transfers, multiple CDS/file decomposition); and (c) a Design Description containing a full and detailed description of the proposed MUM-T CDS cryptography module design, including detailed system design, a traceability matrix to the software requirements and interfaces which abstracts isolation and security low-level communication details and exchanges. PHASE II: Further design and develop the solution identified in Phase I into a prototype. In conjunction with the Government, develop simulated data and then use that data to demonstrate the prototype. Develop an unclassified set of controls to handle organic and off-board classified data types provided by the Government. Demonstrate features and function that would be best suited for transition into an operational environment. Initiate process of attaining NSA approval for designed hardware and software. Finalize the design, fabricate the design, and test the design developed in Phase I for proof of operation and ability to be certified. Finalize the steps necessary for NCDSMO certification and ATO. Deliver prototype hardware and software documentation, which should include reports on: NSA Certification; Decryption; Encryption; Authentication; Transmission Security; Algorithms; Cryptographic Status; Cryptographic Alerts; Key Management Infrastructure -Enabled; Re-programmability; Protocols; Interfaces; Over-the-Network-Keying; Over-the-Air-Re-key; Key Storage; Multiple User Access; Key Manager; Crypto Manager, and System Manager. Work in Phase II may become classified. Please see note in the Description section. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete development of the cross-domain control measures and perform final testing in a Government-designated simulation environment. After identifying specific data types and classifications of airborne system data, demonstrate a fully capable multilevel security CDS in a live fly event. Continue work with the Government sponsor to gain NSA approval for provided approach and transition to applications across naval airborne platforms. The control measures and techniques employed may benefit companies seeking to protect proprietary data while working with other organizations. This technology will apply beyond the contractors supporting the DoD. Medical, financial, and civilian electronics industries will benefit from a technology that allows networking with competitors for collaboration while preventing proprietary or personal data from spillage onto an improper domain. REFERENCES: 1. Schneier, B. “Applied cryptography 2nd.” John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119183471. 2. Ahmed, Z., Rahmatullah, M. M. and Jamal, H. “Security processor for bulk encryption.” Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Microelectronics (ICM), December 2004, pp. 446-449. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICM.2004.1434610. 3. Luo, X., Chan, E. W. and Chang, R. K. “CLACK: A network covert channel based on partial acknowledgment encoding.” 2009 IEEE International Conference on Communications, June 2009, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICC.2009.5198826. 4. Luo, X., Chan, E. W., Zhou, P., & Chang, R. K. (2012). Robust network covert communications based on TCP and enumerative combinatorics. IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, 9(6), 890-902. https://doi.org/10.1109/TDSC.2012.64. 5. Diffie, W. and Hellman, M. “New directions in cryptography.” IEEE transactions on Information Theory, 22(6), 1976, pp. 644-654. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.1976.1055638. 6. “Information Assurance Capabilities, Data at Rest Capability Package, Version 4.0.” National Security Agency/ Central Security Service, January 2018. https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/70/documents/resources/everyone/csfc/capability-packages/dar-cp.pdf. 7. “Information Assurance Capabilities, Commercial Solutions for Classified, Harnessing the Power of Commercial Industry.” National Security Agency/ Central Security Service, September 2018. https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/70/documents/resources/everyone/csfc/csfc-faqs.pdf. 8. MIL-STD-810H, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TEST METHOD STANDARD: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS AND LABORATORY TESTS (31-JAN-2019).” http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/. 9. “Cross Domain Solution (CDS) Design and Implementation Requirements 2019 Raise the Bar (RTB) Baseline Release Draft Version 2.0 rev12.” Doc ID: NCDSMO-R-00008-002_00, National Security Agency/ National Cross Domain Strategy and Management Office, 2 October 2019

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics 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 3.5 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 low-cost, covert, high-speed, high-density means of transmitting and receiving broadband data for use on Navy Land/Sea/Air platforms. DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Navy requires a high-capacity, covert communication link providing two-way communication through free space. This communication link must be covert, or undetectable, which has a low probability of intercept (LPI) or a low probability of detection (LPD) and cannot be susceptible to jamming. The communication path must allow for fast, large-data transfer(s) from one aircraft to another aircraft and/or sea- or land-based hub. The types of data include, but are not limited to, the following types of data: maritime tactical information, imagery (Still and Full Motion Video), Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multi-and hyper-spectral imagers, Precise Navigation and Timing (PNT) data, Electronic Warfare, and Acoustic data. The goal of this SBIR topic is to develop a covert, wideband communication device that supports a 100 Mbps data transfer rate at line of sight ranges (150 nm). The first challenge for many engineers in wireless communication design is how to overcome white Gaussian noise. The proliferation of wireless technologies has also added hostile noises as a major cause of interference. A covert, high-bandwidth communication device could overcome a harsh Gaussian environment even with the addition of hostile noises while maintaining a high-bandwidth data transfer. If Radio Frequency (RF) is used as the transmission source, desired bands are L band to X band, Ku band, and Ka band ability with the ability to transmit and receive (TR/RX) in multiple bands. The volume of the device should be less than 4.5 ft3 (0.127 m³). The weight should be less than 50 pounds (22.7 kg). The estimated cost per unit should be less than $50K per kit. Conformal antennas are desired to limit the drag impacts on the host aircraft. The system is required to be undetectable outside of the main beam (i.e., highly directional, meaning you have to be in the path to intercept). For RF, the system should be able to null noise sources, in addition to being a non-detectible signal below the RF noise floor and agile enough to mitigate against jamming sources. The desire is to limit the number of moving parts to reduce the sustainment footprint of this device. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate a strategy, taking into consideration the feasibility and suitability for a covert high-speed, high-capacity airborne communication link. Identify potential roadblocks likely to be encountered and possible roadblock solutions. Recommend an architecture and implementation plan. Illustrate the benefits of being able to pass high-speed, high-capacity data covertly. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Based on the architecture and algorithms, develop a working prototype to include high-level requirements, software development, testing, and demonstration. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Perform final testing, and finalize the prototype. Develop platform integration execution plans, and engineering documentation, suitable for the transition of a functional prototype. Covert netted high-bandwidth communications, wireless sensors and multimedia communications are increasingly becoming a required asset for success in modern society. As a result, issues surrounding their effective use, safety, and security are becoming more important. Even for commercial applications, covert commercial communication platforms will help protect private and sensitive information by reducing the possibility of interception and compromise. Additionally, wireless communications often suffer from hostile noises or hostile noise environments. This would have commercial use for anyone who uses wireless technologies. REFERENCES: 1. National Research Council, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences Naval Studies Board, Committee on C4ISR for Future Naval Strike Groups. “C4ISR for future naval strike groups.” National Academies Press, 2006. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=9w5HPwE0A6sC&gl=us. 2. Perkins, W. and Pizzimenti, N. “Alliance airborne anti-submarine warfare.” NATO Joint Air Power Competence Centre, June 2016. https://www.japcc.org/portfolio/alliance-airborne-anti-submarine-warfare/. 3. “DoD 5220.22-M National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (Incorporating Change 2, May 18, 2016).” Department of Defense, February 28, 2006. https://www.esd.whs.mil/portals/54/documents/dd/issuances/dodm/522022m.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms 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 3.5 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 and demonstrate critical elements of advanced airborne radar system designs for the detection and tracking of supersonic and hypersonic cruise missiles to provide early cueing of ship self-defense systems. DESCRIPTION: Navy ships face a variety of missile threats. Highly advanced and very capable ship self-defense systems are in place to defeat these threats. However, hypersonic cruise missile threats operating at lower altitudes pose a unique challenge. As opposed to ballistic missile trajectories where Navy guided missile destroyers and cruisers have on the order of several minutes to detect, track, lock onto, and then launch interceptors against a hypersonic reentry vehicle, low flying missiles [Refs 1–3] provide as little as 10 seconds (s) of flight time above the ship’s radar horizon before missile impact. Some supersonic missile threats present similar challenges. An airborne platform, either manned or unmanned, with a suitable radar system operating in the vicinity of the ship could—in principle—dramatically extend the engagement timeline by providing early detection, tracking, and cueing to the ship. The most obvious candidate aircraft to host the radar system would be on high altitude long-endurance (HALE) and medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft (UA). Hosting this desired capability on existing Navy airborne radar systems is very desirable and worthy of consideration. Even when a threat vector is identified so as to constrain the radar surveillance volume, the detection and tracking timeline for single or multiple inbound missiles whose radar return may be buried within a plasma envelope is extremely challenging. The desired solution is a radar mode and signal processing approach capable of being hosted in modern Navy airborne radar systems. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 NAVAIR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate feasibility of a high-fidelity target-and-clutter model to establish radar system mode and signal processing requirements when operating from a HALE or MALE UA platform utilizing open-source literature on potential-threat, anti-ship, hypersonic cruise missile systems, their flight profiles, and expected radar cross sections, including the potential plasma surrounding a hypersonic missile. With those requirements, develop conceptual radar system mode implementation concepts and evaluate those using the missile and radar models. Identify the most promising approaches from a detection and tracking performance perspective. Prepare a Phase II plan that demonstrates operational and technical feasibility of the proposed approach. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Refine the radar architecture using threat-and-host platform information provided by the Navy. Increase model fidelity, as required, to more confidently characterize the radar’s performance in an operational environment. Refine the radar system performance requirements as necessary based on modeling results. Demonstrate and document results of tests of critical technologies identified in Phase I. At the end of Phase II, a prototype radar system design should be completed and delivered to the Navy. The design should be sufficiently detailed to inform the scope of a Phase III development program. Work produced in Phase II may become classified. See Description for details. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete development, perform final testing, and integrate and transition the final solution to naval airborne radar systems either through the radar system OEM or through third party radar mode developers. The algorithmic approaches could be utilized by a very wide variety of airborne, surface, and space-based radar systems for the detection and tracking of very high-speed objects including those that are moving in a high-clutter environment. REFERENCES: 1. Howard, A. “Fast and furiously accurate: Conventional hypersonic weapons need precision to match their speed..” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 145(7), July 2019, p. 1397. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/july/fast-and-furiously-accurate. 2. Osborn, K. “Could the U.S. military use lasers to kill Russia or China’s hypersonic missiles?” The National Interest, August 27, 2019. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/could-us-military-use-lasers-kill-russia-or-chinas-hypersonic-missiles-76416. 3. Mizokami, K. “Russia’s new warships will pack hypersonic missiles.” Popular Mechanics, December 12, 2019. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a30200046/russian-warships-hypersonic-missiles/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms;Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop a thermal/mechanical/metallurgical-analytical tool to predict static strength and fatigue life of solid-state materials consolidation process for structural repairs via process modeling. DESCRIPTION: This effort will further the Navy’s push to take advantage of solid-state additive methods for repair/sustainment and reduce reliance on experiments alone by improving our understanding of the physics involved, assisting in selecting appropriate materials, and improving process parameter optimization. Various solid-state materials consolidation processes have proven to be attractive and promising procedures to perform repair of metallic structural aircraft components. An attractive aspect is the ability to add material with a reduced heat input, thermal gradients, and residual stresses compared to melting-based technologies. The plastic flow-induced diffusion process can introduce a stronger bonding at material interfaces, allowing for bonding of dissimilar materials that other methods cannot accomplish [Refs 1, 4]. The various solid-state repair methods involve a large range of interdependent relationships between the microstructure, thermal, and mechanical aspects. Examples of important phenomena include plastic deformation, dynamic recrystallization, and heating-and-cooling rates [Ref 3]. While no melting is involved, the various solid-state processes induce heating, which affects the repair material and substrate and needs to be considered. Minimizing the impact to the substrate material is critical to doing no harm during the repair process. Given the coupled physical mechanisms, the large number of geometry and process dependent variables to control, and the material evolution associated with solid-state materials consolidation repair, it is imperative to develop a physics-based modeling tool. Such a tool will reduce both testing costs and time to identify important process parameters. The process parameters need to meet the performance requirements in terms of restoring or enhancing the strength and fatigue life of the damaged components. That is, any repair should meet a part's static strength requirements and provide increased fatigue life compared to no repair. The developed tools should provide conservative estimates of the static strength and fatigue life. In addition, prediction of damage initiation and propagation in repaired components is important, but still in its formative stage due to the complexity associated with material heterogeneity, defects, and residual stress field. To achieve these goals, the tool will need to consider thermal, mechanical, and metallurgical phenomena. The tool should also predict bond strength, damage initiation, and its progression in a repaired component. In order to predict strength and durability, the impact of the thermal history and the plastic strain of the process on the repair and substrate material's microstructure will require consideration [Refs 1, 3]. The focus material should be aerospace-grade aluminum alloy (e.g., 2024 or a 7000 series aluminum alloy). This modeling tool will advance the Navy’s ability to analyze solid-state repairs, setting the stage for improved repair options. PHASE I: Develop an integrated computational modeling framework for a solid-state materials consolidation repair method. Such a framework should simultaneously consider thermal, mechanical, and metallurgical phenomena. The simulation should consider process simulation and structural analysis. Ensure that the concept methodology in Phase I demonstrates its ability to model the process’s thermal history and residual stresses. At a minimum, provide the methodology for the consideration of bond strength, damage initiation, and its progression of solid-state repaired components under static and fatigue loading in Phase II. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Fully develop, verify, and validate a prototype modeling simulation tool for solid-state materials consolidation repair subject to static and fatigue loading. Demonstrate its ability to optimize repair on aircraft components for improved static strength and fatigue life. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype. Perform final testing to demonstrate the analysis model’s ability to provide conservative, but structurally useful, static strength and fatigue life for a variety of repairs (e.g., hole damage and corrosion) and materials. Transition the tool. Commercial aviation has similar incentive to repair damaged aircraft and get them airworthy quickly. This analysis capability will be just as useful for the commercial aviation industry. REFERENCES: 1. Hang, Z. Y., Jones, M. E., Brady, G. W., Griffiths, R. J., Garcia, D., Rauch, H. A., Cox, C. D. and Hardwick, N. “Non-beam-based metal additive manufacturing enabled by additive friction stir deposition.” Scripta Materialia, 153, 2018, pp. 122-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2018.03.025. 2. Cai, W., Daehn, G., Vivek, A., Li, J., Khan, H., Mishra, R. S. and Komarasamy, M. “A state-of-the-art review on solid-state metal joining.” Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 141(3), 2019. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041182. 3. Griffiths, R. J., Petersen, D. T., Garcia, D. and Yu, H. Z. “Additive friction stir-enabled solid-state additive manufacturing for the repair of 7075 aluminum alloy. Applied Sciences, 9(17), 2019, p. 3486. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9173486. 4. Cavaliere, P. and Silvello, A. “Crack repair in aerospace aluminum alloy panels by cold spray.” Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 26(4), 2017, pp. 661-670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-017-0534-9.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML);General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms;Electronics 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 3.5 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: Design and develop advanced low probability of intercept/low probability of detection (LPI/LPD) radar techniques using artificial intelligence (AI) driven methods. DESCRIPTION: The use of low probability of intercept/low probability of detection (LPI/LPD) radar techniques in radar and communication systems operating in adversarial environments has been common for many years. A wide range of techniques have been utilized in various combinations, including wide operational bandwidth, frequency agility, proper power management, antenna side lobe reduction, and advanced scan patterns, as well as host LPI waveform designs including binary phase codes, polyphase codes, Barker codes, Frank codes, and Polytime codes. Countermeasures to these techniques have been widely documented in open source literature. Many of the more recent approaches rely on machine- and deep learning-based detection and localization algorithms to dramatically reduce the effectiveness of conventional LPI/LPD radar techniques. The Navy requires the development of highly adaptive, advanced AI-based LPI/LPD radar techniques to regain and maintain an enduring advantage in the presence of capable adversaries. Computational resources to host this capability vary significantly across the candidate transition platforms. As a result, the computational efficiency of the approach along with its robustness and training requirements should be considered important criteria in the selection of an AI technique. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 NAVAIR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Develop concepts for multiple synergistic LPI/LPD radar techniques that are able to quickly adapt in response to the tactical environment. One or more AI-based decisions engines to achieve this adaptability. The concepts should directly address how the approach will counter those advanced machine and deep learning LPI/LPD radar techniques widely discussed in open source literature. Consideration should be given to how invasive each conceptual approach is in terms of hardware requirements and performance impacts. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Based on Phase I results, candidate concept(s) will be matured through more detailed high-fidelity analyses with a focus on a particular legacy radar system. Examine sensor integration concepts. Working with the Navy sponsor, assess hardware, software, and firmware impacts to accommodate the candidate techniques. Identify critical technical challenges and perform necessary analysis and as required experimentation to understand the associated risk. The Phase II deliverable should provide a detailed conceptual approach with supporting analyses of sufficient detail to support follow-on design and integration in the candidate radar system. Work in Phase II may become classified. Please see note in Description section. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete development, perform final testing, integrate, and transition the final solution to naval airborne radar systems. The techniques could be utilized by commercial applications in commercial communication and data systems. REFERENCES: 1. Kong, S. H., Kim, M., Hoang, L. M. and Kim, E. “Automatic LPI radar waveform recognition using CNN.” IEEE Access, 6, 2018, pp. 4207-4219. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2017.2788942. 2. Kookamari, F. H., Norouzi, Y. and Nayebi, M. M. “Using a moving aerial platform to detect and localise a low probability of intercept radar.” IET Radar, Sonar & Navigation, 11(7), 2017, pp. 1062-1069. https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/iet-rsn.2016.0295. 3. Alrubeaan, T., Albagami, K., Ragheb, A., Aldosari, S., Altamimi, M. and Alshebeili, S. “An Investigation of LPI Radar Waveforms Classification in RoF Channels.” IEEE Access, 7, 2019, pp. 124844-124853. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2938317.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop a novel additive material deposition system that produces high-quality composite laminate repairs that return parts to original strength. DESCRIPTION: High-performance composite materials used on current, and future, aircraft construction will exhibit damage and wear throughout their lifetimes. Repair methods usually consist of damaged material removal, surface preparation, and applying a repair patch in order to bring the structure back up to original strength. Although repair systems exist, these can be very labor intensive. Much effort is spent on cutting and handling the repair materials. This handling often produces excess waste as the maintainer must cut circular material to make the patches from stock material that comes in square sheets. These repairs must be carefully cut to fit the damaged area they are replacing, often made from successive circular layers in a step scarf geometry. There is also the struggle with time as the liquid resin systems either pre-impregnated in the fiber or applied from a two-part mixture have a finite shelf life. Finally, there is a great amount of training associated with individuals doing repair to produce consistent and quality products every time. Recent advances in Additive Manufacturing (AM) have the potential to make automated repairs a reality. Stemming from earlier work on Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), commonly used in industry, AM has moved from printing thermoplastics to fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and thermosets [Ref 1]. It has been shown that the resulting parts are not only stronger, but contain nearly as much fiber content as the high-performance composites used in making aircraft. There have also been advances in resin materials. Recent products featuring higher temperature thermoplastics are becoming commercially available. Thermosetting resins such as epoxies are being developed [Ref 2]. These resins can meet the structural and environmental properties demanded by naval aircraft. Coupling the superior strength of fiber reinforcement with durable, high temperature-resistant resins are the next technological step for performance AM [Ref 3]. An automated repair system will leverage the miniaturization of composite processing through AM to enable fleet maintainers to make faster more consistent repairs to composite aircraft. The user would mount the system over the damaged area and load in the repair materials. Repair patch outer dimensions may reach a maximum size of up to 18 inches and a minimum size of 5 inches. Applying repair material at the point of deposition will eliminate the waste generated by hand cutting pre-impregnated or wet layup composites. It will also speed up repair as the maintainer would not have to handle and mix resin before wetting out the dry fibers before cutting to size. Consistency will also improve as the resin is pre-mixed and uniformly impregnated into the fiber feedstock for the system. Using the aircraft as a tool surface, the proposed system can apply local pressure and heat to improve consolidation of the fibers, as well as, cure. Machine vision can be used to confirm ply orientation, scan for Foreign Objects and Debris (FOD), and provide documentation of the process which is useful for Digital Twin applications. Once complete, the user can remove the system and the leftover repair materials to be stored for future repairs. The objective is to be able to install, operate, and cure the repair in one shift (8 hr) although longer duration is acceptable depending on technology maturity. Develop and add the capabilities of machine vision to confirm repair ply size, orientation, and if FOD/defects exist. Further refine the intended repair material to be deposited by this system. Utilize a resin system with a cure temperature no greater than 350 °F (177 °C) although lower is desired. Show that the resin is fully cured when the intended system and repair process is complete. Perform additional mechanical testing per ASTM Standard of the repair material to confirm that physical and mechanical properties are suitable for a repair system. Desired threshold mechanical performance are listed below. Threshold Composite (0°/90°) Symmetric Laminate Mechanical Properties • Short Beam Shear Average Strength: 9 ksi Room Temp Ambient, 6 ksi 180 °F (82 °C) wet • Tension Average Strength: 115 ksi Room Temperature Ambient, 109 ksi 180 °F (82 °C) wet • Tension Average Modulus: 10.36 msi Room Temperature Ambient, 9.74 msi 180 °F (82 °C) wet • Compression Average Strength: 69 ksi Room Temperature Ambient, 48 ksi 180 °F (82 °C) wet • Compression Average Modulus: 7.91 msi Room Temperature Ambient, 7.62 msi 180 °F (82 °C) wet. The final repair material will have to undergo sufficient mechanical testing and characterization such that strength allowables can be generated and used to perform repair analysis. The proposer should conduct demonstrations of the material being deposited and utilize cross-sectional imaging and Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) to confirm porosity does not exceed 4% by volume. The proposer should perform acid digestion of repair material to confirm a fiber content. The goal is to meet or exceed 50% fiber content by volume. The final system should be such that it can be handled, carried, and placed by no more than two personnel. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate the feasibility of a portable system that can additively repair a composite material through the automated deposition of thermoset polymer and carbon fiber reinforcement. Identify and prototype a commercially available fiber and resin system that will be used by this machine. Fiber may be continuous or discontinuous. The final intended resin system should have a wet Glass Transition temperature (Tg) of no less than 230 °F (110 °C). Demonstrate the system by depositing and consolidating material with a quasi-isotropic fiber orientation on a flat surface. Also, demonstrate that the system is capable of applying subsequent layers in such a manner that the net shape is the stepped scarf normally used in composite scarf repairs. Provide cross-sectional imaging, and additional analysis, of these materials to inspect for porosity and fiber content. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate the technology to show that it can deposit material on curved surfaces. Demonstrate that it can deposit material in the scarfed recess left over from removing damaged material from a parent laminate. Integrate and refine the developed system such that it can be handled, carried, and placed by no more than two personnel. Refine the prototype system such that it can be securely mounted in reference to an aircraft's outer surface. Provide refined demo system as a deliverable to be used by NAVAIR. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Perform additional work to produce allowables data sufficient for traditional repair analysis per aircraft platform. Determine an adhesive system to be used for this repair. Ideally this would be one currently used in the fleet although the repair’s own resin matrix may be sufficient. Prove this with mechanical testing. Complete full integration of the technology from a prototype to a commercially viable system. Provide this system as well as a comprehensive manual for its operation. Integrate the machine vision system into current aircraft maintenance tracking procedures. Aircraft repair is common in the aerospace industry including transportation as well as military use. Composites are becoming more and more commonplace for commercial aircraft with the skin and stringers taking up much of the loads as seen with the Boeing 787. Being able to restore material properties to their original strength in an automated and consistent manner will keep aircraft flying longer, reducing costs for air carriers. Additional use can be found within the Army and Air Force for their composite aircraft. REFERENCES: 1. Brenken, B., Barocio, E., Favaloro, A., Kunc, V. and Pipes, R. B. “Fused filament fabrication of fiber-reinforced polymers: A review.” Additive Manufacturing, 21, 2018, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.01.002. 2. Nawafleh, N. and Celik, E. “Additive manufacturing of short fiber reinforced thermoset composites with unprecedented mechanical performance.” Additive Manufacturing, 33, 2020, 101109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101109. 3. Kim, H. J., Kim, H. S., Lee, G. Y., Kim, M. S., Min, S. H., Keller, R., Ihn, J. B. and Ahn, S. H. “Three-dimensional carbon fiber composite printer for CFRP repair.” Composites Part B: Engineering, 174, 2019, 106945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.106945.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments 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 3.5 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: Inform Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations by applying acoustic tomography through leveraging the tactical sonobuoy sensors used for wide-area search to estimate the three-dimensional sound-speed field. DESCRIPTION: Air ASW systems rely on environmental information to plan sensor fields and assess the performance of the mission afterwards. In future Air ASW systems designs, environmental predictions will be used to better separate targets from clutter. Sound speed is a fundamental component of this suite of environmental information and is critical for determining transmission loss. Transmission loss is an important parameter in reconciling the sonar equation and is needed to understand achieved search performance and to derive performance estimates. Maximum acceptable Transmission Loss is highly dependent on environmental factors such as ambient noise and reverberation. Currently, Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft rely on a combination of pre-flight estimates of the sound-speed field, augmented with sparse direct measurements of the sound speed using air expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) sonobuoys. An AXBT provides the sound-speed profile only for the point at which it enters the water, however; distributed fields of sonobuoys can extend over large areas and more complete estimates of the sound-speed across the sonobuoy field are needed in order to provide improved mission planning and execution. Dropping more AXBT sensors is not desired because of payload constraints on the aircraft, lost search time deploying more sensors for environmental assessment, and increased cost for each mission from dropping more buoys. Acoustic tomography has been previously applied to improve ASW situational awareness [Ref 1-3]. This SBIR topic will take advantage of the information already used by Air ASW systems to infer the sound-speed field by using acoustic tomography drawn from bistatic active sonar measurements used in wide-area search. Acoustic tomography [Ref 4] measures acoustic travel times between two points, along a multitude of paths, crossing at many different angles, to reconstruct the sound speed in a manner similar to medical computer aided tomography (CAT) scans. One constraint associated with using data from air deployed sensors is the limited bandwidth of both the source and receiver (on the order of 100 Hz). It may also be the case that not all receivers in the field reliably receive the source transmission. Any derived sound speed should be less than 1% different from a measured value at the same depth when a measured value is available for comparison. Modern multistatic sonobuoy fields offer a similar multitude of paths, and aircraft avionics can readily measure travel times as part of the sonar processing chain. In recent years, the size of the sonobuoy fields have grown, and the accuracy of buoy location estimates during a mission has increased. These two trends appear to make acoustic tomography using tactical sensors more feasible than in the past. Air ASW systems that benefit from this technology include: mission planning, tactical decision aides, post-mission assessment systems at tactical support centers, and onboard target detection processing systems. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 NAVAIR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Conduct a study to account for the impact of various factors (e.g., buoy location uncertainty (0 – 1 NMI uncertainty), time of arrival uncertainty (+/- 1 sec or less), and sonobuoy spacing (5 km – 15 km), demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed approach through the use of simulations. Demonstrate using simulations that transmission loss estimates for tactical sensors, based on climatology and now-casts (Generalized Digital Environmental Model (GDEM) or Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM)), can be improved by using acoustic tomography methods via tactical sensors. Demonstrate through simulations that Transmission Loss prediction accuracy using acoustic tomography for the entire multistatic sonobuoy field is within +/-6 dB of TL estimates generated by using GDEM or HYCOM at the point where that data is available. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans and software architecture to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Develop a prototype processing algorithm suitable for integration into mission planning tools and onboard target discrimination algorithms. Analyze real-world data to show improved reconciliation of measured target detections and measured echo levels with environmental predictions of echo levels and signal excess that incorporate tomography results. Work in Phase II may become classified. Please see note in Description paragraph. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize and implement the capability as part of an operational sonar system. Transition of this capability should utilize the Advanced Product Builds (APB) process. The tomography techniques developed under this effort have application across the Navy for sonar, radar, electro-optic, and other sensor devices. Other commercial applications for this technology are oil exploration and predicting storm tracks based on sea temperature. REFERENCES: 1. Cornuelle, B., Munk, W. and Worcester, P. “Ocean acoustic tomography from ships.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 94(C5), May 15, 1989, pp. 6232-6250. https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC05p06232. 2. The Acoustic Mid-Ocean Dynamics Experiment Group. “Moving Ship Tomography in the North Atlantic.”, EOS Science News, American Geophysical Union, 75(2), January 11, 1994, pp. 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1029/94EO00509. 3. Munk, W., Worcester, P. and Wunsch, C. “Ocean acoustic tomography.” Cambridge University Press, 2009. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wLcTlu_uHIwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Ocean+Acoustic+Tomography&ots=pEfwh1RktR&sig=WiCI8or_lF_LN6LDThJJdFdXw6M#v=onepage&q=Ocean%20Acoustic%20Tomography&f=false. 4. Delbalzo, D. and Klicka, J. “Uncertainty-based adaptive AXBT sampling with SPOTS.” [Paper presentation]. OCEANS ’09, MTS/IEEE, Biloxi, MS, United States, October 26-29, 2009. https://doi.org/10.23919/OCEANS.2009.5422074. 5. “DoD 5220.22-M National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (Incorporating Change 2, May 18, 2016).” Department of Defense, February 28, 2006. https://www.esd.whs.mil/portals/54/documents/dd/issuances/dodm/522022m.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Hypersonics;Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes 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 3.5 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: Design and develop infrared (IR) optical windows that are capable of protecting IR optical sensors and ensuring high-performance sensing during a hypersonic flight. DESCRIPTION: Hypersonic aerial vehicles require the use of IR windows to protect sensitive opto-electronics from the aggressive aerothermal environment of high-speed flight while providing transparency to the IR optical signal used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, guidance, and communication applications [Ref 1]. The high temperatures of 3000 °F (1649 °C), or higher, associated with aerothermal impact of a high-speed/hypersonic vehicle during hypersonic flight, pose very challenging operating environments for the window material [Ref 2]. The interface surface or window material must be able to withstand extreme thermal, mechanical, and chemical environments during hypersonic flight that can limit the performance of the IR window and the IR sensor platform [Ref 3]. Furthermore, shock waves and extremely high heat loads produced during flight adversely impart wavefront distortions, and for this reason, affect the fidelity and accuracy of the signal/image detected by the optical sensors. Aerothermal-mechanical loads also create additional thermal requirements for the window to protect and insulate the sensor from the vehicle’s extreme exterior condition [Ref 4]. The Navy requires development and demonstration of a new class of IR windows that can operate at extreme conditions of high-heat fluxes and high-air pressures, and enable high-performance optical sensing during hypersonic flights. The key performance parameters for the windows include: (a) wavelengths of interest: short-wave infrared (SWIR) – 1.4 to 3 µm mid-wave infrared (MWIR) – 3 to 5 µm, and long-wave infrared (LWIR) – 8 to 14 µm; (b) meet aerothermal and pressure loading conditions for hypersonic aerial vehicles; (c) accommodate both flat and non-flat (conformal, ogive, faceted) surface shapes to match vehicle aerodynamic design; (d) maintain electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical properties associated with the intended optical sensor during hypersonic flight; (e) window must endure the high temperatures (3000 °F [1649°C] or higher) and high-dynamic pressures (up to 12,000 lb/ ft²) (5,443.2 kg/0.0929 m²) during hypersonic flight; (f) the optical materials and designs of the windows should have minimum transmission loss in the desired wavelength bandwidths for each of the IR bands during hypersonic flight conditions. PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate the feasibility of candidate materials for window application through material properties testing. Research and select the IR window candidate materials for each of the IR wavelength band. The testing should include optical transmissivity, structural strength, and thermal properties of the window materials. Use modeling and simulation to estimate the thermal-optical and elastic-optical effects of the window materials and the impacts on transmission amplitude and bandwidth during hypersonic flight. Provide a Phase II plan to develop and test the optical windows in accordance with their performance goals and key technical milestones while addressing technical risks and challenges discovered from the modeling and simulation in Phase I. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Fabricate the optical windows according to the fabrication plan laid out in Phase I. Perform comprehensive tests and evaluations of the fabricated candidate windows regarding their performance and reliability in a relevant hypersonic environment. Iterate the design/fabrication steps to modify the designs and fabrications of the optical windows due to technical challenges discovered in the test and evaluation phase to close the gaps in the performance and survivability endurance gaps. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize development based on Phase II results, for transition and integration of the product into a hypersonic vehicle candidate airframe. Conduct flight test units for fielding on Navy experimental flight tests. Potential commercial applications could include the applications of this research for infrared optical windows for commercial hypersonic re-entry vehicles. REFERENCES: 1. Chan, C. B. and Singh, N. “Calculation of refractive index around a hypersonic vehicle with infrared sensors.” Proceedings IEEE Southeastcon'92, April 1992, pp. 562-565. https://doi.org/10.1109/SECON.1992.202416. 2. Di Clemente, M.; Rufolo, G.; Ianiro, A. and Cardone, G. “Hypersonic test analysis by means of aerothermal coupling methodology and infrared thermography.” AIAA journal, 51(7), 2013, pp. 1755-1769. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J052234. 3. Wan, Z. “Calculating models of cooling IR window and window background radiation.” International Society for Optics and Photonics, Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation IV, Vol. 3375, July 7, 1998, pp. 195-202.. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.327171. 4. Krell, A.; Baur, G. M. and Dahne, C. “Transparent sintered sub-µm Al2O3 with IR transmissivity equal to sapphire.” International Society for Optics and Photonics, Window and Dome technologies VIII, Vol. 5078, September 2003, pp. 199-207. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.485770.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms;Electronics OBJECTIVE: Develop a compact, low-timing jitter, semiconductor mode-locked for optical signal processing applications. DESCRIPTION: Emerging optical signal processing methods utilize the broadband nature of the optical spectrum to perform radio frequency (RF) signal processing in the optical domain. Examples of this include time-stretch analog analog-to to-digital converters [Ref 1], photonic sampling [Ref 2] and the use of optical speckle to perform compressive RF sensing [Ref 3]. Both applications require pulsed optical sources with a wide wide-optical envelope and low low-timing jitter. To date, fiber-based mode-locked lasers [Ref 4] have been used for this application and have met the performance requirements for these applications such as ultra wideband electronic warfare receivers. To allow a reduction of size and power of these emerging optical signal processing techniques, there is a need to develop compact (on the order of 100 cubic centimeters (cc), efficient semiconductor sources that can be chip-scale integrated in compact implementations, and can meet the requirements for implementation on size-and-power constrained Navy platforms. The developed source must be compatible with further integration of additional functionality such as analog optical modulators and low-loss optical waveguides. The mode-locked optical source should operate in the 1.5-micron band with average output power exceeding 10 milliwatts (mW). The pulse repetition rate should be in the 10-100 megahertz (MHz) range, with pulse timing jitter less than 100 femtoseconds (fs), and an optical envelope exceeding 10 nanometers (nm). PHASE I: Develop, design, and demonstrate the feasibility of an approach for a mode-locked or pulsed optical source that operates in the 1.5 micron µ band with average output power exceeding 10 milliwatts (mW), 10-100 MHz pulse repetition rate, pulse timing jitter less than 100 fs, and an optical envelope exceeding 10 nanometers (nm). Develop a model for an optical signal processing system of interest for the Navy. Develop further application--specific requirements specifications for the mode-locked source. Through simulations or practical supporting measurement show that the proposed optical source will meet these requirements. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II. PHASE II: Fabricate and demonstrate a laser source that meets requirements defined in Phase I. Develop a prototype packaged laser demonstrator. Ensure, that at the end of Phase II, this packaged laser should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 [Ref 5], with performance measured in a laboratory environment. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete development, perform final testing, and integrate and transition the final solution to future naval airborne electronic warfare and wideband radar systems. As pointed out in the Description, this technology can be applied to time-stretch analog-to-digital converters, photonic sampling and the use of optical speckle to perform compressive RF sensing. REFERENCES: 1. Valley, G. C. “Photonic analog-to-digital converters.” Optics Express, 15(5), 2007, pp. 1955-1982. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.15.001955. 2. Misra, A., Kress, C., Singh, K., Preußler, S., Scheytt, J. C. and Schneider, T. “Integrated source-free all optical sampling with a sampling rate of up to three times the RF bandwidth of silicon photonic MZM.” Optics Express, 27(21), 2019, pp. 29972-29984. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.029972. 3. Sefler, G. A., Shaw, T. J. and Valley, G. C. “Demonstration of speckle-based compressive sensing system for recovering RF signals.” Optics express, 26(17), 2018, pp. 21390-21402. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.26.021390. 4. Kim, J. and Song, Y. “Ultralow-noise mode-locked fiber lasers and frequency combs: principles, status, and applications.” Advances in Optics and Photonics, 8(3), 2016, pp. 465-540. https://doi.org/10.1364/AOP.8.000465. 5. Research Directorate, Defense, Research and Engineering (DDR&E). “Technology readiness assessment (TRA) Deskbook. Department of Defense, July 2009, pp. C-4-C-5. http://www.acqnotes.com/Attachments/Technology%20Readiness%20Assessment%20Deskbook.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Space Platforms 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 3.5 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 second-generation spectrally adaptive dynamic scanning algorithm to improve Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) capable terminal UHF transmission efficiency and co-sharing spectrum supportability. DESCRIPTION: As with any Department of Defense (DoD) radio system, radio frequency spectrum is shared and there is always the increased possibility of mutual or co-site interference. For MUOS capable radios, there are three types of interference mitigated by Spectrum Adaptation (SA): first, the MUOS radio transmission interference with the reception of non-MUOS radios (commonly called victims); second, interference to the satellite caused by other ground-based radios operating in the MUOS radio uplink frequency bands; and third, interference with the MUOS radio reception caused by non-MUOS radios operating locally within the MUOS radio’s receive carrier. The principal approach to defining interference limits within the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands is defined in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Redbook. Typical narrow band radios have an equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) in the 10 to 100 watt range. Applying the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Redbook criterion, the required out-of-band emission must be in a range no greater than -25dBW to -15dBW, with spurious emissions no larger than -43dBW. Narrow band radios must comply with this Spectral Emission Mask to avoid having additional coordination requirements imposed upon it. Currently, the MUOS spectrally adaptive waveform transmits in the UHF (300 MHz – 320 MHz) band (20 MHz with 5 MHz distinct and separate channel) – equivalent to multi-carrier WCDMA. To avoid and protect other users within the transmitted band, the MUOS waveform is designed with the capability to scan the transmitted band, determine the presence of a victim signal (based on the pre-determined threshold), and then create RF masks in the amplifier and mask out the transmitted band. The algorithm employed in this case is a modified Discrete Fourier Transform (mDFT) using a polyphaser filterbank technique [Ref 1] and amplified further [Ref 2]. The envisioned second-generation spectrally adaptive algorithm would improve the frequency resolution, achievable notch depth, minimum notch bandwidth, computation cost, and design flexibility. From there, the algorithm would be implemented into a design suitable for incorporation with the MUOS waveform software. The goal for notching bandwidth is to reduce it to 25 kiloHertz or smaller per bin. The goal for notch depth is at least 27 decibels with an objective of 30 or more. The improved notching capability must require the same or less computational complexity in order to allow for software-only updates to existing radios. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVWAR 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Create an initial conceptual design for a second-generation spectrally adaptive dynamic scanning algorithm. Predict performance using modeling and simulation or other tools. Consider radio integration issues. Estimate the power requirements and improved notch depth effectiveness. Determine the feasibility of the proposed approach to develop the algorithm to improve notch depth and scanning efficiency for MUOS radios. Develop a Phase II plan. PHASE II: Build a prototype algorithm and simulate/test it in the spectrum-congested environment. Evaluate measured performance characteristics versus predictions from Phase I and make design adjustments as necessary. Develop a Phase III commercialization plan. 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 integration of the design into the existing MUOS waveform. Support interoperability testing with existing systems in a lab and through end-to-end system test. The technology developed under this SBIR topic may be applied to a variety of SATCOM and other spectrum dependent communication systems that are currently in development. REFERENCES: 1. Spooner, M.C. "Filterbanks for Adaptive Transmit Filtering." MILCOM 2007 - IEEE Military Communications Conference, Orlando, FL, USA, 2007, pp. 1-8. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4455185. 2. Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee. “Interference and Dynamic Spectrum Access Committee, Interim Report, May 19, 2010.” https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/meetings/csmac_may19_idsa_final.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground / Sea Vehicles;Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop marine coatings that deter the settlement of biofouling without relying on the release of toxic chemicals. The coatings must not rely on an external source for activation (i.e., mechanical, optical, chemical) and must be practical for application on the large surface areas of the wetted ship hull. DESCRIPTION: Marine antifouling coatings use biocides to minimize biofouling on ship hulls and are thus a compromise in terms of being environmentally beneficial (e.g., maximizing fuel efficiency, minimizing introduction of non-indigenous species) and environmentally harmful (i.e., releasing toxins). Current coatings either have an ablative matrix that the biocides diffuse through or are self-polishing and slowly hydrolize to release the biocides. When the biocide release rate drops below a threshold, hard foulers such as barnacles can strongly adhere to the ship hull. Alternative "fouling release" coatings have been developed, which do not release biocides and operate as easy to clean coatings which may self-clean by the shear of water against the hull when moving or be easily cleaned with soft brushes or wiping with a sponge. These coatings are generally based on silicone resins sometimes enhanced to present hydrophilic or amphiphilic domains on the immersed coatings surface. However, when ships are idle in port, biofouling can quickly accumulate to the extent that it will not self-clean. This is problematic for the Navy so most ships use antifouling coatings. Commercial marine coatings manufacturers have started to develop hybrid coatings in which biocides are added to fouling release matrices. In some ways, these represent the best of both worlds, but it is doubtful that these coatings will retain these biocides to provide a long coating lifetime. Also, in the long run, non-toxic approaches are desired. The goal of this SBIR topic is to develop environmentally benign coatings that deter settlement without the release of biocides, are effective for five years or more, and are easy to clean should some biofouling occur. To compete with antifouling coatings from a cost/performance perspective, such approaches should not resort to expensive active mechanisms involving electrical, thermal, mechanical, or optical stimulation. There are several approaches to achieve this in the literature, though currently none are fully successful so more development is necessary. The challenge is that the breadth and diversity of the marine biofouling community is high and extends from microscopic to macroscopic (i.e., bacterial to algae and barnacles), though stopping the initial foulers is a good approach. One strategy is to tether the biocides to the coating surface. Efficacy in this approach may depend on the inhibition mechanism of the biocide, and also whether cell debris is easily dislodged enabling the biocide to remain effective [Ref 1]. Another approach involves creating hydrophilic or amphiphilic surfaces using zwitterions. In general, this approach results in easy release surfaces but some methods of presenting the zwitterions seem to make the surfaces deterrent [Ref 2]. Though it is less desirable to release chemicals, registered irritant compounds such as Selektope which could provide a non-toxic coating. Researchers have also investigated release of various biofoulant signaling compounds [Ref 3]. Other novel approaches are welcome. PHASE I: Develop approaches to producing coatings that are easy release and deter biofouling settlement relative to control surfaces (e.g., glass, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), commercial fouling release coating (Navy can identify relevant coatings) without releasing toxic compounds. Demonstrate this capability in lab assays against marine fouling on various fouling levels including marine bacteria, algae, and possibly invertebrates such as barnacles or tubeworms. Performers can use their own lab assays and/or submit samples to the ONR basic research program in this area [Ref 4]. Performers that use their own assays will need to calibrate them against the ONR assays. (ONR assays are generally carried out on coated microscope slides and coverslips.) PHASE II: Scale coating for testing of coated 4 inch by 8 inch substrates in static field assays at ONR funded facilities. Optimize coating based on iterations of lab assay characterization and field testing. Optimize coating for longer term performance. Provide a business plan to commercialize coating. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale coating for patch testing on a Navy ship. Execute commercialization strategy for commercial and defense applications. The Navy currently utilizes coatings developed for commercial shipping which pass additional Navy qualification tests. REFERENCES: 1. Park, Daewon; Finlay, John A.; Ward, Weinman, Craig J.; Krishnan, Sitaraman; Paik, Marvin; Sohn, Karen E.; Callow, Maureen E.; Callow, James A.; Angert, Esther R.; Kramer, Edward J. and Ober, Christopher K. “Antimicrobial Behavior of Semifluorinated-Quaternized Triblock Copolymers against Airborne and Marine Microorganisms.” Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2(3), 210, pp. 703-711. 2. Aldred, Nick; Li, Guozhu; Gao, Ye; Clare, Anthony S. and Jiang, Shaoyi. “Modulation of barnacle (Balanusamphitrite Darwin) cyprid settlement behavior by sulfobetaine and carboxybetaine methacrylate polymer coatings.” Biofouling, 26:6, 2010, pp. 673-683. 3. Gohad, N.V.; Shah, N.M.; Metters, A.T.; and Mount, A.S. “Noradrenaline deters marine invertebrate biofouling when covalently bound in polymeric coatings.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Volume 394, Issues 1-2, 30 October 2010, pp. 63-73. 4. Stafslien, Shane J.; Sommer, Stacy; Webster, Dean C.; Bodkhe, Rajan; Pieper, Robert; Daniels, Justin; Vander Wal, Lyndsi; Callow, Maureen C.; Callow, James A.; Ralston, Emily; Swain, Geoff; Brewer, Lenora; Wendt, Dean; Dickinson, Gary H.; Lim, Chin-Sing; and Teo, Serena Lay-Ming. “Comparison of laboratory and field testing performance evaluations of siloxane-polyurethane fouling-release marine coatings.” Biofouling, 32:8, 2016, pp. 949-968.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Directed Energy (DE) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Ground / Sea Vehicles;Weapons OBJECTIVE: Develop a sub-10 nanosecond rise time, GW-class Marx generator with long-lifetime insulated spark gap switches with preferred air (or other gas) as the primary insulation medium to support the deployment of next-generation HPM weapons. DESCRIPTION: High power microwave (HPM) systems frequently require high voltage, high current, nanosecond duration pulses in order to generate radio frequency (RF) signals [Ref 1]. Such pulses are frequently generated by Marx generators [Refs 2, 4], which consist of multiple stages of capacitors charged in parallel and rapidly connected in series, usually by gas spark gap switches [Ref 5], to boost the voltage and provide an output pulse [Ref 6]. The spark gap switches consist of at least two electrodes, often contained within a high-pressure body filled with gas, and often utilize a trigger electrode situated between the two primary electrodes. A high voltage pulse is sent to the trigger, which breaks down to one of the primary electrodes, causing breakdown between both primary electrodes, thereby electrically connecting stages in series. Several failure mechanisms exist for these switches, making lifetime and maintenance a frequent issue. This is particularly true when compact designs are required. Problems include surface tracking between electrodes along the body of the switch and electrode erosion. High repetition rates can also be problematic, as gas flow is required to clear ionization and heat from previous shots. If sufficient gas purging is not accomplished between shots, thermal damage may be incurred or hold-off decreases, allowing breakdown to occur before full voltage is achieved [Ref 7]. Meanwhile, the Marx stages must be insulated from each other, which is usually accomplished with gas or transformer oil. In compact Marx generators, oil is often the insulator of choice due to its superior voltage hold-off qualities at Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP). However, oil insulation creates several issues. First, the use of insulating oil complicates Marx maintenance in deployed environments because of onerous drain and fill processes and OCONUS supply chain challenges. Second, high pressure switches leak into the oil at finite rates. Gas leakage occurs through switch body or gas fitting failures or by gas diffusion through the switch body and routing lines over long-term depot storage periods. Gas leaking into the oil results in dissolved gas or bubbles that significantly reduce the voltage insulating capability of the oil, and can cause ill-formed pulses or catastrophic failure of the Marx. Finally, oil insulation may result in Marx designs heavier than those insulated by gas. A compact, fast rise time Marx design that utilizes air as its insulation and long life gas switches is therefore desired. KEY MARX GENERATOR PARAMETERS: • 300 kV peak pulse voltage or more into a matched load • 13-20 O (ohm) output impedance • 10 ns 10 – 90% voltage rise time or less • 15 – 50 ns FWHM • Threshold 10,000 / Objective 50,000 shot lifetime without maintenance or better • 0.50 m diameter or smaller • 1.25 m length or smaller • Threshold 50 Hz / Objective 300 Hz repetition rate for 10 shots every 2 seconds for 5 bursts, or better • 200 kg weight or less • Air insulated (or other gases such as SF6 replacement mixture) • Tolerant of up to 40% reversal of the output PHASE I: Develop a concept for a compact Marx generator meeting the above Key Parameters that utilizes air as its insulation medium for both the switch and primary Marx insulation. Simulate switch electrostatics, and establish switch-purging methodology. Simulate Marx pressure vessel hydrostatics and electrostatics. Prepare a report to ONR and AFRL on designs and simulations and a Phase II testing plan. PHASE II: Fabricate switch design(s) developed during Phase I for high voltage and pressure testing and gas flow analysis. These tests are to be performed under the temperatures outlined in MIL-STD-810H Test Methods 501.7 (Hot Dry) and 502.7 (Basic Cold). Measure switch lifetime under representative conditions and refine design as necessary to meet Key Parameters. Fabricate Marx pressure vessel and test at pressure. Provide switch prototype, Marx pressure vessel prototype, and report containing designs and testing results, and a Phase III plan to ONR/AFRL/NSWCDD for prototype evaluation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Assemble full gas-insulated Marx generator and demonstrate output meeting Key Parameters. Demonstrate full Marx lifetime operating into a matched load. Deliver Marx prototype and a report containing designs and testing data to ONR/AFRL/NSWCDD. The development of a compact, high reliably pulsed power system would expand the present state of the art for Directed Energy and enable component level exploitation for commercial applications in the pulsed power industry. REFERENCES: 1. Korovin, S. D. et. al. “Pulsed Power-Driven High-Power Microwave Sources.” Proc. of the IEEE, Vol. 92, No. 7, 2004. 2. Walterx, J. et. al. “An “energy efficient” vircator-based HPM system.” 2011 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference. DOI 10.1109/PPC.2011.6191558. 3. Sharma, A. et. al. “Development and Characterization of Repetitive 1-kJ Marx-Generator-Driven Reflex Triode System for High-Power Microwave Generation.” IEEE Trans. On Plasma Science, Vol. 39, Issue 5, May 2011. 4. Pouncey, J.C.; Lehr, J.M.; and Giri, D. V. "Erection of Compact Marx Generators." IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 47, no. 6, June 2019, pp. 2902-2909. doi: 10.1109/TPS.2019.2915034. 5. Pouncey, J.C. and Lehr, J. M. “A parametric SPICE model for the simulation of spark gap switches.” Rev. of Sci. Instr., 91, 034704, 2020. 6. Fitch, R. and Crewson, W. “Marx generator and triggering circuitry therefor.” US3746881A, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 17 July 1973. 7. Winands, G. J. J. et. al. “Long lifetime, triggered, spark-gap switch for repetitive pulsed power applications.” Rev. of Sci. Instr., 76, 085107, 2005.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): 5G;Cybersecurity TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems 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 3.5 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 lightweight and reliable vulnerability detection and verification system for 5G end user devices and its supported infrastructure at the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers. DESCRIPTION: The Navy seeks development of a lightweight and reliable vulnerability detection and verification system for 5G end user devices and its supported infrastructure at the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers. The general architecture for 5G networks demonstrates the ability to connect to many differing types of devices such as high speed mobile networks, vehicular networks, and industry machine-to-machine communications. The throughput, latency, and bandwidths not only appeal to every day users but to military operations that seek to become more connected. However, little is understood how the vendors will implement the security features provided in the 3GPP R16 specification [Ref 4]. Due to the diversification of the emerging commercial lines, it is likely that each 5G network will exhibit very different security stances. The objective is to develop a prototype device that can perform integrity checks and vulnerability discovery actions upon entry into prototypical 5G networks (e.g., vehicular networks, smart communities, healthcare networks). The device will focus on assessing security issues with the media access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer and providing users that feedback. Major attacks that threaten wireless networks include eavesdropping, jamming, denial-of-service, and man-in-the-middle. Emerging work in protocol fuzzing and protocol reverse engineering provides higher order effects even on proprietary systems. Many of these approaches are difficult under ideal situations. The prototype device must be able to demonstrate the ability to be deployed in an expeditionary setting. The system should be able to be operated using a power draw from a medium sized tactical vehicle (i.e., JLTV). It should not exceed 100 lbs for easy transport and its dimensions should not warrant larger than a 2-man carry. Security and privacy studies have focused on earlier generation wireless networks. Only in the last couple of years has a systematic approach to looking at vulnerability discovery for 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) been published. 5G presents a heavier reliance on virtualization and software-defined networking. The impact of this on security has not yet been fully grasped. These impacts must be understood at the sub-6GHz and the mmWave bands. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Define and develop a concept to meet Naval needs for an innovative and mobile 5G vulnerability detection reporting capability. Evaluate the technical feasibility of this concept for the Naval Forces. Perform modeling and simulation to provide initial assessment of concept. This will include network architectures likely to be encountered in expeditionary environments (see MCTP 3-40G), the attack vectors, and security features expected. Initial system design parameters to perform assessments will also be derived. PHASE II: Develop a Phase II prototype for evaluation based on the results of Phase I. The prototype will be evaluated to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in Phase II Statement of Work (SOW) and the Naval need for improved security via integrity assessment of nearby local 5G networks that could be leveraged for military operations. Knowledge of which networks are reliable could be disseminated to service members using personal devices in forward deployed zones to increase operational security. Demonstrate the ability to discover vulnerabilities across the PHY and MAC layers (threshold) as well as higher in the stack (objective) and present this data to users. Showcase this ability over various differing network use case configurations. The prototype design should be at least of a vehicle mount configuration. Deliver a minimum of three prototypes to the Navy for evaluation. Perform detailed analysis to ensure the materials are rugged and appropriate for Naval application, including environment, shock, and vibration analysis. Phase II may become classified (see Description) with the discovery of vulnerabilities within the PHY and MAC layers of signals of interest to the Naval Forces. In those cases, surrogates as well as the specific signals of interest will be evaluated. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Apply the knowledge gained in Phase II to build an advanced module, suitably packaged with arbitrary waveform generation, ability to either self-power or connect with a vehicle plant, and to characterize the local 5G network to include its vulnerabilities as defined by Naval requirements. Working with the Navy and applicable industry partners, demonstrate application with the potential to be implemented on a light tactical vehicle and/or at a land-based test site to support vulnerability discovery and reporting. Support the Navy with test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Naval use. Explore the potential to transfer the vulnerability discovery tool to other military and commercial systems (e.g., telecommunications). Identify the most promising areas via market research and analysis and develop manufacturing plans to facilitate a smooth transition to the Navy. 5G is an emerging network that is gaining traction across the entire global market. As users share more and more content online, security and privacy will become a larger concern. Providing a means to understand network integrity will aid users in data transfer decisions and potentially reduce catastrophic vulnerability and economic impacts. REFERENCES: 1. Fang, Donfeng; Quan, Yi; and Hu, Rose Qingyang. "Security for 5G Mobile Wireless Networks" IEEE Access Special Section on Trusted Computing Vol 6, 2019. 2. Bartock, Mike; Cichonski, Jeff; and Souppaya, Murugiah. "5G Cybersecurity: Preparing a Secure Evolution to 5G." NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, April 2020. 3. Hussain, Syed Rafiul; Chowdhury, Omar; Mehnaz, Shagufta; and Bertino, Elisa. "LTE Inspector: A Systematic Approach for Adversarial Testing of 4G LTE." Network and Distributed Systems Security (NDSS) 2019, 18-21 February 2019, San Diego, USA. 4. 3GPP Release 16. July 2020. https://www.3gpp.org/release-16.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;Microelectronics;Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground / Sea Vehicles;Sensors;Weapons OBJECTIVE: Develop an external payload deployment system for cylindrical unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs. Example payloads may be sensors, markers, or communications relays. The system will not interfere with the operation of the UUV and will respond to UUV commands to detach and activate. DESCRIPTION: There are many UUV missions that would benefit from leave-behind technology. However, the UUV market is dominated by cylindrical UUVs, making development of an external payload deployment system technically challenging. Despite the technical difficulties involved, the potential for UUV navigation, communication, environmental monitoring, and surveillance payloads make this SBIR topic a worthwhile endeavor. The main technical challenge is that such a system will modify the hydrodynamic behavior of the host UUV and will therefore affect its controllability and maneuverability. Another important technical challenge is minimally invasive command and control communications between the UUV and the external payload. Most current UUVs cannot leave behind useful technology when they encounter something of interest. In many retrieval scenarios, precisely placing an acoustic beacon would aid the following retrieval mission normally undertaken with work class Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). In another scenario, placing a communications relay, where underwater communications starts to degrade, would avoid the loss of communications with a vehicle. In yet another scenario, leaving a trail of small markers may aid feature-based navigation in featureless environments. For these scenarios, the most versatile and fastest integration approach would be to mount an external payload onto the vehicle and have this payload receive instructions without having to make physical connections to the vehicle’s systems. Technology proposed under this effort should develop an external payload for cylindrical UUVs up to 21” in diameter that minimizes interference with UUV hydrodynamics and vehicle control while limiting reduction to mission endurance. Additionally, the payload should communicate with the UUV payload computer using connections that do not pierce the UUV hull. Proposers should also understand and demonstrate the flight stability of the payload when dropped, and determine the accuracy of the deployment relative to the intended location. The design must have a robust buoyancy compensation system for the payload such that the changes to the UUV’s Center of Gravity and Center of Buoyancy are not detrimental. Deployment should be effective over a limited range of UUV altitudes and speeds (less than 5 m altitude and speed of less than 5 m/s). DESIGN CRITERIA: • UUVs Under Consideration: Cylindrical main body with a diameter of between 5 and 21 inches and length less than 20 ft. • Buoyancy: Neutral when attached to UUV / Negative when detached from UUV • Hydrodynamic Forces: Should not appreciably change UUV Center of Gravity or Center of Buoyancy and not require UUV controller modification • Communications: no through-hull modifications • Detachment: on-command from UUV • Payload drop accuracy: determined by program @ UUV min speed: 1 m/sec and UUV min depth 3 m • Parasitic drag after release: minimal less than 10% over unmodified vehicle drag • Payload drag (before or after detachment): should not decrease UUV mission time by more than 25% • Adaptable buoyancy in variety of seawater densities – including freshwater • Anticipate standard mil spec environment, shock, vibration, transportability testing in Phase II/III • Carry load: module that weighs up to 5 kg in air Testing for standard mil spec compliance (environment, shock, vibration, and transportability) will occur in Phase II and III. PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a concept for an external UUV payload that satisfies the previously listed design criteria for a cylindrical vehicle. Smaller diameters that the 5 inches in the design criteria can be proposed, as long as there is evidence that the payloads would provide a useful function. Analysis on initial hardware and software concepts will be completed to determine the optimal design and feasibility in the projected use case. Either modeling using semi-empirical methods [Refs 1, 4, 5] and simulations [Refs 2, 3] or in-water tests will be performed to justify the approach. An analysis will also be made of the most effective command and control communication approach that will not require perforation of the UUV hull. Develop a Phase II plan. PHASE II: Develop and fabricate two to three prototype systems for evaluation. Precise evaluation metrics will be developed in consultation with the appropriate acquisition program office. The prototype demonstration should show applicability to current UUV form factors and mission requirements. Perform detailed analysis on ruggedness and compatibility with Navy UUV handling, storage, and environmental operating conditions. Testing will be conducted by both the performer and by Navy personnel on Navy assets. Cost effectiveness and manufacturability feasibility should be addressed as part of the prototype test and evaluation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Applying the knowledge gained in Phase II, build an advanced UUV payload system that meets appropriate technology readiness level (TRL) metrics set by the acquisition program office. Support the Navy for test and validation of the system for certified Navy use. Explore the potential to transfer the payload delivery system to commercial use (e.g., oil and gas industry). Develop manufacturing plans to facilitate transition to a UUV program of record. REFERENCES: 1. Severholt, J. “Generic 6-DOF Added Mass Formulation for Arbitrary Underwater Vehicles based on Existing Semi-Empirical Methods.” Master’s Thesis, Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden, June 20, 2017. 2. Liu, A.; Chen, G.; Feng, J. and Hu, J. “Research on the Hydrodynamic Characteristic of Conformal Semi-Ring Wing Configuration.” 2017 International Conference on Computer Systems, Electronics and Control (ICCSEC), pp. 78-82. 3. Zhou, J. and Wang, S. "Dynamics Modeling and Maneuverability Simulation of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Hanging Torpedoes Externally." 2009 International Asia Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics, Bangkok, 2009, pp. 207-210. 4. Perrault, D. “Sensitivity of AUV added mass coefficients to variations in hull and control plane geometry.” Ocean Engineering, vol. 30, April 2003, pp. 645-671. 5. Humphreys, D.E. and Watkinson, K.W. “Prediction of acceleration hydrodynamic coefficients for underwater vehicles from geometric parameters.” Naval Coastal Systems Laboratory Tech Report NCSL 327-78, Panama City, Florida, 1978.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 new detectors, bonding methods, or fabrication techniques for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) focal plane arrays that enable lower cost infrared imaging for navigation, object detection, collision avoidance, and force protection. DESCRIPTION: Electro-Optic and Infrared (EO/IR) sensors are used in a wide variety of applications and missions such as long-range detection and identification of objects, seeing at night, and wide area surveillance. Although infrared offers superior imaging in most scenarios, visible sensors are more proliferated than IR due to the dramatically lower cost and higher pixel resolution available. IR sensors have higher costs compared to visible because of many system factors; this SBIR topic proposes to solve one of those factors: the focal plane array (FPA). The MWIR imaging band of 2.8 um to 5 um is used across the Naval forces for imaging targets in a wide range of atmospheric conditions. The goal is to develop novel MWIR FPA materials or processes to achieve > 20x cost reduction over existing MWIR FPAs. In order to get an image out of the IR FPA, die-to-die bonding of the FPA to a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) is performed creating a sensor chip assembly (SCA). Multiple infrared imaging technologies are used today for the FPA [Ref 1] and most are now available at higher operating temperatures (HOT) (e.g., above 110 K). All of the highest performing FPAs are made from either group III-V or II-VI semiconductors [Ref 1, 2]. The IR-absorbing material chosen sets the limit on overall FPA size, pixel size, and cost. Some of these factors are directly related to the substrate (e.g., size and cost), while others are material and processing specific (e.g., pixel size). No matter what FPA material is chosen, the ROIC is always made in (Silicon (Si) due to the low-cost manufacturing and superior electronics properties. To accomplish the goal of a low-cost MWIR FPA, various strategies might be explored. One such method might be the use of IR-absorbing semiconductors that are compatible with Si-complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. In this approach the absorber would be directly deposited (i.e., grown) on the Si wafer containing the ROIC-enabling large-scale batch processing directly on 200 mm or 300 mm Si CMOS wafers. Multiple material systems within this direct growth area have been explored previously that could be applied to this topic. Possible research directions include, but are not limited to, Group IV materials [Ref 3], III-V direct growth [Ref 4], and quantum dots [Ref 5]. Another such method outside of direct growth on Si is novel direct bonding methods of an FPA wafer to the Si ROIC. In this approach, the FPA active absorber material is grown on III-V or II-VI substrates, then subsequently bonded to the Si ROIC. All solutions should address yield and the ability to scale down to smaller pixels to meet future large format sensing requirements. The solution should be a drop-in replacement to existing MWIR SCAs and thus should not require significant deviation in design to existing MWIR optics. If the solution requires cooling, then industry standard integrated dewar cooler assemblies (IDCA) or thermoelectric coolers should be used to maximize backwards compatibility. End of program deliverable design characteristics: • Specific detectivity (D*) within the 3 um to 5 um band: above 10^11 Jones [normalized to 2*pi field of view (FOV) and 300 K background] • Noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD): below 25 mK • Quantum efficiency (QE) within the 3 um to 5 um band: shall be no less than 20% of the peak QE • Peak QE: shall be between 3 um and 5 um • Detector cooling: >= 110 K • Pixel size: <= 10 um PHASE I: Develop a concept for new detectors, bonding methods, or fabrication techniques for MWIR FPAs that demonstrates the approach, while providing for design scalability for MWIR operation. This demonstration can be for a single-element detector or detector array, along with performance metrics, or demonstration of a direct bonding method. • Identify major hurdles and physical limits of the approach that might include: dark current, 1/f noise, threading dislocations, thermal stress of dissimilar materials, etc. • Reports and findings on the fabrication, growth, and tunability of the recipes to create a hardware prototype. • Investigate, document, and select best-of-breed approaches to a low cost MWIR FPA. • Test the prototype in a laboratory environment with a minimum of electrical read-out of the dark current and could include quantum efficiency. PHASE II: Build, develop, demonstrate, validate, and mature the hardware. • Improve detector level performance metrics such quantum efficiency, detectivity, dark current I-V, and spectral noise. • Build a test chip carrier suitable for proof-of-concept demonstrations. • Fabricate a small format FPA suitable for an imaging demonstration. Test chip can either be directly with a ROIC or read out element wise to show detector functionality. • Test the prototype in a laboratory simulated operational environment and identify metrics to validate the system’s advantages over state-of-the-art in MWIR imagers. • Work with the Government to identify and develop a representative set of transition opportunities for early deployment of the developed concepts. • Develop a transition plan for the Program of Record (PoR) and for commercial industries via a Phase III commercialization plan. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Apply the knowledge gained in Phase II toward the manufacture of a full frame imaging SCA at 640 x 480 or larger format. • Build an imaging sensor and characterize its performance using imaging array level performance metrics such as modulation transfer function (MTF), QE, and noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD). • Identify packaging and yield for transition to a PoR. • Work with the Navy and applicable industry partners to demonstrate that the SCA can be readily, non-disruptively adapted to an existing EO/IR platforms and optics. Test the sensor in a representative environment (e.g., on a Navy-owned range) with conventional MWIR optics to measure performance comparable to existing state-of-the-art in MWIR cameras. • Market research and analysis shall identify the most promising users across the Navy and/or commercial markets. Develop and document a methodology for smoothly integrating the capability onto identified platforms. REFERENCES: 1. Rogalski, A. "Recent progress in infrared detector technologies." Infrared Physics & Technology, 54(3), 2011, pp. 136-154. 2. Martyniuk, P. and Rogalski, A. "HOT infrared photodetectors." Opto-Electronics Review, 21(2), 2013, pp. 239-257. 3. Soref, R. "Group IV photonics for the mid infrared." Proceeding SPIE 8629, Silicon Photonics VIII 862902, 14 March 2013. 4. Tanabe, K. et al. "III-V/Si hybrid photonic devices by direct fusion bonding." Scientific Reports 2(1), Article: 349, April 2, 2012. 5. Rogalski, A. et al. “Comparison of performance limits of HOT HgCdTe photodiodes and colloidal quantum dot infrared detectors.” SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, SPIE Vol 11407, April 23, 2020.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Biotechnology TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Biomedical;Electronics OBJECTIVE: Develop a wearable, wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) unit to analyze and communicate heart rate and rhythm in bottlenose dolphins in the marine environment (i.e., salt water). DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Navy uses bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Fleet’s operational Marine Mammal Systems to protect harbors and Navy assets, detect and/or mark underwater mines, and locate and attach recovery hardware to underwater objects. To contribute to maintaining the fitness of these marine mammals for duty and the readiness of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Systems, the U.S. Navy is interested in developing a wearable, wireless ECG unit to monitor dolphin cardiac rate and rhythm while the animal is at rest and actively swimming in the marine environment. Synchronized information regarding the swimming depth of the animal is required. With aging populations of marine mammals under professional care, cardiac disease is of increasing clinical concern. Over the years, the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program has diagnosed several dolphins with cardiac disease, particularly in geriatric animals. Developing improved cardiac monitoring techniques are vital to identifying and monitoring cardiac disease cases, supporting healthy aging, and enhancing dolphin cardiac medicine. Due to their marine environment home, no clinically viable options for in-water ECG monitoring exist in bottlenose dolphins. Limitations include electrode signal interference from seawater, animal motion artifacts, and lack of wireless systems. Several studies have described ECG evaluation in cetaceans over the last two decades [Ref 1-6]. However, there are no commercially available units that allow for ECG recording while the dolphin is swimming or diving untethered. Electrodes are also very sensitive to interference from motion and seawater. Analyzing not only heart rate, but heart rhythm as well, while dolphins are free swimming will provide valuable data to drive clinical decision making and will be especially valuable in monitoring animals with known dysrhythmias. Examples of cardiac health issues in Navy dolphins leading to dysrhythmias have included dilated cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, and arrhythmias due to a variety of etiologies. This need for “in ocean“ monitoring is significant because, while we are able to obtain ECG data with the animal out of the water, we do not fully understand the physiologic consequences that may be occurring with the animal out of its aquatic habitat, potentially confounding the ECG interpretation. The techniques that would be most reflective of true cardiac health will be best assessed while the animal is in the natural marine environment. This technique would also allow for cardiac event monitoring over longer periods of time, which may identify important dysrhythmias not evident in brief ECGs. As such, proposed concepts should generate a reliable, wireless, mobile ECG device for in-water recording in dolphins that can be used and evaluated by veterinarians to help maintain Navy dolphin health. PHASE I: BASE period: Conceptualize, design, and build a prototype mobile ECG monitor for bottlenose dolphins. The mobile ECG monitor should be cordless and wearable, allowing dolphins to swim safely and freely in enclosures or the open ocean, up to 50m depth and at temperatures between 32-98 degrees F. The device should have 4-leads with 6 vector recordings (i.e., leads I, II, III, AVR, AVL, AVF). The device should be able to transmit ECG data in real time via Bluetooth to a laptop or tablet when worn at the surface or out of water; it should also be able to record and store ECG data when the dolphin is swimming or diving underwater for a minimum of 24 hours, which can then be transmitted or downloaded onto a laptop/tablet once the animal has returned from swimming or diving. Synchronized information on the depth the animal swimming is also required. Battery life should allow for several hours of recording at a time. The wearable design, materials, and lead locations should be refined to create an optimal working prototype and allow for animal safety and comfort. To allow for future testing and refinement of the ECG unit, documentation required by the U.S. Navy to conduct research involving vertebrate animals should be completed and approval obtained. Collaboration with dolphin ECG experts and board-certified veterinary cardiologists is recommended. OPTION period: Test and refine the prototype mobile ECG monitor for bottlenose dolphins. PHASE II: Build an operable mobile ECG monitor with the technology developed in Phase I. Demonstrate/validate the operability and reliability of the system on bottlenose dolphins in the marine environment. Document and report the ECG findings of dolphins wearing the unit, and refine the technology for optimal use in terms of wearability (i.e., lack of physical harm or change in animal’s behavioral or condition) and ECG quality (i.e., interpretable ECG trace with lack of artifacts, repeatability, and comparison to out of water measurements). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Efforts should lead to development of a product that meets appropriate standardization requirements and focuses on technology transition, preferably commercialization (i.e., marine mammal health management industry for zoos, aquariums, marine mammal parks, marine mammal conservation organizations, etc.; professional or recreational diving industry). REFERENCES: 1. Harms, C.A.; Jensen, E.D.; Townsend, F.I.; Hansen, L.J.; Schwacke, L.H. and Rowles, T.K. "Electrocardiograms of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) out of water: habituated collection versus wild postcapture animals." J Zoo Wildl Med, Vol. 44, December 31, 2013, pp. 972-981. doi:10.1638/2013-0093.1. 2. Yaw, T.J.; Kraus, M.S.; Ginsburg, A.; Clayton, L.A.; Hadfield, C.A. and Gelzer, A.R. "Comparison of a smartphone-based electrocardiogram device with a standard six-lead electrocardiogram in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)." J Zoo Wildl Med, Vol. 49, September 1, 2018, pp. 689-695. doi:10.1638/2017-0140.1. 3. Williams, T.M.; Fuiman, L.A.; Kendall, T.; Berry, P.; Richter, B.; Noren, S.R.; Thometz, N.; Shattock, M.J.; Farrell, E.; Stamper, A.M. and Davis, R.W. "Exercise at depth alters bradycardia and incidence of cardiac anomalies in deep-diving marine mammals." Nat Commun, Vol. 6, article 6055, January 16, 2015. doi:10.1038/ncomms7055. 4. Bickett, N.; Tift, M.; St. Leger, J. and Ponganis, P. "Heart Rate Regulation in the Killer Whale." FASEB J, Vol. 30, April 1, 2016, pp. 1230.9-1230.9. https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1230.9 5. Elmegaard, S.L.; Johnson, M., Madsen, P.T. and, McDonald, B.I. "Cognitive control of heart rate in diving harbor porpoises." Curr Biol, Vol. 26, November 21, 2016, pp. R1175-R1176. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.020. 6. Goldbogen, J.A.; Cade, D.E.; Calambokidis, J.; Czapanskiy, M.F.; Fahlbusch, J.; Friedlaender, A.S. et al. "Extreme bradycardia and tachycardia in the world’s largest animal." PNAS, Vol. 116, December 10, 2016, pp. 25329-25. doi:10.1073/pnas.1914273116.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors;Weapons 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 3.5 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 wide bandwidth (GHz), multi-element optical receiver to enable the extraction of both reflectivity and range features of objects in water. The optical receiver should have high sensitivity at visible wavelengths and sufficient dynamic range to detect signals in high clutter environments. DESCRIPTION: Time resolved detection is needed in underwater imaging to distinguish between desired object returns and unwanted environmental clutter. Sufficient resolution (< 5cm) in both space and time is required to identify underwater threats. While techniques have been developed on the transmitter side to create high bandwidth optical interrogation signals, the receiver side has been limited to single element receivers that must be mechanically scanned to image a scene. Such a configuration is not compatible with moving platforms. While time of flight cameras have been developed for the automotive industry, these cameras do not have the time resolution necessary to operate in high clutter environments. A multi-element, wide bandwidth optical receiver is needed to achieve the benefits of high time resolution with a spatially resolved optical detector. PHASE I: Develop a concept for a multi-element (>10,000), wide bandwidth (1GHz) optical receiver with optical sensitivity in the blue-green wavelengths. The concept should include methods to simultaneously sample the optical receiver elements with sufficient speed to enable the processing of GHz-bandwidth signals. Areas of technical risk and mitigation methods should be identified. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Design, build and test the multi-element, wide bandwidth optical receiver developed in Phase I. Test the developed optical receiver with wide bandwidth, chirp-modulated optical signals to verify its capability to recover high bandwidth signals with multiple receiver elements. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Government in transitioning the optical receiver to fielded laser imaging systems. Dual use opportunities include unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) surveying and automotive light detection and ranging (LIDAR). REFERENCES: 1. Mullen, L.; Lee, R. and Nash, J. “Digital passband processing of wideband-modulated optical signals for enhanced underwater imaging.” Applied Optics, vol. 55, no. 31, 2016, pp. C18-C24. 2. Mack, K.V.; Jemison, W.D.; Rumbaugh, L.K.; Illig, D.W. and Banavar, M.K. “Time-of-Flight (ToF) Cameras for Underwater Situational Awareness.” Proceedings of OCEANS 2019 MTS/IEEE Seattle, 2019, pp. 1-5. 3. Kadambi, A.; Schiel, J. and Rasker, R. “Macroscopic Interferometry: Rethinking Depth Estimation with Frequency-Domain Time-of-Flight.” Proceedings of 2016 IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), Las Vegas, 2016.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms;Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop a frangible coating that can slough off carbonaceous deposit precursors adhering and growing onto fuel-wetted surfaces, such as “last-chance screens”, to prevent dysfunction of critical aircraft fuel system components. DESCRIPTION: Increasing heat loads, projected today for advanced aircraft of the near future, will lead to higher average fuel system temperatures for both commercial and military aircraft [Ref 1]. However, fuel deposit issues currently prevent long-term fuel system operation at temperatures over ~300F [Refs 2, 3]. Fuel deposit issues are also projected to increase in current generation aircraft: for example, a recent analysis of F-24 fuel obtained from a military garrison showed extreme thermal stability problems – high coke deposition in fuel lines and hysteresis on critical valves – indicating a potential increase in thermal stability issues following the transition from JP-8 to F-24 [Ref 4]. Special consideration for Navy fuels, JP-5 with copper contamination should be made. While the formation of carbonaceous deposits can be problematic for several components of an aircraft fuel system, it is expected to have the highest negative impact in the vicinity of the fuel injectors, which are wetted by fuel with the highest time-at-temperature exposure. Of some concern are the “last-chance screens”, positioned immediately upstream of the fuel injectors, because the screen openings comprise some of the smallest fuel passages in the entire system and are exposed to fuel of temperature sufficient for coke formation. Blockage of these passages can have serious consequences in terms of aircraft propulsion control. A thin, conformal coating applied directly onto the screen would be a direct and cost-effective mitigation approach for deposit prevention; moreover, it would incur no weight penalty. However, the highly reactive radicals implicated in jet fuel deposition phenomena [Ref 5] are known to attach indiscriminately to essentially any organic or inorganic surface. For that reason, typical off-the-shelf “release coatings” are not a very effective mitigation approach even though some are better than others. The objective of the proposed SBIR topic is to create a frangible coating that can slough off carbonaceous deposit precursors adhering and growing onto fuel-wetted surfaces, thus preventing blockage on the most critical, most susceptible aircraft fuel system components. The thickness of the coating and its erosion rate should be adjusted such that it can remain operational for a time frame comparable to a typical fighter aircraft engine service interval, targeting a 5X increase in Mean-time Between Overhaul (MTBO) compared to the baseline at 400F fuel operation. KEY FRANGIBLE COATING ATTRIBUTES • “Frangibility”: Low cohesive strength of nano-layers prevents build-up by shedding adhered varnish precursors. • Nano-scale, conformal coating for complex geometries applied via vapor deposition. • Lubricity equal to or higher than underlying material, coefficient of friction equal to or lower than underlying metal, chemical inertness. • Temperature stability up to 600F. • Nano- to micro-meter coating thickness. • No off-gassing or other contamination. PHASE I: Focus on vapor deposition parameter optimization onto bill-of-materials last-chance screen samples. Confirm spectroscopically that a uniform, defect-free coating of thickness not-to-exceed 1 µm can be applied on a 200 to 120 µm mesh wire stainless steel screen such that it covers the entire surface (front and back) leaving no areas of exposed metal. PHASE II: During this phase, candidate samples resulting from the optimization efforts in Phase I will be tested with 400F flowing fuel under nominal cruise conditions and/or other conditions characterized by low fuel flow at high temperature. Evaluate within a long-duration test rig constructed with design parameters such that it simulates, as faithfully as possible, fuel system flow conditions and geometries expected in a real aircraft fuel system, with emphasis on time-at-temperature of the fuel entering the screen. The samples will be tested vis-à-vis a control (uncoated) wire mesh screen. Update vapor deposition application conditions and coating thickness based on evaluation of the flowing fuel test results in an iterative fashion until the coating application conditions which lead to the most successful coating validated under real aircraft fuel system flow conditions are identified. Demonstrate a coated screen exposed to flowing 400°F JP-5 fuel that exhibits a 5X increase in the run time to reach 80% blockage compared to a control (uncoated) screen. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Focus on the development of manufacturing methods to improve component yield, production time, and component cost. Determine whether fuel system and components with the new screens require requalification or whether the screens can be qualified independently. Identify opportunities to use the technology in manufacturing areas, such as semiconductor fabrication and additive manufacturing, to prevent fouling of small and intricate tooling. REFERENCES: 1. Dahm, Werner J. A. et al. “United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Report on Thermal Management Technology Solutions, Vol. 2, SAB-TR-07-05-NP, August 2007. https://www.scientificadvisoryboard.af.mil/Studies/. 2. Hazlett, R. N. “Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels.” ASTM, Philadelphia, January 1, 1991. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5157176-thermal-oxidation-stability-aviation-turbine-fuels. 3. Zabarnick, S. “Studies of Jet Fuel Thermal Stability and Oxidation Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Pressure Measurements,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. , 33, May 1, 1994, pp. 1348-1354. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ie00029a034. 4. Morris, Robert W., Jr.; Shardo, James R.; Marcum, Grady; Lewis, William K.; Wrzesinski, Paul J. and Bunker, Christopher E. “AFRL-RQ-WP-TR-2018-0019: Characterization of an On-spec, Commercial Grade, Jet A and a Near-off-spec Military F-24 (Final Report).” Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, January 2018. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1049235.pdf. 5. Sander, Z. H. et al, “Experimental and Modeling Studies of Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics, and Autoxidation Chemistry in the Jet Fuel Thermal Oxidation Tester (JFTOT).” Energy Fuels 2015, 29, 11, pp. 7036-7047. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b01679.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy;Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Human Systems;Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a cloud-based tool set to facilitate the creation of an analyst's notebook or journal to catalog and document the analysis of publicly available information. DESCRIPTION: Information environment analysts use multiple tools to track information environment threats, narratives, propaganda, and their own communication efforts and impacts. Analysts have no means of recording their investigations through the steps they take to come to a logical conclusion or record their suppositions about activities, intentions, and proclivities of information actors or the streams of information from topic communities using common hashtags, suspected botnets and coordinated actors, and the information maneuvers in play that relate to commander's intent. The use of multiple tools is necessary. Current methods are labor intensive and lack the capabilities for tagging, searching and supporting analysis or for providing an archive of analyses useful for tracking change over time. The envisioned capability will enable analysts to create journals of their analyses, enabling them to investigate phenomena in Publically Available Information (PAI) over time; develop better information products and reports; and track performance and effectiveness of operations in the information environment. The capability will facilitate screen shots from web-based sources and analytic tools, with additional capabilities for annotation, search, and tracking of activities and events in the digital information environment so that analysts and decision makers can develop tailored, mission playbooks to enable planning and evaluation of performance and effectiveness over time. The result would be the development of an electronic, searchable “analyst’s journal.” Currently, record keeping by analysts is piecemeal, documented only as final work products such as reports in Word or PowerPoint for presentation. This capability will streamline work flow for faster analyses, better “look back” ability to see how an information threat behaves over time, and the capability to visualize and understand correlation and causality regarding activities on social and digital media platforms. The “analyst’s journal” will provide a substantial improvement over existing Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) in social media analysis. The various services have strong demand for the development of social media playbooks that are tailored to the demands and concerns of particular missions. This effort will provide the means for developing a playbook, allowing analysts and decision makers to track metrics of effectiveness and metrics of performance, emerging information environment threats, and blue as well as red activities on social media. PHASE I: Design and develop a cloud-based tool set for capturing and cataloging screen shots with some semi-automated tagging capabilities and a task-oriented editor for tracking information maneuvers, threat actors and influencers, and analyst’s research across multiple platforms and tools to enable the creation of an electronic, searchable and archivable “analyst’s notebook” with a user-friendly interface. PHASE II: Develop the working prototype of the data curation toolset that can work across multiple tools and incorporate screen shots of relevant websites and other Internet assets. Enable the development of smart-tagging and the curation of multiple analyst notebooks into a “watchstander’s notebook” to aggregate the work of more than one analyst, with templates for different types of analysts such as public affairs, information operations, and Military Information Support Operations. Expand the capabilities of the analyst’s and watchstander’s notebooks to a full, tailored playbook for operations in digital and social media, to support decision maker’s needs at the middle and upper tiers of operational authority. Create capabilities for planning and assessment of operations on the digital and social media platforms. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Many marketing and brand name companies employ analysts to investigate the effectiveness of their advertising. With the high growth of existing platforms and the expansion of the number of important, relevant platforms, one tool for analysis is no longer sufficient for understanding activities and events relevant to their companies and their customers. Brands and marketing firms also must deal with new problems: trolling, meme conflicts and smear campaigns need to be discovered, tracked and countered. Currently, their analysts lack an integrated system for managing multiple tools and their investigations into what’s happening on multiple platforms. As the market for these new tools grows at a steady, high pace, the need for a system to easily and simply track an analyst’s research is expected to grow. REFERENCES: 1. Beskow, D. and Carley, K. “Social Cyber Security: An Emerging National Security Requirement.” Military Review, Volume 99(2), March-April 2019, pp. 117-127. 2. Carley, K. “BEND: A Framework for Social Cyber-Security.” Future Force Magazine, Navy Science and Technology. Vol 6., Number 2, 2020, pp. 22-27. https://futureforce.navylive.dodlive.mil/issues. 3. Beskow, D. and Carley, K. “Investing in Social Cybersecurity” Future Force Magazine, Navy Science and Technology. Vol 6., Number 2, 2020, pp. 16-21. https://futureforce.navylive.dodlive.mil/issues/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics;Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Electronics;Ground / Sea Vehicles 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 3.5 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 and demonstrate pressure tolerant deep Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) components such as flooded motors, pressure tolerant electronics, and communication systems that work at ocean depth with the goal of improved performance, stealth, and reduced Size Weight and Power (SWaP). DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Navy wishes to extend applications of UUVs to missions that require operation at greater depths, speeds, endurance, and stealth. Some future missions will be conducted using larger UUVs (Large Displacement Underwater Unmanned Vehicles [LDUUVs] aka Snakehead and Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles [XLUUVs]) than are currently common but must remain affordable. The motor drive the majority of the cost for these systems and currently cost $1M Future missions will require operation to the abysmal depths of 5 km. or more. Future missions will require average speeds of 6-7 knots (kts.) and endurance on the order of days to weeks. Some future missions will require stealth at speed. Means of communicating while remaining at depth will be required. Current missions often use smaller (Small Diameter UUV (SDUUVs) and Medium Diameter UUVs (MDUUVs)) relatively affordable UUVs operating at lower speeds (3-4 knots) for shorter duration (one a day) on the continental shelf. Stealth has been a requirement but it is easier to achieve low speed. Hence new propulsion systems and signature quieting systems are sought for deep operating UUVs. The plan is to feed successful SBIR efforts into a Tech Candidate executing over FY22 to FY23 leading to and Future Naval Capability (FNC) executing over FY24 to FY25. Typical communication solutions for submerged, deep operating, UUVs are limited. The Navy is seeking novel solutions for both unidirectional and bidirectional communications for Command and Control of the deep diving UUVs. Electronics in Deep Diving UUVs have the option to either be pressure tolerant or protected within a pressure vessel to protect against the immense forces of the deep ocean. Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) electronics can be kept at atmospheric pressure with minimal modifications as long as a pressure vessel (PV) is utilized. However, the PV adds cost, size and weight to the electronic housing as well as requiring expensive, long-lead connectors to and from the PV. An alternative is to have pressure tolerant electronics (PTE) designed to operate in nonconductive-fluid-filled enclosures at the ambient ocean pressure. While there are several existing PTE solutions, these are often one-off designs. Deep UUV may have need for a variety of sensors such as side scan sonar, magnetic, LiDAR, and optical to perform their mission. Any deep operating UUV would greatly benefit from not requiring a PV around these sensors. 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 Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor 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 IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Perform a feasibility study for novel deep UUV components for potential inclusion on next generation deep operating UUVs. These components can include conceptual design and CONOPS of new propulsion system, new communication system and links for deep UUVs, and/or modification of sensors to allow them to not require PVs by implementing PTEs for performance up to full ocean depth. PHASE II: Develop and test a prototype for the proposed approach. This shall include hydrostatic testing of the components. Complete preliminary performance testing in a surrogate environment. 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: Extensively test the prototype fabricated in Phase II and examine mission performance under nominal operating conditions and well as performance in suboptimal environments and conditions. Potential dual use applications include deep water resource mining and oil/gas extraction. REFERENCES: 1. Moreels, Daan and Leijnen, Peter. “Turning the electric motor inside out: A Belgian startup's axial-flux motor for EVs is small, light, and powerful. ” IEE Spectrum, Oct 2019. 2. Barnes, H. E. and Gennari, J. J. “A Review of Pressure Tolerant Electronics (PTE).” US Department of Commerce, NTIS, AD-AO27 907. 3. Kampmann, P.; Lemburg, J.; Hanff, H. and Kirchner, F. "Hybrid pressure-tolerant electronics." Oceans 2012 MTS/IEEE Hampton Roads Conference & Exhibition, October 2012, pp. 1-5.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 integrated sensor technologies that can be incorporated into composite primary structures to allow for the monitoring and characterization of the structures’ behavior to support their development, production, and sustainment. DESCRIPTION: Composites materials are used extensively throughout the aerospace industry due to their great specific strength and stiffness. Unlike traditional metallic components, the ultimate performance of composites can be much harder to characterize and monitor because they are a product of the manufacturing process, can be susceptible to aging issues, and damage may be difficult to identify. Traditionally strain gages are used to characterize a structure and can only sense a very limited portion of that structure, are labor intensive to install, and can be susceptible to handling damage. Traditional strain gages and the associated wiring are generally only used for limited test activities and were not intended for prolonged monitoring and for durability over the deployment of the system. Embedded sensors would allow the structural integrity and behavior of composite structures to be effectively monitored to address the previously described challenges throughout the entire product lifecycle. This will help improve the depth of understanding of these products and assist in driving down lifecycle costs, particularly in the area of sustainment. This sensing system should be designed to operate within the environmental constraints that would be expected of aerospace composites and should be mindful of size and weight to minimize their impact to the flight vehicle while balancing the performance of the sensor. The sensor system should consider the following parameters: • Capable of taking distributed measurements over a length or area o Max Span: ~10 ft o Measurement distribution: ~inches • Measuring one or more of the following, ranges shown are indicative of a representative order of magnitude: o Strain (microstrain, inches, 0-5%) o Displacement (0”-0.1”) o Impact detection/impact damage detection o Delamination o Force (0-10000’s lbs) o Temperature (32F-500F) • Modular interface with different data logging equipment o Enable interfacing with lab console, remote data storage, or to a communication system for real time transmission o Note that remote data storage would be removed before flight and would not need to survive flight loads • Service life of greater than 25 years. o Can be powered by either an internal or external power source. o System size and weight should consider that some elements may be integrated with a flight system and will need to be minimized as much as practical. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Define and develop inspection and sensor concepts and assess their feasibility. Examine concept formulation, development, and possible validation that could include subscale demonstration, including data logging operations. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. Prepare a Phase II plan. PHASE II: Develop and validate a prototype (not necessarily hardware). Solidify the process for designing and incorporating the sensors into a variety of structures, such as primary aerospace vehicle structures of complex geometry, specific detail will be provided after award. The cost to procure and implement the system should be assessed. Quantify the performance of the embedded sensor, corresponding data logging equipment, and the sensor’s impact on the system. 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: Work with the Navy to formalize the process for the final design, integration, calibration and/or correlation of the integrated sensors for use to help with the detection of the early failure of parts, which will aid in the reliability of systems and mutually benefits the Navy and aerospace industry. This will include the qualification of the sensing system for use on Navy and aerospace primary and secondary structures. REFERENCES: 1. Measures, R. “Smart Composite structures with embedded sensors.” Composites Engineering, Volume 2, Issues 5-7, 1992. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0961952692900458. 2. Murukeshan, V., Chan, P., Seng, O. and Asundi, A. “On-line health monitoring of smart composite structures using fiber polarimetric sensor.” Smart Materials and Structures, Volume 8, Number 5, 1999. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0964-1726/8/5/303. 3. Kelly, A., Davidson, R. and Uchino, K. “5.20-Smart Composite Materials Systems.” Comprehensive Composite Materials, Volume 5, 2000. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0080429939009992. 4. Schaaf, Kristin Leigh. “Composite materials with integrated embedded sensing.” UC San Diego Electronics Theses and Dissertations. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0gx2j946. 5. Rathod, Vivek and Deng, Yiming. "Structural compatibility of thin film sensors embedded in a composite laminate." Proc. SPIE 1096728, 2019. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10967/1096728/Structural-compatibility-of-thin-film-sensors-embedded-in-a-composite/10.1117/12.2514393.short?SSO=1.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Hypersonics;Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Materials / Processes;Weapons 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 3.5 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 low conductivity thermal insulation materials comparable to current generation commercial products that provide higher levels of strength at temperature and are manufactured by Aerospace-grade methods/processes as befits the Navy application. Current methods are basically Industrial grade. DESCRIPTION: The best performing commercial insulation products are oxide-based felts and blankets produced in bulk for furnace linings and furnace furniture. They are well known and have been available for many decades. While low in cost and providing excellent thermal resistance, they are not typically intended for structural load bearing applications. The bulk manufacturing process tends to add local property variations, which are not always averaged out in the finished component form factor. Furthermore, the bulk format of these materials adds additional steps to the flight vehicle assembly as vehicle piece parts are fabricated from the bulk materials. Availability in near-net shape format would remove this secondary fabrication step and simplify vehicle assembly. Thus, the opportunity presented by this SBIR topic is to apply some of the advanced aerospace composite materials and manufacturing technology developed over recent years; including but not limited to: fiber reinforcement, fiber coatings, tape placement, tape wrapping, 3D weaving, additive manufacture to develop reliable, uniform, low thermal conductivity/high strength materials and near-net shape components in form-factors applicable to Navy hypersonic flight vehicles. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Demonstrate low thermal conductivity and structural capability of materials/manufacturing solutions at the desk top/lab scale level. Figures of merit for comparison against current commercial products are physical density less than 0.7 g/cm^3, compressive strength greater than 750 psi, melting point greater than 3400°F, and in-plane/through thickness thermal conductivity less than 0.4 W/mK up to 3000°F against a commercial benchmark are the figures of merit [Ref 1]. Both active (decomposing) and passive insulation approaches are acceptable. Active approaches must still show equivalent weight performance improvement over benchmark materials as well as a discussion of strength retention and decomposition product management in a flight vehicle environment. Active approaches should also be able to function over a mission time of one hour. Current commercial products are available in blanket and plate format [Ref 2]. Companies should also discuss manufacturing approach and scale-up potential for production of aerospace grade hardware. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Produce prototype hardware to the requirements, materials, form factors and manufacturing approach from Phase I. Material thermal and mechanical characterization data will also be provided in order to assess replacement risk against current incumbent materials. At the end of Phase II, prototype hardware will be provided for government evaluation in a simulated flight test environment. It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II. See details in the Description. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III the firm will be expected to work with the government to integrate the final phase II product into Navy systems. Additional testing, such as flight tests, will occur then. High temperature capable, low thermal conductivity materials and components would have much interest in the commercial access-to-space environment, commercial aerospace, and gas turbine engine applications. REFERENCES: 1. Soboyejo, W. O.; Obayemi, J. D. and Annan, E. “Review of High Temperature Ceramics for Aerospace Applications.” Advanced Materials Research, 2015, pp. 385-407. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287972274_Review_of_High_Temperature_Ceramics_for_Aerospace_Applications. 2. “OEM Insulation: Aerospace.” Johns Manville, 2020. https://www.jm.com/en/oem/aerospace/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 large footprint (~2 cm x 2 cm) silicon Leadless Chip Carrier (LCC) that is strategically radiation-hardened for use with Micro-Electromechanical-System (MEMS) sensors. DESCRIPTION: The performance requirements for sensors used in strategic navigation applications continue to be stringent, necessitating continued innovation for sensor packaging technologies. For commercial applications, conventional LCC materials are typically acceptable for most silicon MEMS sensors, but for strategic applications, the stress induced from coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) creates mismatches between the package and the sensor, which can result in significant performance errors. Additionally, the radiation-hardness required for strategic applications disqualifies many conventional silicon chip packages from being considered. Examples of existing research for LCC for use with MEMS sensors can be found in the referenced articles [Refs 1-5]. A silicon LCC that can meet the stringent performance requirements of strategic instrumentation is likely to bring value to many existing commercial applications, to support packaging of high performance MEMS which can be used across the commercial class use, for example in automotive class accelerometers among many others. PHASE I: Design a manufacturing process using existing capabilities in the market to produce a package with the desired goals of: 1) having 40 or more pins that are isolated from an electrically conductive substrate; 2) accommodating chips that have the approximate dimensions: 17mm x 17mm x 3mm; and 3) incorporating a hermetic seal ring to be used with a silicon cap. Material space is not constrained and unique designs are encouraged. Analyze all aspects of fabrication to assess and justify the feasibility and practicality of the designed approach. If the Phase I Option is exercised, include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build prototype solutions in Phase II. PHASE II: Based on the Phase I design and execution plan, fabricate and characterize a small lot (up to Qty: 3) of prototype packages. Characterization shall comprise various parameters, including continuity/isolation of the pins, hermeticity of the package, and mechanical surface features (e.g., flatness, parallelism, heights). Deliver the prototypes by the end of Phase II. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Based on the prototypes developed in Phase II, continuing development must lead to productization of silicon LCCs. While this technology is aimed at military/strategic applications, LCCs are heavily used in numerous other applications. A silicon LCC that can meet the stringent performance requirements of strategic instrumentation is likely to bring value to many existing commercial applications to support packaging of high performance MEMS, which can be used across the commercial class use for example in automotive class accelerometers. REFERENCES: 1. Lee, K. et al., United States Patent: 3D Interconnect Structure Comprising Through-Silicon Vias Combined with Fine Pitch Backside Metal Redistribution Lines Fabricated Using a Dual Dasmascene Type Approach.” US 9,530,740 B2. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=9530740&OS=9530740&RS=9530740. 2. Edelstein, Daniel et al. “Silicon Chip Carrier with Conductive Through-Vias and Method for Fabricating Same.” US 2006/0027934 A1. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060027934A1/en. 3. Zhao, Y. “Chip-Scale Package for Integrated Circuits.” US 2006/0216857 A1. https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2006/0216857.html. 4. MA, Qing et al. “Interposer For Hermetic Sealing of Sensor Chips and For Their Integration with Integrated Circuit Chips.”, US 2016/0280539 A1. https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2016/0280539.html. 5. Hilton, A. and Temple, D. “Wafer-Level Vacuum Packaging of Smart Sensors.” Sensors, 16(11), 2016, p. 1819. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27809249/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Quantum Science TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 method for pumping noble gases at ultra-high vacuum (1e-7 to 1e-10 Torr) that is compatible with microfabricated atomic vapor cells and can either be able to be fabricated simultaneously with a silicon-based vacuum cavity or be bonded to, inserted in, or otherwise attached to a silicon-based vacuum cavity. DESCRIPTION: Atomic inertial sensors and clocks often require high or ultra-high vacuum to operate. While non-evaporable getters can provide high pumping rates for many gases, they cannot capture noble gases. As a consequence, helium and to a lesser extent argon can leak through glass windows, ultimately raising the pressure inside the vacuum cavity to unworkable levels. In laboratory scale systems, those noble gases are typically pumped out by ion pumps. While progress has been made to reduce the size of the atomic vacuum cavity [Refs 1-3], even the smallest commercial ion pumps are relatively bulky in comparison (~500 cm3 compared to < 1 cm3). Thus far, microfabricated atomic systems have either operated at higher pressures with a buffer gas, or have relied on slowing the leakage of helium from a careful selection of window material. An active noble gas pump would be a distinct advantage in creating compact, long-lifetime, ultra-high vacuum cavities. A number of commercial sensors (e.g., accelerometers, pressure sensors, microbolometers) require an evacuated chamber to meet their performance goals. Improved vacuum conditions may be able to extend the useful lifetime of these devices, but would be critical for the performance of ultra-precise inertial sensors and clocks that are particularly useful to military programs. There exist multiple avenues for innovative solutions to this problem (e.g., development of novel microstructured materials to aid in the miniaturization of ion pumps), hence the desire for an SBIR effort. Significant advances have been made to create ever-small vacuum pumps [Refs 3,4], but there does not yet exist a solution that satisfies the combination of fabrication method and pumping performance required for atomic systems. The applications for such a pump extend beyond atomic systems; any system that needs to operate at even modest vacuum (e.g., mTorr) with a glass component will ultimately be lifetime-limited by the leak rate of helium so could benefit from an improved vacuum pump. PHASE I: Perform a design and materials study to assess the feasibility of fabricating an ultra-compact vacuum pump capable of pumping noble gases at ultra-high vacuum (1e-7 to 1e-10 Torr). The study shall analyze potential approaches, exploring the risks and risk mitigation strategies associated with each, and identify the most promising option. Similarly, the study shall detail the planned fabrication process, again identifying risks and risk mitigation strategies. The study shall include an evaluation of the anticipated (goal) size (< 20 cm3), electrical power draw (< 1 W), robustness, and lifetime (> 2 yr at 10-9 Torr) of the final device. Finally, the study should discuss how the pump can be combined with a silicon-based vacuum cavity. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build prototype solutions in Phase II. PHASE II: Fabricate and test a small lot (up to Qty of 3) of the device designed in Phase I. Ensure that the prototypes are prepared in such a way that they can be bonded to a cavity and prepared for third party testing. Characterization of the components shall be performed, demonstrating their basic performance (e.g., noble gas pump speed, lowest achievable pressure) and evaluating their heat production, magnetic character, and robustness to vibration. Deliver the prototypes by the end of Phase II. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Advancement of microfabricated noble gas pump technology has applications in any field that requires a long-lasting vacuum, e.g., MEMS vibration or acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, gas sensing microsystems, etc. For use in laboratory applications in chemical and biological testing. REFERENCES: 1. Kitching, John. “Chip-scale atomic devices”. Applied Physics Reviews 5, 031302, (2018. DOI: 10.1063/1.5026238. https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.5026238. 2. Knapkiewicz, Pawel. “Technological Assessment of MEMS Alkali Vapor Cells for Atomic References.” Micromachines 2019, 10(1), 25. DOI: 10.3390/mi10010025. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/10/1/25/htm. 3. Knapkiewicz, Pawel. “Alkali Vapor MEMS Cells Technology toward High-Vacuum Self-Pumping MEMS Cell for Atomic Spectroscopy.” Micromachines 2018, 9(8), 405. DOI: 10.3390/mi9080405. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/9/8/405. 4. Grzebyk, Tomasz. "MEMS Vacuum Pumps." Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 26, Issue4, August 2017. DOI: 10.1109/JMEMS.2017.2676820. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7888534.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 and demonstrate a Moderate Spectral Resolution Spectrometer that can be deployed on telescopes currently in use or being considered for future use by the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) to collect data. The spectrometer will have a moderate resolution (R ~ 500), be capable of observing wavelengths in the range of 0.5-1.6 micrometer, and be able to be deployed on moderate-aperture (D = 20-40 cm) telescopes. DESCRIPTION: Currently, USNO collects photometric data, including bright star spectra, which is converted into artificial stellar spectra. This photometric data must be measured and monitored periodically to ensure weapon system utility and performance. The data measured by USNO at present contains gaps that inhibit a comprehensive formulation of stellar spectra. A Moderate Spectral Resolution Spectrometer would enable the tailoring of data collection through direct monitoring of spectral ranges of interest to the Navy, thereby reducing both costs and scheduling impacts, and increasing reliability and accuracy of current and future star catalogs within the FC subsystem. Such an instrument would be useful to the larger DoD community, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), astronomical situational awareness communities, and commercial providers of such data; thus, the commercialization potential for this spectrometer is assessed to be high. All work executed under this topic will be unclassified. PHASE I: Develop and define a concept design for a Moderate Resolution Spectrometer that can be deployed to moderate aperture-class (D = 20-40 cm) Navy telescopes. The deployed spectrometer will be used to collect the stellar data needed by the Navy. Work with the Navy in understanding size, function, and interface requirements for the spectrometer. Construct measures that ensure data and network connection integrity and USNO software application. Specific threshold requirements/goals are as follows: • Fiber-fed: Threshold, spectral range - lambda: 800-1000 nm • Goal, spectral range - lambda: 500-1600 nm • Spectral resolution, R: Threshold - 200-500 (R =lambda/delta lambda) • Goal, functionality: switchable between “modes”: • Goal, mode 1: 1000-2000 • Goal, mode 2: 5000-20000 Identify risks to the proposed concept and develop Phase II plans that include ways to mitigate those risks for Phase II. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Produce and deliver a prototype Moderate Resolution Spectrometer. Work with the Navy to fully understand the data and interface requirements and to understand hardware and integration standards to be deployed with moderate aperture-class (D = 20-40 cm) telescopes currently used by the USNO. Provide testing scenarios that ensure Navy operational use with the telescope designed to show data collection efficiencies compared to current practice. Establish a feedback loop with the Navy for implementing changes due to prototype testing. All the work under this Phase II effort will be unclassified. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Deliver a Moderate Resolution Spectrometer for telescopes deployed by USNO in a manner that fulfills bright star photometric data requirements and are usable by NSWCDD FC capabilities. Provide design and test cases that demonstrate integration of the spectrometer in photometric data collections. Support remote field qualification testing with a spectrometer deployed on off-site telescopes. Work with the Navy to set up a Moderate Resolution Spectrometer with deployed telescopes to include troubleshooting and resolving implementation/execution issues at various Navy, DoD, and civilian telescope observatories. REFERENCES: 1. Bohlin, R. C., Gordon, K. D., and Tremblay, P. “Perfecting the Photometric Calibration of the ACS CCD Cameras.” E. 2014, PASP, 126, 711. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1606.01838.pdf. 2. Han, W.; Mack, P.; Lee, C.-U. et al., “Development of a 1-m Robotic Telescope System.” Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Vol.57, No.5, October 2005, pp. 821-826. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005PASJ...57..821H/abstract. 3. Keel, W. C.; Oswalt, T.; Mack, P. et al. “The Remote Observatories of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA).” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 129, Issue 971, January 2017, pp. 015002. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017PASP..129a5002K/abstract. 4. Palmer, C. “ Diffraction Grating Handbook.” Diffraction Grating Handbook, Eighth Edition, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339913143_DIFFRACTION_GRATING_HANDBOOK_eighth_edition.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics;Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Electronics;Weapons 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 3.5 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 widely applicable supporting optical circuit in micro optics to address the supporting optical circuit building block. DESCRIPTION: The optical circuit should provide single, polarization-maintaining input fiber and output fiber, for integration into a gyro assembly. The input fiber would bring broadband light, typical for Interferometric Fiber-Optic Gyro (IFOG) operation, into the package. The optical circuit should provide dual photo detectors, one for sampling and monitoring the input light source and the other serving as the detector for the returned, interfered light from the IFOG optical coil and phase modulator. The output fiber will be bi-directional. Internal to the package there must be a means of directing the input light out onto the output fiber and directing the light returning through the output fiber onto the photo detector. The final circuit should be capable of surviving shock, vibration, and thermal excursions typical of aircraft or missile flight. While some performance specifications may need to be altered, depending on desired gyro performance, a re-usable architecture, assembly methodology, and supply chain would be of great value. As an initial prototype, the target is a 14-butterfly package, making the integration of readout electronics with the internal photo diodes as simple as soldering down the component. Future packaging options will be investigated in later phases. The outcomes of the proposed work are: 1) Closed, hardened optical circuits with sources and detectors on chip to operate an IFOG optical coil. 2) Defined, documented interfaces between micro-optical and electrical components to facilitate rapid, simplified designs of optical/electronic devices and circuits. 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. The Phase II effort may require secure access, if so SSP will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: The Phase I effort will consist of proof-of-concept assembly of micro-optical circuits utilizing photodetectors and light sources for the operation of an IFOG system. A laboratory-scale prototype will be constructed incorporating two photodetectors; a broadband light source, all requisite electrical and optical circuitry, and fiber optic patch cables for exterior connections. The function of the circuit will be demonstrated with a surrogate IFOG. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include single-board packaging of the optical/electronic circuit, as well as requisite tests to confirm function of the device. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: The Phase II effort will consist of the construction of a ruggedized single-board optical/electronic circuit. The device will incorporate sufficient insulation, vibration isolation, shock and crush protection, and thermal management to operate in conditions characteristic of aircraft or missile flight. Platform surrogate testing will be utilized to verify performance under these conditions. The device will function as a standalone item, excepting input and output to the IFOG or surrogate system. In addition, its exterior interfaces will be sufficiently universal to allow incorporation of a variety of mounting hardware, computer interfaces, and IFOG devices. The architecture of the system will be well documented to facilitate modification and future development. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology for Navy use 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: Phase III will focus on transitioning the product into the final system (for Navy purposes the hypersonic glide-body). Refinement will be focused on integration of the product. Single-board optical/electronic circuits, particularly those with rugged interfaces, will find use in data processing systems, RF photonic systems, and security and safety control systems in both military and civilian use. Other notable uses include “plug and play” fiber analysis systems. REFERENCES: 1. Brown, Gair D.; Ingold, Joseph P.; Spence, Scote and Paxton, Jack G. Jr. “High Impact Shock Testing of Fiber-Optic Components.” Fiber and Integrated Optics, 9:4, 1 February 1991, pp. 381-392. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/1366/0000/High-impact-shock-testing-of-fiber-optic-components/10.1117/12.24710.short. 2. Kyriakis-Bitzaros, Efstathios D.; Haralabidis, Nilow; Lagadas, M.;Georgakilas, Alexandros; Moisiadis, Y. and Halkias, George. "Realistic End-to-End Simulation of the Optoelectronic Links and Comparison With the Electrical Interconnections for System-on-Chip Applications." J. Lightwave Technol., 19.10, 1 October 2001, pp. 1532-1543. https://www.osapublishing.org/jlt/abstract.cfm?uri=jlt-19-10-1532. 3. Biere, M.; Gheorghe, L.; Nicolescu, G.; O'Connor, I. and Wainer, G. "Towards the High-Level Design of Optical Networks-on-Chip. Formalization of Opto-Electrical Interfaces." 14th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems, 1 January 2008, pp. 427-430. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4321257_Towards_the_High-Level_Design_of_Optical_Networks-on-Chip_Formalization_of_Opto-Electrical_Interfaces.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics;Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Information Systems;Weapons 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 3.5 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 predictive aero-optical models for the hypersonic environment. DESCRIPTION: Optical sensors operating in hypersonic vehicles are subject to environments which distort the images and light such sensors seek to capture. Three main categories of distortions exist: 1) Unsteady distortions, such as turbulence, that lead to random image blur 2) Steady distortions, such as shock waves, that lead to systematic image tilts 3) Background radiation/optical emission that can degrade the signal to noise ratio Each of these image distortions represents a risk for developing a hypersonic imaging system that must be reduced with validated predictive models and experiments. This work will develop such validated predicted models. The outcomes of the proposed work are: 1) Databases that contain aero-optical environmental characteristics predicted for an entire flight trajectory. 2) Predictive models which can be applied to specific hypersonic vehicles The Phase I effort will not require access to classified information. The Phase II effort will require secure access. SSP will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Develop a model for a range of unclassified hypersonic environmental conditions, including Mach number, altitude, and vehicle angle of attack. Characterize the aerodynamics of the vehicle wake and conduct aero-optical analysis of light passing through the wake. Aero-optical experiments, such as wind-tunnel tests, will also be conducted to validate models against experimental data. Models will be further validated against existing literature. Focus on the environment surrounding the wake of a hypersonic vehicle. Characterize unsteady effects, such as turbulence, steady effects, such as systematic optical deflection through fluid boundary layers, and identify the spectral wavelengths and absolute power of background photon emission. Validate models with wind-tunnel testing experiments. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Leverage the models developed during Phase I for application to classified trajectory points of interest. Aerodynamic analysis of the wake in the classified environment will be conducted, as will optical analysis of light passing through this wake. The radiative effects of the classified hypersonic environment will be considered. The vehicle sensor window will also be analyzed using parametric studies to provide further data on potential optical aberrations. The product of this work will consist of databases that contain aero-optical environmental characteristics predicted for the entire flight trajectory. 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: Utilize the developed models for application in classified points of interest and trajectories. The verified models will be provided to the national community for use in optic sensor development. Work with the Government to transition this database that contains aero-optical environmental characteristics predicted for the entire flight trajectory. The defense industry with focuses on SLBM, ICBMs, etc. will benefit from this technology as they consider unconventional navigation approaches. Also, future commercial hypersonic vehicle developers will has interest in utilizing these models for development of their products. REFERENCES: 1. Boyd, Iain andMackey, Lauren. "Assessment of Hypersonic Flow Physics on Aero-Optics." AIAAJ Aeronautics September 2019, Volume 57, Number 9. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/1.J057869. 2. Smits, Alexander and Wyckham, Christopher. "Aero-Optic Distortion in Transonic and Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layers." AIAAJ Aeronautics, September 2009, Volume 47, Number 9. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/1.41453?journalCode=aiaaj. 3. Wang, Meng; Mani, Ali and Gordeyev, Stanislav. " Physics and Computation of Aero-Optics." Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, January 2012, Volume 44, p. 299-321. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-fluid-120710-101152.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace Environments;Sensors;Weapons 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 3.5 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 size-constrained solid-state power amplifier for future Navy radar applications that can operate in extreme environments. DESCRIPTION: Radar (radio detection and ranging) imaging provides several advantages compared to optical imaging, including all-weather/day-or-night sensing capability. It often has lower resolution than optical techniques; however, the ability to coherently combine multiple samples across synthetic apertures can mitigate some resolution limitations. Additionally, the ranging aspect of radar allows information regarding the distance to objects in a scene as opposed to the simple detection of the objects. For the ranging to occur, a radar system must transmit energy toward a scene of interest and receive reflected energy from that scene. Radar sensitivity is subject to a number of factors including the size of the transmit and receive antennas, the range to the objects of interest, the amount of transmit power broadcast, the sensitivity of the receive electronics, the frequency of operation, (among other things) and is quantified in the radar range equation to first order. The power amplifier for the transmitter can be improved to increase radar performance. Solid-state power amplifiers are increasing in their use in a variety of applications.Gallium Nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology has been instrumental in the adoption of solid-state power amplifiers for power ranges that previously were only addressable using vacuum electronics such as traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) [Ref 1-2]. The desired outcome of this work is to develop microwave electronics, specifically a prototype solid-state power amplifier radar transmitter that is capable of operation across a variety of possible radar applications of interest to the U.S. Navy. These include intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, weather sensing, search and tracking of objects, and fire control. Broad performance objectives include: • Frequency of Operation: approximately 15 GHz to 18 GHz • RF Saturated Output Power: > 200 W • Saturated Gain: > 50dB • Duty Factor: Up to ~35% (but variable) • Pulse Widths: 1 µs to 300 µs • Power Added Efficiency: > 30% (at Psat) • Mechanical Shock: > 1,000 G (relatively few events) • Size: < 75 in3 • Mass: < 8 lbs • Cooling Method: Conduction Better performance than requested in any or all of the areas listed above may simplify system trades, enable additional capability or open new opportunities for the developed amplifier. As such, improved functionality is welcome and desired. The winning proposed effort may require a MMIC development effort to achieve the desired efficiency over the frequency range of operation, and strong microelectronics packaging expertise to achieve the objective integration density and maintain the efficiency provided by highly-efficient MMIC amplifiers when multiple amplifiers are combined. 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. The Phase II effort may require secure access, if so SSP will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. 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 Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP 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 advanced phases of this contract. PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study and initial design effort to provide anticipated performance for the subject power amplifier parameters detailed in the Description. Develop and communicate plans for producing an amplifier prototype in Phase II, including engaging any potential vendors, partners or suppliers the small business contractor may require to complete the anticipated work. The Phase I Option effort, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Produce and demonstrate through testing a prototype power amplifier capable of meeting the performance goals of the effort. The results should be correlated to current state-of-the-art capabilities. Provide a plan for application-specific qualification testing. Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology for Navy use 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: Work with the Navy to transition the amplifier technology to the target program. High-efficiency power amplifiers with wide frequency bandwidth may enable multiple simultaneous missions from a single antenna aperture, when paired with flexible exciters, including software-defined radios. Such multi-mission power amplifiers may have more widespread Government use and address defense industries with specific interest in radar applications in extreme environments, such as SLBMs, ICBMs and future commercial hypersonic vehicle developers. REFERENCES: 1. Song, Kaijun; Zhang, Fan; Hu, Shunyong; and Fan, Yizhi. “Ku-band 200-W pulsed power amplifier based on waveguide spatially power-combining technique for industrial applications.” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 61, 8, 1 August 2014, pp. 4274-4280. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260521677_Ku-band_200-W_Pulsed_Power_Amplifier_Based_on_Waveguide_Spatially_Power-Combining_Technique_for_Industrial_Applications. 2. Feurerschutz, Philip; Rave, Christian; Samis, Stanislav; and Friesicke, Christian. “Active Multi-Feed SATCOM Systems with GaN SSPA at K-band.” German Microwave Conference (GeMiC), 1 March 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301800436_Active_multi-feed_satcom_systems_with_GaN_SSPA_at_K-band.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 and demonstrate an Advanced Persistent-Surveillance Sky Camera by enhancing the Wide Area Staring Photometer (WASP), currently in use by United States Naval Observatory (USNO), to be accurate within milli-arcseconds and include simultaneous, multi-filter photometry that has associated star brightness variability estimates valid for at least one year. DESCRIPTION: Wide-field, non-tracking Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera arrays that observe many square degrees of the sky are now in use by USNO and other Government agencies. These camera systems are critical for the long-term photometric monitoring of bright stars. They can also be used to observe geostationary satellites and transient celestial events and objects. Because these systems utilize COTS cameras, which are not designed for astronomical use, they are limited in terms of their accuracies and photometric capabilities. USNO desires to develop the next generation of camera systems (“WASP 2.0”) that are more astrometrically accurate, more compact, sensitive to a wider range of stellar magnitudes, and include simultaneous, multi-filter photometry. This will benefit Navy by providing relatively inexpensive yet highly capable systems for the long-term monitoring of stars. Since these systems observe large swaths of the sky, they will allow USNO to obtain better measurements of the long-term brightness variability of stars. USNO anticipates that they will be readily deployable around the world, on land sites, as well as ocean surface vessels. This is critical to support observations of stars in both northern and southern hemispheres. Moreover, these systems support other defense applications (e.g., space situational awareness) as well as general astronomical purposes; thus, their commercialization potential is expected to be high. All work executed under this topic will be unclassified. PHASE I: Develop and define a concept design for an Advanced Persistent-Surveillance Sky Camera by enhancing the current WASP to be more astrometrically accurate (at least a degree of magnitude better) with simultaneous, multi-filter photometry. The new WASP 2.0 system will be designed to have the capability to measure astrometric parameters at the milli-arcsecond level and have derivative estimates of brightness variability that are viable for at least one year. Work with the Navy in understanding size, function, and interface requirements for WASP 2.0. Interface requirements will be furnished after Phase I has been awarded. Construct hardware and software that ensure data and network connection integrity as well as USNO data application. Identify risks to the proposed concept, and develop Phase II plans that include ways to mitigate those risks. The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II. PHASE II: Produce and deliver a prototype WASP 2.0 camera system. Work with the Navy to fully understand the data and interface requirements. Work with the Navy to understand hardware and integration standards for WASP 2.0 being deployed and used in a manner useful for USNO data constructions as well as NSWCDD data utility. Provide testing scenarios that ensure operational use of data collection efficiencies compared to current practice. Establish a feedback loop with the Navy for implementing changes during prototype testing. All the work under this Phase II effort will be unclassified. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Deliver a WASP 2.0 camera system to be integrated for operational use by USNO in a manner that supplies data collections needed for SP23 developed capabilities. Provide design and test cases that demonstrate integration of the WASP 2.0 camera in USNO-designed operational environments. Support on-site testing and work with the Navy in the operational set up of the camera system including troubleshooting plus resolving implementation and execution issues at various Navy, DoD, and civilian telescope observatories that can provide information for star tracker navigation. Coordinate with Navy guidance technical teams to leverage stellar data streams that will enhance the design trade space for other guidance and navigation capabilities for these other DoD programs. In addition to including simultaneous, multi-filter photometry, the next generation of camera systems (“WASP 2.0”) are expected to be more astrometrically accurate, more compact, and more sensitive to a range of stellar magnitudes as compared with current COTS cameras. These systems observe large swaths of the sky, and it is anticipated that they will be readily deployable around the world, on land sites, as well as ocean surface vessels. The increased capability and portability make these cameras an attractive option to users outside of the military. REFERENCES: 1. Dao, Phan et al. “Machine Classification and Sub-Classification Pipeline For GEO Light Curves.” Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) 2019. https://amostech.com/TechnicalPapers/2019/Machine-Learning-for-SSA-Applications/Dao.pdf. 2. Dao, Phan and Monet, Dave. “GEO Optical Data Association with Concurrent Metric and Photometric Information.” Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) 2017. https://amostech.com/TechnicalPapers/2017/Poster/Dao.pdf. 3. Ackermann, Mark et al. “COTS Options for Low-Cost SSA.” Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) 2015. https://amostech.com/TechnicalPapers/2015/Poster/Ackermann.pdf. 4. Law, Nicholas M. et al. 2015, "Evryscopescience: exploring the potential of all-sky gigapixel-scale telescopes.” arXivLabs. arXiv preprintarXiv: 1501.03162. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1501.03162.pdf. 5. Abraham, Roberto G. and van Dokkum, Pieter G. "Ultra-low surface brightness imaging with the dragonfly telephoto array.” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2014, 126(935):55. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1401.5473.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics;Materials / Processes;Sensors 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 3.5 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 radiation hardened mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensors for strategic applications. DESCRIPTION: The performance requirements for MWIR image sensors used in strategic navigation applications continue to become more stringent, necessitating continued innovation for image sensor technologies. Examples of existing research for MWIR imaging sensor technology can be found in the referenced articles [Ref. 1-3]. The applications are also expanding, leading to a need for larger pixel counts and smaller pixels in MWIR imagers. Conventional MWIR sensors have large pixels making large arrays prohibitively expensive. Commercial applications for MWIR are far reaching, with some examples being stress identification in materials, human tracking/security and automotive and machine industries. This technology would enable devices to be used at higher temperatures in a wider range of environments. In terms of idealities, these MWIR sensors should have low-noise readout preferably with minimal cooling (e.g., High Operational Temperature (HOT) sensor), have high-density (< = 8 µm) pixel pitch, be radiation-hard at strategic levels, have low power consumption, and be able to be fabricated using foundry processes. PHASE I: Perform a design and performance modeling study aimed at MWIR sensors with improved performance for strategic sensors as compared to the current state-of-the-art. Assess performance and environmental sensitivity of parameters including responsivity, speed, noise, and defective pixels. Consider all aspects of fabrication and justify the feasibility/practicality of the approach. A goal of quantum efficiency greater than 40% and operability greater than 95% of pixels is desired. Propose, in a Phase II plan, a specific device design for fabrication based upon this analysis. PHASE II: Fabricate and characterize a small number of prototype MWIR sensors (Up to Qty: 3). Characterization using EMVA1288 standard, shall comprise various parameters including responsivity, speed, noise, and defective pixels in relevant radiation environments. The prototypes should be delivered by the end of Phase II. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Continue development to lead to production of MWIR sensors. Production level applications would be highly sought for military seeker applications, strategic needs as well as commercial applications. An image sensor that can meet the stringent performance requirements of strategic instrumentation is likely to bring value to many existing commercial applications. MWIR can be used in the commercial sector for a variety of reasons including stress identification in materials, human tracking/security, and automotive and machine industries. This technology would enable devices to be used at higher temperatures in a wider range of environments. REFERENCES: 1. Morath, C.; Cowan, M.; Treider, L.; Jenkins, G.; and Hubbs, J. “Proton Irradiation Effects on the Performance of III-V Based, Unipolar Barrier Infrared Detectors.” IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 62, No. 2, 2015. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7047245. 2. Hoglund, L.; Ting, D.; Soibel, A.; Fisher, A.; Khoshakhlagh, A.; Hill, C.; Keo, S.; and Gunapala, S. “Minority carrier lifetime in mid-wavelength infrared InAs/InAsSb superlattices: Photon recycling and the role of radiative and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination mechanisms.” Applied Physics Letters 105, 193510, 2014. https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4902022. 3. Soibel, A.; Rafol, B.; Khoshakhlagh, A.; Nguyen, J.; Hoglund, L.; Fisher, A.; Keo, S.; Ting, D.; and Gunapala, S. “Proton radiation effect on performance of InAs/GaSb complementary barrier infrared detector.” Applied Physics Letters 107, 261102, 2015. https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4938756.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics OBJECTIVE: Identify and demonstrate that advances in polymeric (or other film materials) dielectrics can be exploited in high temperature (150 °C–200 °C), compact, long life, highly reliable, electrical power capacitors in aircraft. DESCRIPTION: Electrification of naval aerospace platforms continues. Aircraft designers are being challenged to supply more power to new classes of nonlinear and constant power loads. In response to these new loads, the electrical power generation/distribution system, as well as the electrical loads themselves, are being required to minimize losses, while rejecting heat at high temperatures and maintaining conversion equipment reliability. A well-established design practice indicates component reliability of their insulation systems can be increased by 2 times for every 100 °C the operating temperature is lowered below the design maximum temperature. While new classes of power semiconductor switching devices based on wide-bandgap materials (i.e., SiC and GaN) are maturing with advertised operating junction temperatures up to 200 °C, the development of high-temperature, reliable capacitors have not followed suit. To achieve reliability, today’s power conversion capacitors are operated at temperatures of ~150 °C – thus limiting converter/inverter fluid-in temperatures at/or below 75 °C. Capacitors with operating temperatures in the range of -40 °C to 150 °C, with a maximum temperature of 200 °C is the program’s primary goal. There are additional characteristics which are important for aircraft including: operation at altitude (up to 70,000 ft (21,336 m)), weight and volume comparable to state-of-the-art aerospace capacitors, equivalent series resistance (< 2 MO goal), and low inductance (< 50 nH goal). In addition, the capacitors are needed for both DC link applications as well as for AC filters. Capacitors with operating capabilities in the temperatures stated above will enable converter/inverter fluid-in cooling temperatures of 100°C or higher. The Navy requires representative high-temperature capacitors for aircraft electrical DC link and filter applications with the following characteristics that are important for aircraft including, but not limited to: • DC Voltage Rating (Nominal): 600 Vdc (Target), 500 Vdc • Capacitance: 300 uF ± 5.0% (1 kHz – 40 kHz & @ 150°C) • Operation Temperature: -55°C (Start-up) -40°C – +150°C • Maximum Storage Temperature: 175°C • ESR: < 1 MO (1 kHz – 40 kHz at 150°C) • ESL: < 1 nH per mm of lead spacing • Dissipation Factor (DF): <= 1.8% @10 kHz; <= 7.5% @40 kHz, 150°C • Ripple Current: 30 Arms average; 10 Arms @ 80 kHz • Peak Current: 180 A • Voltage Ripple: 15 V • Dielectric Withstanding Voltage: 900 V DC voltage for 30 seconds, no reliability impact with the maximum leakage current < 0.5 mA • dv/dt > 20 V/µS @ 600 V and 150°C • Vibration/Shock: Random Vibe = 40 Grms, 10-2000 Hz; Shock = 15 gs@11 ms • Altitude (Partial Discharge): > 65,000 ft (19,812 m) • Insulation Resistance: 10 MO between positive terminal or negative terminal and case • Dimension (Target): <= 8 in3 (20.32 cm³) • Weight (Target): <= 2.5 lb (1.134 kg) This SBIR topic seeks development of typical aircraft capacitors and demonstration of reliability and life for these capacitors in representative aircraft electrical power conversion applications. The primary target is 600-800 Vdc capacitors to be used in conversion equipment that operates in 400 Hz power system architectures and with Variable Speed Constant Frequency (VSCF) generator control units. Specifically, this includes the F/A-18 where a need for 35% more electrical power is expected. Better capacitors will help ensure a 100 KVA system can operate without major changes to the F/A-18 cooling system. A secondary target will be for application in 270 Vdc power system architectures (e.g., F-35). A strong collaboration with an electrical generation system or components supplier is highly recommended for Phase II. PHASE I: For a Direct to Phase II topic, the Government expects that the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort. Have developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address, at a minimum, the basic requirements of the stated objective above. The below actions would be required in order to satisfy the requirements of Phase I: The proposal must state a capacitor physical design, the high-temperature material characteristics that will be used, and calculation showing the capacitance can be met in the size and weight constrains. FEASIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: Offerors interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their response to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and Phase I feasibility described in Phase I above has been met (i.e., the small business must have performed Phase I-type research and development related to the topic, but from non-SBIR funding sources) and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology as stated in Phase I above. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to: technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. Work submitted within the feasibility documentation must have been substantially performed by the offeror and/or the principal investigator (PI). Read and follow all of the DON SBIR 21.2 Direct to Phase II Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Instructions. Phase I proposals will NOT be accepted for this topic. PHASE II: Develop prototype representative high-temperature capacitors for aircraft electrical DC link and filter applications with the characteristics that are important for aircraft as outlined in the Description. Develop a test apparatus to demonstrate life and reliability for representative electrical and temperature conditions. Accomplish testing to indicate life and reliability. Deliver test apparatus and test reports. Deliver 25 functional capacitors of each type developed beyond those used in life/reliability testing. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype and perform final testing. Transition in a 100 KVA DC Link Generator Converter Units for use on applicable platforms. All High-Power Electronic Converters use high-power, high-temperature capacitors to keep size, weight, and cooling requirements low. These characteristics are useful in all commercial converter applications including commercial aircraft, commercial computer centers, and commercial trains. REFERENCES: 1. Von Kampen, T. “Ensure AC film capacitor reliability with thermal analysis.” Power Electronics, March 1, 2001. https://www.powerelectronics.com/content/ensure-ac-film-capacitor-reliability-thermal-analysis#close-olyticsmodal. 2. Bray, K., Wu, R. L., Fries-Carr, S. NS Weimer, J. “AFRL-PR-WP/TP2007-221: Multilayer aluminum oxynitride capacitors for higher energy density wide temperature applications (Pre-Print).” Material Science, January 2007. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a466667.pdf. 3. Demcko, R. S. “Evolution of high-temperature capacitors.” Proceedings 38th Electronics Components Conference May 1988, pp. 390-395. https://doi.org/10.1109/ECC.1988.12622. 4. Haywood, R. “Downhole tools in the oilfield services industry: Transformation to improve reliability.” 2017 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, Tampa, FL, United States, March 26-30, 2017. https://www.psma.com/sites/default/files/uploads/tech-forums-capacitor/presentations/is186-downhole-tools-oilfield-services-industry-transformation-improve-reliability.pdf.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR);Networked C3 TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platforms 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 3.5 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 and package an uncooled digital fiber optic receiver that operates up to 100 Gbps, binary, non-return-to-zero for air platform fiber optic link applications. DESCRIPTION: Current airborne military (mil-aero) core avionics, electro-optic (EO), communications and electronic warfare systems require ever-increasing bandwidths while simultaneously demanding reductions in space, weight, and power (SWaP). The replacement of shielded twisted pair wire and coaxial cable with earlier generation, bandwidth-length product, multimode optical fiber has given increased immunity to electromagnetic interference, bandwidth, throughput, and a reduction in size and weight on aircraft. The effectiveness of these systems hinges on optical communication components that realize high per-lane throughput, low latency, large link budget, and are compatible with the harsh avionic environment [Refs 6, 7, 8, 9]. In the future, data transmission rates of 100 Gbps and higher will be required. Substantial work has been done to realize data rates approaching this goal based on the use of multilevel signal coding; but multilevel signal encoding techniques trade off link budget and latency to achieve high digital bandwidth [Refs 1-3]. To be successful in the avionic application, existing non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signal coding with large link budget and low latency must be maintained [Refs 4-5, 10]. Advances in optical receiver designs are required that leverage novel photo-detector technology, semiconductor process technology, circuit designs, architectures, and packaging and integration techniques. The proposed avionic receiver must operate across a -40 °C to +95 °C temperature range, and maintain performance upon exposure to typical naval air platform vibration, humidity, temperature, altitude, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and temperature cycling environments [Refs 6-9]. The receiver must support a 10 dB link loss power budget when paired with a transmitter meeting similar environmental requirements, as well as applicable electro-optic performance restrictions. The receiver must be compatible with transmitters operating in the O band (1260-1360 nm range) and capable of receiving multi-wavelength signals transmitted over both single-mode fiber and 50 µm multimode fiber (Threshold performance). The receiver optical subassembly must be configurable to function at other wavelengths using high-speed photodetectors that operate at 850 nm, 980 nm, and 1,550 nm (Objective performance). The saturation level of the receiver must allow for operation while maintaining a bit error rate no greater than 1 X 10-12 over a link having 0 dB link loss and a transmitter having an extinction ratio of 4 dB operating at its highest allowed average power (Threshold average power of 10 dBm, and Objective average power of 15 dBm). The sensitivity of the receiver must allow for operation while maintaining a bit error rate no greater than 1 X 10-12 in a link with 10 dB link loss and a transmitter operating at its lowest allowed power of -5 dBm and an extinction ratio of 4 dB. The received signal must be retimed. Additionally, the full-rate signal may be converted (de-serialized) and output as multiple lower-rate signals. The electrical output of the receiver must be differential current mode logic with a suitable pre-distortion mechanism to allow transmission of the electrical output across at least 4 in. (10 cm) of board-level interconnect. The electrical output of the receiver must provide receiver signal strength indication to the extent that SFF-8472 is appropriate for military avionics application [Ref 11]. The proposed receiver design must be capable of being demonstrated to perform reliably over the stated environmental, functional, and performance requirements with an Objective aggregate data rate of 200 Gbps. A Threshold performance level of 100 Gbps would represent an attractive option for near-term system deployment in concert with available digital fiber optic transmitter technology, while demonstrating a pathway to the 200 Gbps objective. PHASE I: For a Direct to Phase II topic, the Government expects that the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort. Have developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address, at a minimum, the basic requirements of the stated objective above. The below actions would be required in order to satisfy the requirements of Phase I: Designed and analyzed an uncooled high-speed digital fiber optic receiver circuit and provided an approach for determining receiver parameters and testing. Designed a high-speed digital fiber optic receiver package prototype that is compatible with the receiver circuit design and coupling to optical fiber. Determined and demonstrated the feasibility of the receiver design, the package prototype design, and a path to meeting Phase II goals based on analysis and modelling. The analysis and modeling should reference results obtained in previous efforts. FEASIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: Offerors interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their response to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and Phase I feasibility described in Phase I above has been met (i.e., the small business must have performed Phase I-type research and development related to the topic, but from non-SBIR funding sources) and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology as stated in Phase I above. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to: technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. Work submitted within the feasibility documentation must have been substantially performed by the offeror and/or the principal investigator (PI). Read and follow all of the DON SBIR 21.2 Direct to Phase II Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Instructions. Phase I proposals will NOT be accepted for this SBIR topic. PHASE II: Optimize the receiver circuit and package designs. Build and test the receiver circuit and packaged receiver prototype to meet performance requirements. Characterize the receiver over temperature and perform highly accelerated life testing. If necessary, perform root cause analysis and remediate circuit and/or packaged receiver failures. Deliver packaged receiver prototypes for 50 Gbps and 100 Gbps digital fiber optic communication link application. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype. Verify and validate the receiver performance in an uncooled 100 Gbps fiber optic receiver that operates from -40 °C to +95 °C. Transition to applicable naval platforms. Commercial sector telecommunication systems, fiber optic networks, and data centers could benefit from the development of high-speed receivers. REFERENCES: 1. Binh, L. N. “Advanced digital optical communications (2nd ed.).” CRC Press, July 26, 2017. ISBN 1482226537. https://doi.org/10.1201/b18128. 2. Verbist, J., Verplaetse, M., Srivinasan, S. A., De Heyn, P., De Keulenaer, T., Pierco, R., Vaernewyck, R., Vyncke, A., Absil, P., Torfs, G., Yin, X., Roelkens, G., Van Campenhout, J. and Bauwelinck, J. “First real-time 100-Gb/s NRZ-OOK transmission over 2 km with a silicon electro-absorption modulator.” 2017 Optical Fiber Communications Conference, Los Angeles, CA, United States, March 19-23, 2017. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7937157. 3. Ozkaya, I., Cevrero, A., Francese, P. A., Menolfi, C., Mort, T., Brändli, M., Kuchta, D. M., Kull, L., Baks, C. W., Proesel, J. E., Kossel, M., Luu, D., Lee, B. G., Doany, F. E., Meghelli, M., Leblebici, Y. and Toifl, T. “A 60-Gb/s 1.9-pJ/bit NRZ optical receiver with low-latency digital CDR in 14-nm CMOS FinFET.” IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 53(4), February 7, 2018, pp. 1227-1237. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSSC.2017.2778286. 4. AS-3 Fiber Optics and Applied Photonics Committee (issuer).“AS5603A Digital fiber optic link loss budget methodology for aerospace platforms.” SAE, January 23, 2018. https://www.sae.org/standards/content/as5603a/. 5. AS-3 Fiber Optics and Applied Photonics Committee (issuer). “AS5750A Loss budget specification for fiber optic links.” SAE, January 23, 2018. https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/as5750a. 6. AS-3 Fiber Optics and Applied Photonics Committee (issuer). “ARP6318 Verification of discrete and packaged photonic device technology readiness.” SAE, August 20, 2018. https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/arp6318. 7. “MIL-STD-810G: Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests.” Department of Defense, October 31, 2008). http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810G_12306/. 8. “MIL-STD-883K: Test Method Standard Microcircuits.” Department of Defense, 2008. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-883K_54326//. 9. “MIL-PRF-38534J: General Specification for Hybrid Microcircuits.” Department of Defense, March 13, 2015 http://everyspec.com/MIL-PRF/MIL-PRF-030000-79999/MIL-PRF-38534J_52190/. 10. Kuchta, D. M., Rylyakov, A. V., Schow, C. L., Proesel, J. E., Baks, C. W., Westbergh, P., Gustavsson, J. S. and Larsson, A. “A 50 Gb/s NRZ modulated 850 nm VCSEL transmitter operating error free to 90°C.” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 33(4), October 20, 2014. , pp. 802-810. https://doi.org/10.1109/JLT.2014.2363848. 11. “Specification for Management Interface for SFP+.” https://www.snia.org/technology-communities/sff/specifications.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials / Processes OBJECTIVE: Develop processing and manufacturing techniques to significantly improve the yield of high-performance optical interference filter systems, thus reducing unit cost. DESCRIPTION: Currently optical receiver systems use low to moderate performance interference filters to pass the desired wavelength light and block all unwanted wavelength light. As the receiver aperture size increases or the optical performance requirements (i.e., higher transmission, larger acceptance angle, lower bandpass width) increase, the cost of the optical filter increases dramatically. The cost increase is directly related to yield decrease due to limitations in coating uniformity when considering increased piece size or increased performance. For ultra-narrow high performance filters, reducing the non-uniformity to 0.1% and below is required to minimize wavelength shift and bandwidth broadening [Refs 2, 3]. In order to meet the emerging demands of large-aperture high performance optical filters while reducing costs, a system-level approach must be taken. Reducing non-uniformity to 0.01% over a large area is not feasible, but it is feasible to combine multiple high performance pieces into a single system while maintaining high fill factor. A high yield process will be required to reduce overall system cost. This SBIR topic focuses on the development of a high yield, lower unit cost process for large area state-of-the-art (SOA) optical interference filter systems in the visible light spectrum. Filter performance goals for a filter line in the 460 to 490 nanometer range: 0.1 nm bandwidth, +/- 30 milli-iadianl acceptance angle, > 80% in-band system transmission, and > 4 orders of out of band blocking. Use MIL-STD-810 [Ref 1] for guidance on environmental storage and operating conditions. PHASE I: For a Direct to Phase II topic, NAVAIR expects that the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort. It must have developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address—at a minimum—the basic requirements of the stated objective above. The below actions would be required in order to successfully satisfy the requirements of Phase I: - Developed a process to manufacture high-performance optical interference filter systems [Ref 4]. - Manufactured high-performance optical filter systems [Ref 4]. - Understood limitations of current processes, and identified methods and techniques to improve performance and yield of optical filter systems. FEASIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: Proposers interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their responses to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and Phase I feasibility described in Phase I above has been met (i.e., the small business must have performed Phase I-type research and development related to the topic, but feasibility documentation MUST NOT be solely based on work performed under prior or ongoing federally funded SBIR/STTR work ) and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology as stated in Phase I above. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to: technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. Work submitted within the feasibility documentation must have been substantially performed by the proposer and/or the principal investigator (PI). Read and follow all of the DON SBIR 212 Direct to Phase II BAA Instructions. Phase I Proposals will NOT be accepted for this BAA. PHASE II: Based upon the work described in the Feasibility Documentation, develop and implement a process to consistently provide high-yield, high-performance filter systems. Demonstrate process success by providing a high-performance 100 mm diameter filter system prototype with a center wavelength in the 460 to 490 nm range, 0.1 nm bandpass, +/-30 mil acceptance angle, average in-band transmission of greater than 80%, and greater than 4 orders of out-of-band blocking. During the option period, if exercised, produce a large diameter (300 mm) prototype filter system with the same or better performance as the base demonstration unit, and demonstrate the feasibility of low-volume (10) unit costs of less than $50,000. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize the prototype, providing optical filter systems tailored to existing, or new, active and passive optical systems, as well as, provide integration assistance. Perform environmental testing consistent with various platform requirements and provide test results. High-performance, low-cost optical filter systems can directly improve the performance of existing commercial LIDAR systems. Subcomponents of the filter system can be applied to short range lidar systems being considered for the autonomous automobile market, where unit cost at minimum performance is key. REFERENCES: 1. “MIL-STD-810H, Department of Defense test method standard: Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests.” Department of Defense, US Army Test and Evaluation Command, January 31, 2019. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/. 2. Macleod, H. A. “Chapter 11: Other topics: from rugate filters to photonic crystals.” Thin-film optical filters (4th ed.), CRC Press, 2001. https://www.amazon.com/Thin-Film-Optical-Filters-Optics-Optoelectronics/dp/1420073028. 3. Rahmlow, T., Upton, T., Fredell, M., Finnell, T., Washkevich, S., Winchester, K., Hoppock, T. and Johnson, R. “Ultra-narrow bandpass coatings for deep space optical communications (DSOC) [Figure 9]. Omega Optical, Inc., September 13, 2017, p. 6. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/12_omega_optical_ultra_narrow_bandpass_coating_for_dsoc.pdf. 4. Johansen, A., Czajkowski, A., Scobey, M., Egerton, P. and Fortenberry, R. “Thin-film interference filters for LIDAR.” Alluxa, April 9, 2017. https://www.alluxa.com/learning-center/white-papers/thin-film-interference-filters-for-lidar/.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Electronics; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Develop a two man-packable, man-portable, air-deliverable (parachute), covert tactical aircraft navigational aid system. RF emissions should be very low, designed to be Low Probability of Intercept/ Low Probability of Detection (LPI/LPD). The solution should be lighter and smaller than an airfield mobile Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) AN/TRN-47v2. The proposed solution should provide the user with bearing and distance (slant-range) to a ground or ship-borne station at a range of at least 20 nm. The Navigation Aid should be capable of meeting Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification standards similar to existing portable TACANs. DESCRIPTION: The desired near-covert Navigational System should provide the user with bearing and distance (slant-range) to a ground or ship-borne beacon at a range of at least 20 nm from altitudes up to 30,000’, performing similar to VHF Omni-Directional Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME). Units should be lighter and smaller than the current MM-7000 MP TACAN (Moog Industries) for harsh environments. The system should be capable of tracking up to 50 airborne targets concurrently. The ability to track ground personnel and vehicular traffic at close range would also be beneficial. The proposed solution should be capable of being Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certifiable per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines and standards (ref. AC 00-31A). The system must provide an all-weather non-precision navigational aid for use at remote landing sites, assault landing zones, and unprepared or dissuaded runways. The system should enable rapid setup and tear-down by a two-man team to keep pace with the maneuver elements, yet provide the same accuracy as a TACAN AN/TRN-47v2 or MM-7000MP TACAN. The system should include an on-demand mode where it will only transmit when interrogated by an aircraft on-channel. The proposed solution must be interoperable with all models of current TACAN/VOR/DME receivers already installed on US Military aircraft and interface with those receiver controls. The covert Navigational Aide should be able to be powered in the man-packable configuration by 5590 B/U 12V/24V 15Ah Primary Lithium Sulfur Dioxide (LiSO2) Dual-Voltage Military radio batteries (multiple batteries is permissible). It should also have the option of being powered by a small generator when in-place for longer durations. The system must be hardened and packaged to withstand parachute operations when loaded in an individual soldier’s rucksack on a lowering line below him and hitting the ground first. Utilizing a para-container for the system is not preferred; however, if Size Weight and Power (SWAP) requirements would require a large para-container, that would be considered. The design should be able to be assembled and brought into service by a two-man crew within 15 minutes. The system must meet all applicable TACAN Standards; STANAG 5034, MIL-HDBK-217, MIL-STD-461-F, MIL-STD-291C, MIL-STD-810G, ICAO Annex 10. PHASE I: Establish feasibility of the proposed solution. Perform sufficient modeling and experimentation to determine high risk components are attainable. Perform tradeoffs to establish a preliminary design leading up to Phase II. Define a Phase II program plan. Identify potential transition partners. Provide a thorough understanding of the solution to the Government to enable a timely Phase II decision. PHASE II: Finalize design of a demonstration prototype. Procure, develop, and integrate the solution prototype. Plan and coordinate one or more demonstrations to provide proof of concept determination. Perform experiments and analyze results to establish the adequacy of the solution approach and minimize transition risk. Contact potential customers and transition partners to support Phase III activities. Provide regular communication to the government sponsor to ensure understanding and risk mitigation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate this prototype Man-Portable Aircraft Navigation Aid. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Department of Transportation and Department of Defense (March 25, 2002). "2001 Federal Radionavigation Plan" (PDF). 2. “GRAVITY GRADIOMETRY AND MAP MATCHING: AN AID TO AIRCRAFT INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS”, USAF AFIT Thesis, Maj. Anthony DeGregooria 3. “AC 00-31A - United States (U.S.) National Aviation Standard for the Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range (VOR)/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)/Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) Systems”, 30 Sep. 1982 4. 9840.1 - U.S. National Aviation Handbook for the VOR/DME/TACAN Systems

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Space Platform; Air Platform; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Scene Generation tools are used to create synthetic image data representative of what a sensor on a weapon system would measure. Creating synthetic data is limited by lack of available models or lack of measured databases to capture the radiometric characteristics of the scene required. The objective of this topic is to develop a robust capability to approximate backgrounds at the resolution required in closed-loop simulations using a combination of geo-spatial information, required time of day and year, measured databases and trained artificial intelligence algorithms for image feature identification and construction. DESCRIPTION: Scene generation tools provide in-band models of sensor output and input to simulators, allowing for the research and development of new weapon systems. These tools drive scene projectors during hardware-in-the-loop testing and provide synthetic output for software-in-the-loop testing and algorithm development for new sensor concepts. Scientists developing new munition seeker concepts and those responsible for executing test programs are limited to a small subset of geographic locations and environmental conditions. An example would be the limited ability to capture the scene changes due to weather, time of year, and time of day. Another issue is the ability to create data at the resolution of a weapon seeker that is rapidly approaching the ground; the databases currently used are at a fixed resolution, which may be significantly courser than the seeker resolution. This intent of this topic is to establish an automated process that can generate an approximation of scene background data using topographical maps, transportation maps, maps of watershed features, knowledge of area vegetation, geographic features, weather and timeframe. All data available, including data from the public domain such a google earth should be considered. Real-data from high resolution assets should be used as a part of the scene construction process when appropriate to establish realism and to train the system in the sense of Deep Learning. The goal is to create a capability that is global and multi-spectral, representing a user specified sensor waveband. The capability must be repeatable to allow duplication to the extent possible of test results. While the capability might be used in part as a preprocessor, the final stage must operate as a plug in to standard scene generation tools, such as FLITES, in order to integrate into the scene targets, people, moving vehicles, or other objects and perform the final radiometric discretization and image modeling. PHASE I: Perform a preliminary demonstration creating background data from commonly available resources and knowledge of a given geographic region. The demonstration should provide the feasibility of a range of resolutions characteristic of a sensor moving from high-altitude to the ground. Narrowing scope to an IR band is acceptable to provide a proof of concept. A plan for Phase II development, and the role of artificial intelligence in that process, shall be established. Limitations of the planned capability shall be documented. PHASE II: Finalize design of a demonstration prototype. Develop, integrate, and train the solution prototype. Establish and document relevant use-cases. Plan and coordinate one or more demonstrations to provide proof of concept determination. Perform experiments and analyze results to establish the adequacy of the solution approach and minimize transition risk. Contact potential customers and transition partners to support Phase III activities. Provide regular communication to the government sponsor to ensure understanding and risk mitigation. Deliver a prototype to AFRL/RWWG compatible with the FLITES simulation tool. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Add additional classified data sources and work with multiple end-users to provide additional specific capabilities required. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Crow, Dennis & Coker, Charles & Keen, Wayne. (2006), “Fast Line-of-Sight Imagery for Target and Exhaust-plume Signatures (FLITES) scene generation program,” art. no. 62080J, Proceedings of SPIE, 10.1117/12.669306 2. Savage, James & Coker, Charles & Thai, Bea & Aboutalib, Omar & Pau, John. (2007), “Irma 5.2 multi-sensor signature prediction model,” Proc SPIE, 6965, 10.1117/12.778000 3. Bruce A. Wilcoxen and Harry M. Heckathorn "Synthetic scene generation model (SSGM R7.0)", Proc. SPIE 2742, Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation II,” (17 June 1996); 10.1117/12.243028 4. Jeevan Devaranjan, Amlan Kar, Sanja Fidler, “Meta-Sim2: Unsupervised Learning of Scene Structure for Synthetic Data Generation,” arXiv

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Electronics; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Scene projectors are used in military test facilities to provide stimulus to seekers/sensors used by flight control and surveillance systems. The objective of this topic is to advance scene projection capabilities within government test facilities to achieve necessary accuracy and compatibility relative to advances in sensor technology requirements. DESCRIPTION: Current scene projection technologies, e.g., resistor arrays, infrared LEDs, and liquid crystal arrays, have significant limitations. Resistor arrays are limited in temperature achievable and manufacturability in large formats, LED arrays have yet to be demonstrated with adequate efficiency and calibration characteristics, and liquid crystal arrays have been prone to degradation and lack of image quality. TI DMD’s have also been used successfully in many applications, but there are inherent diffraction limits at longer wavelengths. Sensor technology is significantly outpacing projector technology in terms of pixel format and framerate, to the point that full field-of-view projector solutions may never catch up. In the future, hybrid scene injection/projection solutions or pure scene injection solutions may become necessary that are very application specific. Even then, high-quality IR projectors will still be required, but they will be used in either unconventional ways or primarily as a means of validating a scene injection sensor model. Alternative solutions are sought that effectively mitigate the limitations of current technology. Solutions that improve the efficiency of emitters, thermal management solutions that maintain a stable predictable pixel temperature, and calibration methods that achieve requisite calibration accuracy are of interest. Technologies that are realizable, cost-effectively, over a range of wavebands are desired. Infrared scene projection systems typically include analog interface electronics, digital control systems, and real-time scene generation computers. Advancement of projection technology also requires advancement of the associated system components. Solutions that advance or leverage existing proven capabilities to achieve robust solutions compatible with leading edge Air Force system requirements are desired. The result of the proposed effort should be a product with a direct transition path to multiple end use applications or facilities. The solutions prototyped and provided are expected to be compatible with typical use cases associated with munition hardware-in-the-loop testing. If a projector technology is proposed, there should not be outstanding characteristics that would limit use on the target gimbal of a flight motion simulator or in configurations necessary for multi-mode or multi-band scene simulation. It is also desired that the technology be compatible with cryogenic space simulation chamber implementations. If an enabling control system or scene generation solution is proposed, they should be modular and readily upgradeable to enhance longevity and flexibility. Projector technologies proposed should be targeted for 2048 x 2048 at 200 Hz, with an NEDT of approximately 50 mK at ambient conditions. PHASE I: Establish feasibility of the proposed solution. Perform sufficient modeling and experimentation to determine that high-risk components are attainable. Perform tradeoffs to establish a preliminary design leading for Phase II. Define a Phase II program plan. Identify and document endorsement from potential transition partners. Provide a thorough understanding of the solution to government in time to make a Phase II decision. PHASE II: Finalize design of a demonstration prototype. Procure, develop, and integrate the solution prototype. Plan and coordinate one or more demonstrations to provide proof of concept determination. Perform experiments and analyze results to establish the adequacy of the solution approach and minimize transition risk. Contact potential customers and establish a transition plan with partners supporting Phase III activities. Provide regular communication to the government sponsor to ensure understanding and risk mitigation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate an integrated scene projection system for a specific application, including a functional projector control system and image generation capability. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Greg Franks, Joe Laveigne, et al., “Development of an Ultra-High Temperature Infrared Scene Projector at Santa Barbara Infrared Inc.,” proc. SPIE 9452, 94520Wv (2015). 2. Rodney McGee, Fouad Kiamilev, et al., “512x512, 100Hz Mid-wave Infrared LED Scene Projector,” GOMAC Tech Conference, P-50 (2015) 3. https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Infrared_Scene_Projection_Virtual_Reality_for_IR/a29074 4. Beasley, D., Matt Bender, J. Crosby, T. Messer and D. Saylor. “Dynamic IR scene projector based upon the digital micromirror device.” SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing (2001)

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platform OBJECTIVE: Develop and demonstrate thermal management techniques for a V-band multi-element transmit subarray. The developed subarray should address wafer-scale antennas and front-end components for high-power SATCOM downlinks. DESCRIPTION: Future military SATCOM concepts include V-band (71-76 GHz) downlinks and W-band (81-86 GHz) uplinks to support next-generation high-data-rate communications systems. While single-point RF power sources with gimbaled antennas address a potential V-band transmitter architecture, phased array architectures are also viable for these satellite communications concepts. Currently demonstrated array front-end components at V-band have relatively low output power. As higher transmit array power is demonstrated utilizing high-power density, high-power dissipation power transistor technologies and within the size constraints of array elements, greater thermal management challenges result. This Phase I SBIR focuses on the definition of a thermal management approach for an overall V-band downlink transmit array architecture, as well as the wafer-scale antennas and front-end components for a Phase II proof-of-concept multi-element demonstration vehicle. At a minimum, the array components/functions should include power amplification and beam steering. Due to high atmospheric attenuation at these frequencies, EIRP >75 dBW and per element power output >400 mW should be considered for the full transmit array architecture. Operating environment goals include a temperature range of -40 degrees to +85 degrees Celsius. PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study to determine thermal management and V-band phased array architecture definition, including the definition of the multi-element demonstration vehicle for Phase II. PHASE II: Development of the thermally-managed wafer-scale antenna and front-end components in a multi-element V-band transmit subarray demonstrator. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Military millimeter-wave phased array applications include V-band satellite communications downlink electronics for future high-data-rate communications systems. Commercial: Commercial V-band phased array applications potentially include commercial satellite communications services. Technologies under this effort will further benefit applications in nearby frequency bands. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. S. Zihir, et al., A 60 GHz 64-element Phased-Array Beam-Pointing Communication System for 5G 100 Meter Links up to 2 Gbps, 2016 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium. 2. K. Tsukashima, et al., An E-band 1 W-class PHEMT Power Amplifier MMIC, Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference Digest, 2015 10th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference. 3. A. Brown, et al., High Power, High Efficiency E-Band GaN Amplifier MMICs, Wireless Information and Systems Digest, 2012 IEEE International Conference on Wireless Information Technology and Systems. 4. S. Shahramian ; M. J. Holyoak ; Yves Baeyens, A 16-Element W-Band Phased-Array Transceiver Chipset With Flip-Chip PCB Integrated Antennas for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Data Links, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 2018.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground Sea; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Develop an ordnance concept for the catastrophic defeat of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) targets. DESCRIPTION: The goal is to catastrophically defeat large petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) targets with small weapons by exploiting the flammability of the POL (References 1-3). Ideally, a single weapon would perform two events -- spill the fuel and ignite the fuel. Fire starting in POL targets is challenging for two reasons: (a) the time to spill and start a fire is quite long relative to the duration of a typical explosive event; and (b) POL fuels are fire resistant (i.e., low vapor pressures, narrow flammability limits) for safety reasons, and are difficult to ignite. A two weapon concept (i.e., strike and restrike) would be acceptable, but a single weapon concept is greatly preferred. The contractor should develop an air-delivered weapon concept that is robust against a wide variety of fuel types – including commercial fuels (e.g., diesel fuel) and military fuels (e.g., JP-8). The weapon concept should not be solely applicable to POL targets; it should also functions as a general-purpose bomb against blast-frag susceptible targets. PHASE I: The contractor will develop a weapon concept and modeling capabilities for weapon initiation and target response. Small-scale testing is encouraged to (a) demonstrate proof-of-concept (feasibility), (b) validate the models, and (c) demonstrate fabrication and manufacturing techniques. Failure to start a fire in these tests is not disqualifying; their primary purpose is to identify critical issues early in the program and to show the contractor's capability to execute the Phase II program. PHASE II: In Phase II, the contractor will refine the designs, develop additional modeling capability as needed, develop larger scale warhead prototypes, and demonstrate fire starting capability in a mid-scale tests (e.g., a 55-gallon drum). Targets of interest are commercial and military fuels. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III, the contractor will develop a full-scale prototype, and characterize weapon performance and effectiveness in large-scale arena tests. The contractor will also deliver an engineering-level code that simulates performance against POL targets. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Edmund Dews, POL Storage as a Target for Air Attack: Evidence From the World War II Allied Air Campaigns Against Enemy Oil Installations, June 1980, Approved for Public Release, https://www.rand.org/pubs/notes/N1523.html 2. W. J. Fenrick, Targeting and Proportionality during the NATO Bombing Campaign against Yugoslavia, 2001, Approved for Public Release, http://www.ejil.org/pdfs/12/3/1529.pdf 3. Harry Foster et al., Toward a New Targeting Approach for Great Power Competition, http://dtlweb.au.af.mil/webclient/StreamGate?folder_id=0&dvs=1614175389650~131

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Electronics; Space Platform; Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop anti-jam receiver operating from 81 to 86 GHz suitable for future wideband satellite communications (SATCOM) satellite applications. DESCRIPTION: Expanding the availability of battlefield information for better situational awareness to the warfighter will require increased satellite communications (SATCOM) capacity. Due to the present frequency allocation restrictions in existing SATCOM bands, there is a continually increasing need to exploit frequency spectrum available in nontraditional bands such as 81 to 86 GHz for uplinks and 71 to 76 GHz for downlinks. In order to access this spectrum, a new generation of transmitter and receiver microelectronics, will be required. The Air Force is interested in sponsoring research to develop anti-jamming 81 to 86 GHz block down converter receiver. Would support multiple high data rate channels using advanced signal modulation waveforms. Develop a low noise block down converter receiver with high dynamic range and high resistance to interfering signals. Investigate filtering or other techniques for Jammer mitigation. Demonstrate low noise, high linearity and Conversion gain to significantly improve the overall sensitivity of receiver. PHASE I: Develop innovative 81-86 GHz block down converter receiver designs that are resistant to jamming. Validate design feasibility through modeling and simulation. PHASE II: Fabricate one or more prototypes and characterize performance in areas of jamming resistance, NF, gain, bandwidth, operating frequency, and operating temperature range. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Next generation of Wideband High data rate satellite communications. Commercial applications include high speed wireless communications for backhaul for 5G and internet. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. C. Hofmann, A. Knopp, “Satellite Downlink Jamming Propagation Measurements at Ku-Band,” 2018 IEEE MILCOM. 2. W. Ciccognani, et al., “Millimeter Wave Low Noise Amplifier for Satellite and Radio-astronomy Applications,” 2012 IEEE First AESS European Conference on Satellite Telecommunications, Oct. 2012. 3. X.B. Mei, et al., “A W-band InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMT Low-Noise Amplifier MMIC with 2.5 dB Noise Figure and 19.4 dB Gain at 94GHz,” 20th International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials, IPRM Digest, May 2008. 4. K.Y. Lin, et al., “W-Band InP Based HEMT MMIC Low Noise Amplifiers,” JPL Technical Report Server, Nov. 2002

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Microelectronics; Autonomy; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Electronics; Air Platform; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Develop a set of algorithms to use sub-wavelength time and phase synchronization to increase performance of multiple, cooperating airborne sensors for multi-function RF applications. DESCRIPTION: The ability to use Precision Navigation and Timing (PNT) on the order of picosecond and nanosecond accuracy can provide the needed phase synchronization to enable multiple airborne platforms to achieve phase coherence on receive and transmit. This phase coherence theoretically enables a constellation of UASs to perform as a large distributed aperture and provide performance gains to radar, jamming, and communications which have been up to this point unattainable. There are many efforts to provide the hardware architecture to enable the synchronization of time and phase across multiple channels and platforms. This effort will concentrate on developing the algorithms and methods necessary to process both the transmitted and received pulses of multiple platforms and aggregate them into a single radar detection or jamming waveform at the target location. After the algorithms are developed, a simulation that considers the sensitivity of algorithm performance due to both timing errors that can be modeled as a statistical mean and standard deviation of the clock delay and errors from an onboard INS/IMU that will provide position and velocity estimates of each source. Finally, the model should be improved to consider the traditional errors in a radar system that may include but are not limited to possible clutter effects, radar noise, and any propagation effects. PHASE I: Demonstrate and model algorithms to prove the feasibility of using phase coherence to establish increased detection or jamming performance at a single STATIONARY point target from multiple platforms in flight. PHASE II: Demonstrate and model algorithms that can use phase coherence to establish increased detection or jamming performance at multiple STATIONARY point target from multiple platforms in flight. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate and model algorithms that can use phase coherence to establish increased detection or jamming performance at multiple MOVING point targets from multiple platforms in flight. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.sbir.gov/node/1144419 2. S. Coutts, K. Cuomo, J. McHarg, F. Robey and D. Weikle, "Distributed Coherent Aperture Measurements for Next Generation BMD Radar," Fourth IEEE Workshop on Sensor Array and Multichannel Processing, 2006., Waltham, MA, USA, 2006, pp. 390-393, doi: 10.1109/SAM.2006.1706161 3. S. M. Ellison and J. A. Nanzer, "High-Accuracy Multinode Ranging For Coherent Distributed Antenna Arrays," in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 56, no. 5, pp. 4056-4066, Oct. 2020, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2020.2985251

TECH FOCUS AREAS: AI/Machine Learning; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems; Air Platform; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate next generation Weapons Mission Planning software working in the Next-Generation Open Mission Systems (NOMS) architecture. DESCRIPTION: Today's aircrews face increasingly complex and capable threat systems. Next generation weapons and tactics are in development to overcome and defeat these threats. These highly sophisticated systems of systems require large quantities of data seamlessly coordinated across multiple platforms at different classification levels. Due to this, workloads are placed on the planners that are orders of magnitude greater than past weapon systems, yet the planners have less time than ever to complete the work. To overcome these challenges; new mission planning capabilities with seamless data sharing, automated processes, and artificial Intelligence must be deployed faster than our adversaries can adapt to them. Currently, the majority of the Air Force uses the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) to plan their flights. JMPS enables mission planners to create a flight plan based on multiple inputs including threats, targets, terrain, weather, aircraft performance capability and configuration. JMPS has been in the field for nearly 20 years, and is becoming increasingly outdated. The antiquated software architecture results in less than ideal planning times. To prepare for the future, the Air Force and Navy are jointly developing a next generation software architecture called Next-generation Open Mission Systems (NOMS). NOMS is a cloud-based architecture, in which Mission Planning software capabilities will be developed and fielded as microservices. As the Air Force transitions to this new architecture, the Mission Planning Program Office is seeking innovative solutions to improve weapons planning in NOMS. Areas include: •Development of core weapons planning capabilities in microservices architecture to decouple dependencies of Mission Planning features resulting in a more robust and reliable planning experience that can be quickly updated when required •Integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence to weapons delivery and threat avoidance, continuously improving and enhancing the planning workflow allowing for faster, more efficient, and better results •Increasing process automation to eliminate manual weapons planning where possible in order to decrease planning times while improving quality of results •Development of a next generation fly-out model (FOM) service enabling multiple planning microservices to share common weapon models in order to provide a common interface and architecture that enables quick and easy extension for new weapons •Enhancing weapons planning user experience, including workflows and user interface improvements to provide intuitive and easy to use Mission Planning tools •Seamless integration of weapon delivery planning, modeling and simulation, and weaponeering to include collateral damage assessment in order to provide greater fidelity and success rates when preparing a strike mission •Develop tools to provide communication line of sight (LOS) analysis for network enabled weapons (NEW) ensuring controllers can communicate with the weapons when required throughout a mission •Augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) implementation for weapons planning to provide planners increased visibility for complex integrated 4D strike package planning •Enhanced seamless cloud services linking target, weather, threat and other essential mission data from multiple sources to facilitate automated weapon planning processes PHASE I: Investigate feasibility of one or multiple topic areas and provide innovative ideas to efficiently improve Mission Planning execution. The Phase I effort should also conclude with a sound understanding of the architectural approach required for development. PHASE II: Phase I study will be leveraged to develop prototype software that can be integrated into the NOMS architecture providing enhanced weapons planning capability. The software should accomplish one or multiple goals that are addressed in the topic areas and be stable enough to show basic functionality. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase II prototype will be refined and developed into fully working, robust software. Phase III will also look to include additional functionality not present in the Phase II prototype. REFERENCES: 1. https://microservices.io 2. https://kubernetes.io 3. https://blog.sqreen.com/secdevops/

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Microelectronics; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Materials; Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a software tool for designing next generation military radomes that accounts for all aspects of the radome performance. DESCRIPTION: Modern military radomes have many electromagnetic requirements. A holistic approach must be taken when designing radomes to meet the various performance requirements. The transmissivity and reflectivity of the radome is impacted by the materials used in the radome including frequency dependent, anisotropic, and metamaterials. Very thin coatings of anti-static material are often applied to the exterior surfaces of radomes to bleed off static electricity. Lightning diverter strips are used to protect the radome structure from physical damage due to lightning strikes, which are especially common for nosecone radomes. Structures behind the radome such antenna arrays, electronic units, cable harnesses, and bulkhead geometries must also be considered. Reflections internal to the radome from high power radars can couple into cable harnesses under the radome and cause interference to electronic devices or cause physical damage to the cables. Current commercial simulation tools address aspects of the radome design problem but no single tool exists that can be used to assess the performance of the radome with regards to transmissivity/reflectivity, precipitation static, direct and indirect effects of lightning strikes, and cable coupling. A solution is needed that can address the vast scale of the problem (ranging from nanometers to meters), complex material properties including frequency dependent and anisotropic materials, tapered layer thicknesses, complex cable harnesses composed of multiple conductors and multiple branches, and complex antennas/radars located behind the radome. The simulation tool also needs to be able to efficiently generate data for many frequencies as the phenomena to be studied cover a wide range of frequencies (lightning to high frequency radars). The tool must also be able to work with many different CAD formats and include capabilities for efficiently healing CAD models. Very often, CAD healing requires more engineering time than setting up and running the electromagnetic simulation. PHASE I: Demonstrate a simulation tool that is capable of simulating lightning strikes, precipitation static, cable coupling, and transmissivity/reflectivity of a complex radome structure. The tool should employ the same simulation framework and CAD model for all types of simulations performed. Develop a product roadmap for additional features to improve the accuracy, speed, and usability of the tool to be implemented during the Phase II. PHASE II: Implement the product roadmap features identified during the Phase I. Validate the performance of the simulation tool through comparisons with measured data collected for military radomes. Explore hybridization with other simulation tools to account for radome/platform interactions. Document the software design and validation results in a final report. Provide intensive training to Air Force personnel for the simulation tool. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Radomes are used for many commercial applications including aerospace, naval, and land applications. For example, the performance of autonomous radars for self-driving vehicles is an extremely important application area where such a tool would find widespread commercial application. REFERENCES: 1. Massa, A. & Salucci, M. “Dealing with Complexity in Electromagnetics Through the System-by-Design Paradigm - New Strategies and Applications to the Design of Airborne Radomes.” 2018 IEEE Symposium on Antennas and Propagation & USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Boston MA, pp. 529-530). 2. Nair, R. & Jha, R. “Electromagnetic Design and Performance Analysis of Airborne Radomes: Trends and Perspectives [Antenna Applications Corner].” IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Volume 56, Issue 4, 2014, pp. 276-298. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6931715 3. Shavit, R. “Radome Electromagnetic Theory and Design.” Wiley-IEEE Press, 2018.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform OBJECTIVE: This topic is for innovative propulsion for SUAS (Group 2 thru small Group 4 UAS) that supports Global ISR missions such as: long range – persistent ISR, air launch – extended reach ISR, and time critical – responsive ISR. The topic shall address how innovative propulsion will allow for improved UAS capabilities, the use of UAS in mass, and consider air launch and performance at altitude (25,000 ft AGL). Objective: A concept design for innovative propulsion of GR2 (2 to 7 hp), GR 3 UAS (10 to 100 hp), and small GR 4 UAS (500 to 700hp). Small engines are defined as less than 1000 lbs thrust and under 1000 HP. DESCRIPTION: To keep ahead of the changing global environment, improved capabilities for UAS systems for Global ISR are needed. The USAF 2030 Science and Technology Strategy seeks to: Develop and Deliver Transformational Strategic Capabilities: thru Global Persistent Awareness and Complexity, Unpredictability, and Mass. This objective can be achieved thru increased capabilities from SUAS with improved propulsion. Present day GR2 thru GR4 propulsion systems are slow, noisy, inefficient, and lose performance at altitude. These SUAS use piston and rotary engines which are gasoline operated and have limited life of approximately 200 hours and fly at 100 knots or less. Piston engines in this class have low thermal efficiencies, less than 20% and low specific power of approximately 0.5 hp/lb. What is needed is innovation in the UAS propulsion for quiet operation, performance at altitude, light weight, improved efficiency, and high power to weight. PHASE I: The proposals should expand the technical enterprise upon teaming with “non-traditional experts” for propulsion innovations for GR 2 SUAS (less than 50 lbs GTOW), GR3 SUAS (less than 1350 lbs. GTOW), and GR4 UAS (less than 5000lbs). Non-traditional experts are those of authority/study that are outside of the UAS community/industry, but have novel concepts to meet the future S&T demands. Concepts in innovative propulsion are sought which include: internal combustion, detonation, and nuclear; which are more efficient, have higher specific power and more durable. The concept shall demonstrate the feasibility of the design, development and integration activities required for an operational SUAS. Small Propulsion are engines less than 1000 HP/1000 lbs thrust. Key design attributes are; Specific Power > 1.0 HP/lb; SFC < 0.5 lbs/hp-hr; and +500 hr life. PHASE II: Builds off of the PH I effort and consists of the development of a prototype and takes the prototype to a ground test to demonstrate its power, efficiency, acoustics and durability. This phase shall have a design review prior to fabrication and identify risks with risk reduction tests completed before the final engine demonstration. Further, teaming with operational users should be established to show how the new UAS capabilities will improve Global ISR thru improved SUAS propulsion. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Integrate the innovative engine to a candidate UAS for flight testing. The innovative engine can be developed for commercial application for aviation, marine, and land-based power generation; hence being dual use in nature. REFERENCES: 1. Recent Innovations in Internal Combustion Engines by Nicole Moden; ISBN: 978-1632400017; M L Books International, 2015. 2. Internal Combustion Engines: Applied Thermosciences by Colin Ferguson and Allan Kirkpatrick; ISBN: 978-1118926529; Wiley 2015. 3. Small Internal Combustion Engine Testing for Hybrid Electric RPA by Isseyas Mengistu; ISBN 978-1249599838; BiolioScholar.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platform OBJECTIVE: Mature advanced spacecraft energetic non-toxic (ASCENT), formerly referred to as AF-M315E, technology to meet or exceed the performance of state of the art chemical propulsion systems for air and space platforms requiring thrust levels from 1 N through 44.5 kN. DESCRIPTION: The intent of this topic is to accelerate the proliferation of ASCENT monopropellant technology to be available to meet present and emerging mission needs. Current state of the art chemical propulsion for spacecraft, kick and upper stage platform applications rely upon extremely hazardous and sensitive propulsion technologies such as hypergolic or cryogenic bipropellants, granular catalytic reactors in the case of monopropellants, or sensitive solid rocket motors. ASCENT monopropellant provides a significant reduction in operational hazards due to its reduced vapor pressure contact hazard relative to hypergols, and electrostatic discharge sensitivity. Areas of technology maturation of interest are: • Reactor or ignition approaches that reduce environmental control needs such as pre-heat and have flexibility to scale across the thrust levels of interest • Reactor or ignition approaches that mitigate duty cycle and life limiting attrition mechanisms • Long term compatibility and consistent operability of storage, feed, and flow control components for extended mission life applications • Characterization and understanding of the impact of aging and extended exposure to state of the art propulsion component materials to ASCENT hazard and delivered performance • Modeling and simulation tools capturing component behavior with ASCENT, reactive and non-reactive flow models, optimized catalytic or energy deposition ignition device characteristics such as pore size and density, dominant decomposition and combustion reaction paths to support design of increased life and thrust delivery • Diagnostic approaches that support delivered performance and thruster state of health assessment that can provide accurate information from the high temperature and oxidation environment ASCENT produces under decomposition and combustion • Thermal management approaches to decrease required pre-heat power for a given reactor configuration and propellant feed line stand-off distances in propulsion systems. In regards to component optimization and long term compatibility, responsive manufacturing methods such as those that fall under additive manufacture techniques or coatings to impart desired characteristics are also of interest. Igniter or reactor configurations of interest are not limited to state of the art structure and composition. Approaches to maturation should include sufficient engineering analyses to provide confidence of feasibility and pathway to flight qualification. Supporting analyses should also consider limitations in the physical architecture so that the approach could satisfy current state of the art mission duty cycles and life as defined by propellant throughput associated with required delivered impulse across the thrust range of 1 N through 44.5 kN. PHASE I: Demonstrate at minimum empirically via bench level heavyweight configuration for measured data feasibility of maturation approach for target platform application mission duty cycles and the critical aspects of the physical architecture that drive the requirements. Industrial base considerations should be included in the analysis. Lab bench validation to the extent feasible is also desired. PHASE II: Demonstrate the viability of the Phase I concept performance and manufacturability of the architecture to a TRL 5/6 level with supporting empirical data and analysis. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Transition of Phase II technology to a flight demonstration program. This effort will include all necessary activities for flight qualification as well as support for on-orbit flight demonstration activities. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Schmitz, B., Williams, D., Smith, W., and Maybee, D., “Design and Sacling Criteria for Monopropellant Hydrazine Engines and Gas Generators Employing Shell 405 Catalyst”, AIAA 2nd Propulsion Joint Specialist Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, June 13-17, 1966. 2. Hawkins, T.W., Brand, A.J., McKay, M.B., and Ismail, I.M.K., “Characterization of Reduced Toxicity, High Performance Monopropellants at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory”, Fourth International Conference on Green Propellants for Space Propulsion, Noordwijk, NL, June 2001. 3. Jankovsky, R.S., “HAN-Based Monopropellant Assessment for Spacecraft”, AIAA 96-2863, pp 1-7, 32nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, July 1-3, 1996. 4. Lani, B., “Microwave Ignition of Green Monopropellants”, The Pennsylvania State University, The Graduate School College of Engineering, State College, PA May, 2014. 5. Esparza, A., Ferguson, R., Choudhuri, A., Love, N., and Shafirovich, E., “Thermoanalytical studies on the thermal and catalytic decomposition of aqueous hydroxylammonium nitrate solution”, Combustion and Flame 193, 417-423, 2018 6. McLean, C., et al, ‘Green Propellant Infusion Mission Program Development and Technology’, 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, July 2015, Orlando, FL 7. Quach, P., Brand, A., and Warmoth, G., “Adiabatic Compression Testing of AF-M315E”, 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, July 2015, Orlando, FL 8. Sampson, J., Martinez, J., and Mclean, C., “Fracture Mechanics Testing of Titanium 6Al-4V in AF-M315E”, 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, July 2015, Orlando, FL 9. Spores, R., et al., “GPIM AF-M315E Propulsion System” 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, July 2015, Orlando, FL 10. Hawkins, T.W.; Brand, A.J.; McKay, M.B., and Tinnirello, M.; “Reduced Toxicity, High Performance Monopropellant at The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory”, International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety Conference, Huntsville, AL, 19-21 May 2010 11. Ballinger, A.I., Lay, W.D., and Tam, W.H., “Review and History of PSI Elastomeric Diaphragm Tanks”, 31st AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference, San Diego, CA, July10-12, 1995. 12. Armstrong, W.E., Voge, H.H., “Hydrazine Decomposition Catalyst”, United States Patent Number 3,730,909, May 1, 1973.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platform; Air Platform OBJECTIVE: Both Tactically Responsive Space Access as well as Rocket Cargo have the need to lift-off from and/or land on a non-improved, irregular surface. This could be anything from a parking lot to an irregular farm field. However, little work has been conducted in landing a rocket on flat, improved surfaces, let alone these types of surfaces. This topic seeks to develop strategies that can be used to enable landing on these surfaces as well as mitigations that can be potentially implemented to enable this capability. Mitigations can either be lightweight structures that can be placed on the landing surface or structures, strategies placed on the rocket, nozzle technologies that address the plume impaction, smart landing structures, and landing software. DESCRIPTION: Although vertically landing a rocket on an improved, flat surface has been achieved by multiple launch vehicle companies (Masten Space, SpaceX, Blue Origin), landing a rocket vehicle on an irregular, unimproved surface has a number of challenges including, but not limited to the rocket sinking in the surface, the plume kicking up dust and creating an observable event, and the uneven footing causing the rocket to fall over. The terrain that the rocket vehicle may land in is also unpredictable and not known a priori. Any solution needs to be broad enough to handle multiple potential landing challenges and to be able to adjust to the situation seen at landing. This topic seeks to address these and other challenges at sub-scale levels in phase I and phase II and transition those technologies to a full-scale vehicle in Phase III. The intent of this topic is to accelerate the development of technologies to vertically land a rocket on an irregular, un-improved surface. It is recognized that a number of different technologies are possible to achieve the overall objective. This can include (but is not limited to) sensor technology on the lander, nozzle technology to mitigate plume impingement, venting of gases and liquids from the vehicle as it is landing, as well as mitigating ground structures that can easily and quickly be applied to a surface. It should be noted that it is necessary to balance precision in the landing location, speed of access to vehicle after landing with terrain avoidance, and minimizing potential observability issues such as the creation of dust cloud which can cause damage to nearby structures as well as allow for viewing of the landing site from a distance. Approaches to maturation to full-scale should include sufficient engineering analyses to provide confidence of feasibility and pathway to feasibility at full scale. Supporting analyses should also consider limitations in the physical architecture of both the sub-scale and the potential full-scale systems. PHASE I: Perform analysis and/or demonstrations of vertically landing a rocket on an irregular, non-improved surface in order to identify critical technical challenges and explore feasibility of the proposed concept. PHASE II: Perform sub-scale testing to demonstrate feasibility of vertically landing a sub-scale rocket on an irregular, non-improved surface. Achieve TRL 6 for a sub-scale test article. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Transition of Phase II technology to a full-scale demonstration program. This effort will include all necessary activities for flight qualification as well as support for a full-scale test landing on an irregular, non-improved surface. NOTE: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Sutton, G.P., “History of Liquid Rocket Engines,” American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, Virginia, 2006. 2. G.P. Sutton & O. Biblarz, Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2001, ISBN 0-471-32642-9. 3. D.K. Huzel & D.H. Huang, Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engines, Vol 147, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Published by AIAA, Washington DC., 1992, ISBN 1-56347-013-6. 4. Yang, V et. al, Liquid Rocket Thrust Chambers: Aspects of Modeling, Analysis, and Design, Vol 200, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Published by AIAA, Washington DC, 2004, ISBN 1-56347-223-6, pp 403-436. 5. Oberkampf, W.L. & Trucano, T.G. “Verification and Validation in Computational Fluid Dynamics“, Vol. 38, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2002. Pp. 209-272.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Directed Energy; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platform OBJECTIVE: The goal is to develop a high-speed infrared laser transmitter for ground-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communications that is highly directional and covert. DESCRIPTION: Military and often commercial satellites require high-speed ground-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communications that are also covert. While radio frequencies are often used, they are easily intercepted since beam footprints are large. Thus, additional steps such as strong encryption are required. But even then, an adversary can tell when a transmission is taking place and is free to record the transmission and attempt to decrypt it later. Laser wavelengths offer a satellite communications solution where the beam footprint can be made much smaller thus preventing nearby signal interception. However, visible and near-IR laser wavelengths are undesirable for eye safety reasons. Also scattering of such wavelengths can be easily noticed by the human eye or night-vision type devices severely mitigating the desire to be covert. In contrast, a mid-infrared wavelength has many advantages. First of all, it is an eye-safe wavelength (light is absorbed by ocular media and not focused on the retina). Secondly, it is not detectable by the human eye nor by night-vision devices. And finally, wavelengths near 4 microns have optimum atmospheric transmission, avoiding aerosol scattering at shorter wavelengths and absorption at longer wavelengths. The topic would seek to develop a mid-IR laser transmitter with carrier wavelength of nominally 4 microns, > 1 Gbit/s data rate modulation, M2 5 W. The laser source should be space qualifiable. Beam quality and long-term operation shall be demonstrated as well as long-distance atmospheric transmission. PHASE I: In Phase I one would design, fabricate and demonstrate a breadboard laser transmitter operating near 4-micron wavelength with modulation or pulse rate of 1 GHz. This would explore the feasibility of novel structural, laser material, and fabrication approaches via proof-of-principle experiments. PHASE II: In Phase II, fabricate and demonstrate a prototype laser transmitter/receiver system operating near 4-micron wavelength with modulation or pulse rate of 1 GHz and average output power > 5 W. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. NOTES: 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 proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States Summary. Retrieved from: https://www.Defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to develop technologies that enable harvesting of outgoing thermal radiation to generate useful work. Moreover, the incoming sunlight and outgoing thermal radiation typically occupy different spectral wavelength ranges. The sunlight is in the wavelength range spanning from approximately 2 micron to ultraviolet, whereas the thermal radiation is in the longer wavelength range. Therefore, it is conceivable that both solar and thermal radiation can be harvested using the same device in different operation modes, leading to the capability of simultaneous harvesting. Being able to do so could enhance the power generation capability of a spacecraft without increasing its weight. DESCRIPTION: In a space environment the thermal balance of a spacecraft is dominated by radiations. These radiations include sunlight as well as the thermal radiation. To control the thermal balance of a spacecraft it is therefore of crucial importance to control the solar absorption and the thermal emission properties. Moreover, both the process of the absorption of sunlight and the emission of thermal radiation can be harvested to generate useful work such as electricity. However, while significant work has focused on developing high-efficiency photovoltaic cells for harvesting sunlight, far less work has been devoted to developing device that can harvest the outgoing thermal radiations. PHASE I: Phase I of the project will explore the feasible device concepts and elucidate the theoretical and practical limits of simultaneous energy harvesting PHASE II: Phase II of the project will demonstrate a viable scheme for simultaneous harvesting with generated power density exceeding that of a standard photovoltaic cell for the same physical area. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. REFERENCES: 1. 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States Summary. Retrieved from: https://www.Defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf

TECH FOCUS AREAS: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors OBJECTIVE: The objective of the topic is to develop meta-lens filtering and beam-forming for LED and PD packaging using novel materials such as chalcogenide as windows materials for patterning into meta-lenses. DESCRIPTION: Compared to commercial visible optical packaging technology for LEDs and PDs, the mid-IR technology base is decades behind. This is because the transmissive and diffractive lenses and encapsulation materials for visible wavelengths are too absorptive or even opaque at mid-IR wavelengths. The objective of the topic is to develop meta-lens filtering and beam-forming for LED and PD packaging using novel materials such as chalcogenide as windows materials for patterning into meta-lenses. These will require designing and developing layers and structures for converting the Lambertian emission profile of LEDs into suitable narrow beams, estimating the tradeoff between light collection efficiency and beam divergence. Numerous applications are envisioned such as chip-scale on and off communications, bio-sensors, and gas detection of such species as methane and CO2 by band limiting the emission and reducing the opto-mechanical system requirements for optical gas sensing. One could imagine health and safety gas detection for Air Force systems such as wearable sensors for jet fuel vapor detection and other hazards. The beam-forming capabilities should be especially useful for point-to-point free-space communication links in the MWIR. The low-SWAP properties of such LED-PD paired devices for gas sensing lend themselves to needs in unmanned aerial vehicles. The higher-performance emitter configurations would also be useful for high-stability, on-platform calibration references for satellite-borne and other sensors. PHASE I: A Phase I effort would determine the feasibility of optimizing the novel films and meta-lens geometries and characterize the transmission. PHASE II: A Phase II project would adapt these meta-lenses to TO and surface mounted packages for LEDs and PD product prototypes, with the goal to design for additional wavelengths. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. REFERENCES: 1. 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States Summary. Retrieved from: https://www.Defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to explore the development of explainable decision-making algorithms that address the challenges of deriving explanations of autonomous behavior in decision-making systems. In particular, there is (i) the challenge of handling the fact that autonomous decision-making agents can change future observations of data based on the actions they take and (ii) the challenge of reasoning over long-term objectives of the underlying agent mission. The results of this work may be applied to the development of military recommender systems as part of a Phase III effort by enabling human-interpretable explanations of behavior in automated or autonomous planning solutions. This may also find applications in the commercial autonomous driving sector, where high-performing solutions still lead to unfortunate accidents and fatalities for which the derivation of explanations is difficult. In such settings, explainability not only eases understanding of learning outcomes, but can also be used to develop more effective machine learning algorithms. This topic addresses challenges in the DoD technology area of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as outlined in the National Defense Strategy and, more specifically, the focus area of Autonomy as listed in the USD R&E modernization priorities. This topic also addresses challenges in the DoD technology area of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as outlined in the National Defense Strategy and, more specifically, the focus area of Autonomy as listed in the USD R&E modernization priorities. This topic will reach companies that can complete a feasibility study and prototype validated concepts in accelerated Phase II schedules. This topic is specifically aimed at later stage development rather than earlier stage basic science and research. DESCRIPTION: Current simulation environments are too slow for the adoption of state-of-the art machine learning approaches to decision-making, such as those proposed in the areas of reinforcement learning and planning. Recent noteworthy examples include Monte-Carlo Tree Search and actor-critic architectures which have been used to yield superhuman performance in games of precision and perception such as Go and StarCraft 2. These approaches require tens of millions of simulation runs or tens of thousands of years’ worth of simulation data. As a point of reference, Air Force simulation environments such as AFSIM and AWSIM or other complex operational environments execute an individual simulation on the order of minutes and hours, respectively. These runtimes preclude the adoption of such data-hungry methods. However, the tremendous success of transfer learning in image classification and, more recently, natural language processing gives us hope that transferring learned information may be feasible from a surrogate fast simulation environment (e.g. PySC2, Lab2D, RAND’s AFGYM, etc.) to our existing slow simulators (e.g. AFSIM, AWSIM). This remains an open problem in the aforementioned fields of reinforcement learning and planning. To this end, we seek to develop a transfer learning approach that can transfer decision-making information from a surrogate simulation environment to a target environment. This includes the development of similarity metrics by which a user can determine whether transfer between two environments is feasible or useful. Performance in the surrogate and target simulation environments after transferring learned decision-making information from the former should reflect the similarity metrics developed. That is, low similarity should lead to low or unpredictable performance when transferring from the surrogate to the target. Conversely, high similarity should yield high performance on the target. The performance metric is dependent on the environments chosen and can include things like maximizing a reward signal, yielding explainable actions, or establishing robust control policies, among others. While this motivates the foregoing from an Air Force perspective, prospective performers may choose non-military surrogate and target environments in developing their transfer learning approach and transfer similarity metrics. There is no required use of government materials, equipment data, or facilities. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop, install, integrate and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. Phase II proposals will be evaluated using a two-step process. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. Da Silva, Felipe Leno, and Anna Helena Reali Costa. "A survey on transfer learning for multiagent reinforcement learning systems." Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research 64 (2019): 645-703. 2. Gamrian, Shani, and Yoav Goldberg. "Transfer learning for related reinforcement learning tasks via image-to-image translation." International Conference on Machine Learning. PMLR, 2019. 3. Hanlon, Nicholas, et al. "AFSIM Implementation and Simulation of the Active Target Defense Differential Game." 2018 AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference. 2018.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Cybersecurity; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to explore the design of tools, techniques and methods necessary to support the development of trusted AI systems at speed and scale within modern development pipelines. DESCRIPTION: A key element of trust in AI is our ability to impart and assess the classical security attributes of developed AI systems. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems remain a key concern as we move toward increased AI, especially as such systems are imparted with the levels of autonomy necessary for speed and scale of action required for future missions. This need for assurance in our AI-based software must be weighed against the benefits (and risks) of agile, rapid development pipelines, such as continuous integration / continuous development (CI/CD) and integrated Development – Security – Operations (DevSecOps) approaches to development. Such pipelines often rely on external security measures, which may contain systemic failures and lack engineering rigor. Rectifying these competing concerns requires the development of comprehensive security engineering approaches that effectively reduce the introduction and exploitation of vulnerabilities in modern AI and AI-enabled developments. This is a fundamental requirement of trusted AI, as it underlies the effectiveness of numerous AI/ML attack paths identified in literature (e.g. the Berryville Institute of Machine Learning). Technologies developed under this topic should focus on enabling trust through the systematic address of vulnerabilities that might arise in AI system design, development, and test. The key aspects addressed by this topic follow the security engineering approach outlined by NIST in SP800-160 as applied to machine learning and AI-based systems: 1. Technologies and methods that address the “problem-definition” context of AI system security. This would include the ability to model, quantify, and analyze threats and risks to AI systems; define and analyze AI-driven security requirements; and inform the efficient application of solution-focused technologies and processes. 2. Technologies and methods focused on the “solution-definition” context of secure AI systems. This could include capabilities focused on the secure development of AI-systems, the application/specialization of formal and semi-formal analysis in the design and architecture of AI systems, and the static and dynamic analysis of implementation artifacts (code & associated models/data) for vulnerabilities. 3. Technologies and methods that enable the “trustworthiness-assessment” context of AI systems, focused on the testing and evaluating systems against the stated solution and problem context goals and approaches (did I build the right system, and did I build it right?). This could include risk-driven test and evaluation of AI capabilities at the unit, component, and sub-system level; capabilities to perform vulnerability assessment on AI-based systems and data; and the means to measure the resulting AI system’s security properties. Approaches sought as part of this effort may address one or more of these contexts, either as part of an integrated process or as a standalone technology focused on a particular aspects of security engineering for AI-based systems. Candidates will be evaluated based upon their novelty, uniqueness, and specificity to AI-based systems and the unique challenges faced when designing, developing, and fielding assured AI technologies within a mission context. There is no requirement for use of Government materials, equipment, data or facilities. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop, install, integrate and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The need for AI/ML systems that are robust, well-designed, minimize vulnerabilities, and exhibit resilience against external attack is a need shared between government and industry. Developments against this topic will support AI/ML assurance requirements in any agile development (e.g. DevSecOps) pipeline, and outcomes are likely to find inclusion in software development practices that support both commercial and government needs. The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. McGraw, et al: An Architectural Risk Analysis of Machine Learning Systems: Toward More Secure Machine Learning. Berryville Institute of Machine Learning (BIML), 2019. 2. McGraw, et al: Security Engineering for Machine Learning. IEEE Computer, volume 52, number 8, pages 54-57. 2019. 3. Ross, R., McEvilley, M. and Carrier Oren, J.: NIST SP 800-160 — Systems Security Engineering: Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems, November 2016.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Cybersecurity; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to apply existing AI/ML solutions to operational Air Force problems. This topic will reach companies that can complete a feasibility study and prototype validated concepts in accelerated Phase II schedules. This topic is specifically aimed at later stage development rather than earlier stage basic science and research. DESCRIPTION: The advent of modern AI/ML algorithms presents an opportunity for the Air Force to modernize various human-intensive and laborious processes that may be amenable to automation and autonomy. Areas of interest under this topic include the following: 1. Real Time Operational AI: Human operators are used across many airfield and flight operations that could potentially be performed or augmented by trusted AI systems. Intelligent systems could assist and reduce air traffic control workload, potentially reducing safe aircraft separation to increase sorties or reduce fuel consumption, while maintaining or improving safety of flight. AI could analyze flight paths, traffic volume/controller work load, range scheduling, etc. to determine the most efficient route/timing from airports to specific airspace, either for dynamic resource allocation or overall system optimization. Artificially intelligent precision approach radars could provide voice guidance for precision approach landings in agile combat operations without dedicated human controllers or modification of aircraft avionics. This emphasis area explores how real-time trusted AI could be applied to operational systems, either to augment and improve human and system performance or by acting autonomously. 2. Putting the Sec in DevSecOps for Machine Learning: PEO Digital seeks to take advantage of breakthroughs in machine learning in commercial technology with non-traditional partners. Under the hood, breakthroughs are enabled by leveraging common open-source machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch & TensorFlow. After training, these frameworks output serialized formats of a trained neural network that are optimized to run on hardware via model serving. However, these serialized formats are not well understood by common static code analysis (SCA) tools used in DevSecOps pipelines. This topic seeks to develop a static code analysis tool for neural network serialized graphs (ONNX, TensorFlow SavedModel format, etc) in order to automatically identify vulnerabilities and ensure that new and re-trained neural networks are secure to mitigate the risk of malicious neural networks within operations. 3. Automate Routine Battle Management Functions: Although modern architecture in AWACS and other platforms automates some of the functions, such as automatic track initiation, Air Battle Managers (ABM) still have to perform many routine functions. The AWACS SPO is interested in potential deploying AI to further automate many of the ABM’s functions, allowing for ABMs to concentrate on functions that truly require humans in the loop. 4. Computer Vision Threat Detection: PEO Digital seeks ML/AI based computer vision technology to perform real-time threat detection and classification using full motion video provided by CCTV and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors. In addition to threat detection, applications would also be applied to reduce current system false/nuisance alarm rates. Proposed technologies would preferably be device/sensor agnostic and capable of integrating with external C2 systems. 5. AI for Tactical / Cognitive Radios (CR): Optimized rogue RF signal detection, classification and response to detection and jamming signals in space can be significantly enhanced with a trained neural network using machine learning and AI techniques. Improvements are expected to reduce signal processing timelines from minutes and seconds to milliseconds. Applying AI techniques to a deployed compact system in a field environment are expected to yield real-time response and collection of signals intelligence without the need for significant offline processing and reduced power requirements. A demonstration of AI for tactical radios using COTS CR systems is preferred. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop, install, integrate and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The Primary goal of SBIR is Phase III. The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. Phase II proposals will be evaluated using a two-step process. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. Myrbakken, Håvard, and Ricardo Colomo-Palacios. "DevSecOps: a multivocal literature review." International Conference on Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination. Springer, Cham, 2017 2. Ventullo, Chris. JADC2 via ABMS. AIR UNIV MAXWELL AFB AL MAXWELL AFB United States, 2020; 3. Reichman, Daniël, Leslie M. Collins, and Jordan M. Malof. "Some good practices for applying convolutional neural networks to buried threat detection in ground penetrating radar." 2017 9th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR). IEEE, 2017.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to explore the development of explainable decision-making algorithms that address the challenges of deriving explanations of autonomous behavior in decision-making systems. In particular, there is (i) the challenge of handling the fact that autonomous decision-making agents can change future observations of data based on the actions they take and (ii) the challenge of reasoning over long-term objectives of the underlying agent mission. The results of this work may be applied to the development of military recommender systems as part of a Phase III effort by enabling human-interpretable explanations of behavior in automated or autonomous planning solutions. This may also find applications in the commercial autonomous driving sector, where high-performing solutions still lead to unfortunate accidents and fatalities for which the derivation of explanations is difficult. In such settings, explainability not only eases understanding of learning outcomes, but can also be used to develop more effective machine learning algorithms. This topic addresses challenges in the DoD technology area of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as outlined in the National Defense Strategy and, more specifically, the focus area of Autonomy as listed in the USD R&E modernization priorities. This topic will reach companies that can complete a feasibility study and prototype validated concepts in accelerated Phase II schedules. This topic is specifically aimed at later stage development rather than earlier stage basic science and research. This topic addresses challenges in the DoD technology area of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as outlined in the National Defense Strategy and, more specifically, the focus area of Autonomy as listed in the USD R&E modernization priorities. DESCRIPTION: The field of explainable AI has gained significant traction in recent years as evidenced by the DARPA XAI program and other investments aimed at explaining why and how autonomous agents yield a given outcome for some given datum. While there has been much success in this area, it has been mostly limited to the classification problem where libraries such as LIME, SHAP, and Captum have been developed and proven useful in facilitating developer and user understanding of machine learning and AI. Naturally, the capacity to explain autonomous behavior is a conduit to trust in such systems. However, the problem of autonomous decision-making, wherein an agent must interact within an environment and make decisions which change the state of the same, has not been privileged to the same success when it comes to the explain ability of autonomous decision-making policies. Given the importance and growth of this area as evidenced by great advancements in sub-fields like reinforcement learning and planning, including superhuman performance in various games of perception and precision, it is important to have such powerful decision aids explain their behavior in a human-interpretable form for their wider adoption and use, particularly in safety-critical and defense systems. This is particularly so given the interest from the defense sector in human-machine teaming and human-in-the-loop learning. While the explainable AI approaches developed for the classification problem may similarly be leveraged for autonomous decision-making, two key challenges arise in the latter setting. First, the actions enacted by the agent(s) have the capacity to change the data observed in the future via changes in the environment. Second, the agent must reason about a long-term objective accomplished as the result of multiple actions. As such, we seek the derivation of explainable decision-making methods that address these issues. Furthermore, in order to establish trust in the explanations provided by autonomous agents, it is imperative that the uncertainty inherent in a given explanation be quantified or characterized so as to establish a degree of confidence in the explanation. Indeed, this encapsulates two of the four principles of explainable AI developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): explanation accuracy and knowledge limits. These principles focus on the accuracy of the explanation from a learning process and the assurance that the learning system operates only when it has reached a sufficient level of confidence in its output. Intuitively, the fact that learning is closed-loop with decision-making requires an understanding and quantification of uncertainty to understand how an “amount” of uncertainty produces a “change” in decision. This informs the human operators’ trust in the output of the explainable decision-making algorithms developed. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop, install, integrate and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PPROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. Phase II proposals will be evaluated using a two-step process. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. Phillips, P. Jonathon, et al. "Four Principles of Explainable Artificial." NIST. (2020). 2. Arrieta, Alejandro Barredo, et al. "Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI): Concepts, taxonomies, opportunities and challenges toward responsible AI." Information Fusion 58 (2020): 82-115. 3. Gunning, David, and David Aha. "DARPA’s explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) program." AI Magazine 40.2 (2019): 44-58.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to explore the development of simultaneously training humans and machine partners to facilitate the establishment of trust, its maintenance, and its repair when failures occur. In particular, the proposed solutions should present some examples of failures and successes in human-machine trust through co-training. This topic will reach companies that can complete a feasibility study and prototype validated concepts in accelerated Phase II schedules. This topic is specifically aimed at development beyond basic science and research. DESCRIPTION: Warfighters will continue to be partnered with increasingly capable intelligent systems to outwit and outpace adversaries. Rather than have warfighters and their autonomous partners independently acquire their needed skills and then come together to accomplish a mission, they will train together over time with increasingly complexity to emerge as tightly coupled cooperative agents with developed bi-directional human-machine trust. In this example, co-training involves partnering with an intelligent system throughout the individual and team skill acquisition processes, exposing team members to each other’s strengths, weaknesses, communication styles, and how to maintain trust and repair it when needed. To achieve this goal, developers must provide intelligent systems with some human-like cognitive capacities to facilitate the dynamic processes associated with the establishment, maintenance, and repair of trust. Example human-level capacities include acquiring mutual knowledge, beliefs, and assumptions to facilitate efficient communication (i.e., common ground), skill acquisition at the human-partner’s pace, and human-level situation representations to facilitate interaction, team problem solving, responsibility shifting and sharing, et cetera. To achieve these goals, several facets of this emphasis need to be tackled (in no particular order): • Behavioral/cognitive model development and evaluation of the required human-level capacities theorized to be important in trust establishment, maintenance, and repair; • Methods developed and tested for co-training between humans and their autonomous counterparts to demonstrate the establishment of bi-directional trust and performance benefits; • Metrics (objective and subjective) must be developed and validated to capture the dynamics of trust establishment, maintenance, and repair to better assess trust’s relationship to, and influence on, task performance. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. Phase II proposals will be evaluated using a two-step process. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. Kirk, J. R., & Laird, J. E. (2016). Learning General and Efficient Representations of Novel Games Through Interactive Instruction. Advances in Cognitive Systems, 4 2. Laird, J. E., Anderson, J., Forbus, K. D., Lebiere, C., Salvucci, D., Scheutz, M., … Kirk, J. R. (2017). Interactive Task Learning. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 32(4), 6-21 (invited). https://doi.org/10.1109/MIS.2017.3121552 3. van den Bosch, K., Schoonderwoerd, T., Blankendaal, R., & Neerincx, M. (2019). Six Challenges for Human-AI Co-learning. In International Conferenceon Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 572-589). Springer, Cham.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems; Battlespace OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to explore the development of transparency methods to promote common ground and calibrated trust between human and machine partners across a human-autonomy-team’s (HAT) lifecycle. This topic will reach companies that can complete a feasibility study and prototype validated concepts in accelerated Phase II schedules. This topic is specifically aimed at later stage development rather than earlier stage basic science and research. Successful proposals will not only demonstrate useful concepts for transparency in HAT contexts, but will discuss the dynamic transparency needs across the HAT lifecycle. DESCRIPTION: Transparency, i.e., methods for establishing shared awareness and shared intent between humans and intelligent machines, is the cornerstone for generating and maintaining appropriate trust in human-autonomy teaming interactions. Transparency methods have predominately taken a static view of the HAT relationship and have focused on one element of complexity – often times selecting the task execution phase (for a particular isolated task) as the key opportunity for engineering transparency into an interface. However, transparency methods should incorporate the full spectrum of the HAT relationship spanning the gamut from design; testing; technology introduction; training/learning/co-learning; implementation in a task context; and full implementation in a social context (wherein trust can exist as a shared social phenomenon). This issue is exacerbated when considering machine learning technologies that: ingest diverse data sets during training (with various levels of bias inherent to them), are inherently nondeterministic, and are often brittle to environmental change/novel data. Another intelligent entity could be described in similar terms as the first two issues (diverse training data and nondeterministic) while it also displays incredible resilience to environmental perturbation – human beings. While humans are highly variable, one might argue that our trust relationships with others are driven by stable factors – granted the values/importance of these factors change overtime in relation to a particular referent, yet the set remains constant in driving trust of others because it offers us an opportunity to have common ground with others and to anticipate their intent in relation to us. The same way humans do not hug a stranger and or recite one’s detailed resume to a close friend, neither should we view HAT relationships as static and universal – the level of detail one needs in order to make an informed trust-based evaluation depends on a number of factors and we need transparency methods to convey this information and a higher-level model of transparency to guide the timing and implementation of these components. Example research could include: • Interface methods to promote common ground of machine rationale/task awareness/states (e.g., confusion), predictability of machine intent, predictability of machine action, predictability of transfer of authority requests. • Methods to categorize and compare learning affordances for ML systems as a means to facilitate transparency of the data, scenarios, and biases that exist in developing a ML algorithm – this essentially looks to the learning environment itself as a facet of transparency. • Identify how transparency could be elicited via design (i.e., pedigree). • Testing methods to generate shared knowledge of HAT limitations and capabilities (e.g., joint HAT experiences to fulfill human trust needs) and those to limit uncertainty and constrain the consequences of errors (e.g., assurance methods to govern HAT behaviors and minimize uncertainty). • Integrated lifecycle approaches and models guide the appropriateness and effectiveness of one transparency over another dynamically. PHASE I: Phase I should completely document 1) the AI-driven explainability requirements the proposed solution addresses; 2) the approach to model, quantify and analyze the representation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the explainable decision-making solution; and 3) the feasibility of developing or simulating a prototype architecture. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study. This demonstration should focus specifically on: 1. Evaluating the proposed solution against the objectives and measurable key results as defined in the Phase I feasibility study. 2. Describing in detail how the solution can be scaled to be adopted widely (i.e. how can it be modified for scale). 3. A clear transition path for the proposed solution that takes into account input from all affected stakeholders including but not limited to: end users, engineering, sustainment, contracting, finance, legal, and cyber security. 4. Specific details about how the solution can integrate with other current and potential future solutions. 5. How the solution can be sustainable (i.e. supportability). 6. Clearly identify other specific DoD or governmental customers who want to use the solution. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research & development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND EVALUATION: Please follow the Air Force-specific Direct to Phase II instructions under the Department of Defense 21.2 SBIR Broad Agency Announcement when preparing proposals. Proposals under this topic will have a maximum value of $1,500,000 SBIR funding and a maximum performance period of 18 months, including 15 months technical performance and three months for reporting. Phase II proposals will be evaluated using a two-step process. After proposal receipt, an initial evaluation will be conducted IAW the criteria DoD 21.2 SBIR BAA, Sections 6.0 and 7.4. Based on the results of that evaluation, Selectable companies will be provided an opportunity to participate in the Air Force Trusted AI Pitch Day, tentatively scheduled for 26-30 July 2021 (possibly virtual). Companies’ pitches will be evaluated using the initial proposal evaluation criteria. Selectees will be notified after the event via email. Companies must participate in the pitch event to be considered for award. REFERENCES: 1. Miller, C. (2021). Trust, transparency, explanation, and planning: Why we need a lifecycle perspective on human-automation interaction. In Nam and Lyons (Eds.), Trust in Human-Robot Interaction (pp. 234-254). Elsevier 2. Chen, J., Flemisch, F., Lyons, J., & Neerincx, M. (2020). Guest Editorial: Agent and System Transparency. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 50(3). 3. Chen J., Lakhmani S., Stowers K., Selkowitz A., Wright J., Barnes M. (2018). Situation awareness-based agent transparency and human-autonomy teaming effectiveness. Theoretical Issues Ergonomics Science 19(3), 259–282.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors; Space Platform; Air Platform OBJECTIVE: Improve three-dimensional electro optical/synthetic aperture radar (3D EO/SAR) reconstructions of both single objects of interest and 3D scenes from limited 2D input images at varying viewing perspectives from airborne and/or space borne EO and SAR sensors for scene exploitation to support Combat Identification (CID) and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. DESCRIPTION: Current 3D SAR reconstruction techniques require many circular flight paths around an object of interest to sufficiently image for scene exploitation. Additionally, these imaging techniques require the fusion of many images acquired at multiple viewpoints to create an accurate 3D SAR reconstruction. Neither of these requirements are feasible in a military operational scenario. Some 3D EO/SAR reconstruction techniques address flight path limitations through various sparsity-based techniques. These include either utilizing a sparse amount of apertures, increasing the sampling rates to adjust the resolution parameters of the object of interest, or using sparsity-based compressive sensing techniques to optimize the amount of used data points. However, limited work in 3D reconstruction techniques addresses the number of fused images required for accurate image formation, particularly in SAR. Exploratory work exists with EO and IR images, where limited two-dimensional (2D) viewpoints of a scene are used to create a 3D scene representation. This can be very useful for exploring unknown environments because it can lead to more accurate reconstructions through the environment, even if only a limited amount of views are given. Government owned software for EO/IR image-based 3D reconstruction may be provided for use in this research as a baseline for further development of a multi-phenomenology EO/SAR 3D reconstruction capability. Potential solution(s) should provide the ability to produce a 3D representation of an object or region of interest given limited viewpoints. The solution(s) must be able to input 2D images and output a 3D representation of the target or scene. The solution(s) should be able to reconstruct single 3D objects of interests as well as 3D scene representations, such as scenes available from the GOTCHA dataset and multiple objects of interest therein. Solution(s) should allow for 3D representation refinement as additional 2D images at varying viewing perspectives are introduced. The solution(s) could involve implementing machine learning architecture to reconstruct volumetric data and perform 3D reasoning. Finally, the solution(s) should be extended to general 3D SAR imaging, be applicable to any arbitrary target/scenes and be computationally efficient. Solution(s) will be evaluated against known truth data – 3D reconstructions will be evaluated by their accuracy compared to the original object of interest/scene representation. PHASE I: Determine the scientific and technical feasibility of the concept. Include a plan to demonstrate a 3D reconstruction given limited 2D input images for scene exploitation. Document progress in a final report and implement in a proof-of-concept software deliverable. This is a Direct to Phase II topic. PHASE II: Develop, integrate, and demonstrate a prototype capable of 3D reconstruction given sample datasets. Initially, develop a prototype capable of imaging available 3D data domes for different objects of interest as desired. Extend capability to imaging 3D SAR scene reconstructions, such as available with the GOTCHA dataset. Deliver prototype software to include source code for all techniques developed under the contract. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III efforts will focus on transitioning the developed technology to a working commercial or warfighter solution. If a viable business model for the developed strategy or algorithm(s) is demonstrated, the offeror or identified transition partners would be in a position to supply future processes to the Air Force and other DoD components as this new process is adopted. REFERENCES: 1. Scarnati, Theresa, and Jan Rainer Jamora, "Three-Dimensional Object Reconstruction from Sparse Multi-Pass SAR Data," in 13th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (EUSAR '21), 2021. 2. Sanders, Toby, Anne Gelb, and Rodrigo B. Platte. "Composite SAR imaging using sequential joint sparsity." Journal of Computational Physics 338 (2017): 357-370. 3. Denninger, Maximilian, and Rudolph Triebel. "3D scene reconstruction from a single viewport." European Conference on Computer Vision. Springer, Cham, 2020. 4. Mildenhall, Ben, et al. "Nerf: Representing scenes as neural radiance fields for view synthesis." European Conference on Computer Vision. Springer, Cham, 2020. 5. Sameer Agarwal, Noah Snavely, Steven M. Seitz, and Richard Szeliski, “Bundle Adjustment in the Large”, https://grail.cs.washington.edu/projects/bal/bal.pdf 6. Anette Eltnera, Giulia Sofiab, “Chapter 1 - Structure from motion photogrammetric technique”, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-64177-9.00001-1

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop and apply technologies to fuse, analyze, and present new, secure, multi-domain (air, land, space, and cyber/spectrum/electronic), command, control, communications, and situational awareness capabilities for collaborative and efficient conduct of ICBM operations, including status monitoring, maintenance, security and missile launch. DESCRIPTION: Fast, low-cost, effective, and efficient tactical command, control, communication, and situational awareness (C3SA) of a team for a single domain (e.g. ground) is a hard problem, but much harder is integrating adjacent domains (e.g. air, space, and cyber) into forward warriors’ and rear leaders’ scope of awareness and influence. Similarly, merging legacy stovepipe data sources, (e.g. logistics, maintenance, communications status, system status, mission requests, etc.) into a single, easily digestible format that can be used for command and control or planning is challenging. Gen Goldfein, former Air Force Chief, directed a pivot to Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) in 2017 and articulated the essential role that communications capabilities and battlespace situational awareness play in enabling effective MDC2, an integrated capability dubbed MDC3SA, MDC3SA information may be urgently needed by warfighters, but massive amount of divergent information risks overloading human awareness; a key question is whether effective MDC3SA can be enabled by technology for fusing and presenting only mission-essential information? Also, command centers currently hand-fuse significant amounts of information from legacy data sources in order to complete day to day operational planning and C2; can these processes and information sources be integrated to increase effectiveness? This topic seeks to develop, prove in the field, and implement MDC3SA tools/capabilities in this fast, complex, area. The focus of this topic is operations in the nation’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system that provides a land-based nuclear deterrence and strike capability. The current system comprises 450 missiles and their associated C3 facilities located in several northern US states that stand on alert to provide a day-to-day, safe, secure, responsive, global nuclear strike capability to assure our allies, dissuade proliferation, deter adversaries, and, should deterrence fail, decisively defeat adversary targets and retaliatory capabilities. The operation of this capability encompasses a range of activities, including monitoring of health and status, transport and maintenance of missiles and launch hardware and software systems, physical and cyber security, training for and actual operation of, and if directed, missile launch operations. Because of the strategic significance and nature of this mission, the coordination and conduct of these operations is of paramount importance requiring unprecedented communication and collaboration, shared situational awareness of ongoing and planned activities, assured integrity and timeliness of information, and man-power efficiency. Some examples of key operations that require coordination, tactical control and enhanced situational awareness include: • The combined-forces ‘Convoy Team’ within a USAF Missile Wing involving dozens of vehicles, aircraft, and command center awareness, including coordination with civil authorities and law enforcement • Daily, 2-person USAF Security Forces patrols across a typical base or region, and security response forces • Missile Wing Command Center operations planning and mission control This topic area is intended to explore architectural and functional aspects of these operations, including methods to maintain Shared Situational Awareness and Order of Battle, provide effective human interfaces for visualization and collaboration of operational data, automate the mining, fusion, and presentation of data supporting commanding, controlling, and reporting status of assets and support systems/activities, and enable capabilities for operators to proactively plan and respond to events in real time. PHASE I: This is a Direct to Phase 2 (D2P2) topic. Phase 1 like proposals will not be evaluated and will be rejected as nonresponsive. For this D2P2 topic, the Government expects the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-type effort via some other means, e.g., independent research and development (IR&D) or other non-SBIR funded work). It must have developed a concept for a workable prototype or design to address at a minimum the basic capabilities of the stated objective above. Proposal must show, as appropriate to the proposed effort, a demonstrated technical feasibility or nascent capability to fuse multiple disparate data sources and present a unified picture. Proposal may provide example cases of this new capability on a specific application. The documentation provided must substantiate that the proposer has developed a preliminary understanding of the technology to be applied in their Phase II proposal to meet the objectives of this topic. Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. PHASE II: Design and develop command center systems to encompass the range of ICBM operations and functions, and provide the technical (hardware, software, communications) and physical (building, layout, human-machine interfaces) elements of such an operations center or Wing Command Center. These elements might include some or all of the following, categorized into two broad areas, for which the contract may propose to address either or both: • Data Fusion and Information Processing a) Improved information systems to support enhanced operator awareness and efficiency; b) Tools that automate the mining, fusion, and presentation of data including legacy data systems and formats and communication infrastructure supporting commanding, controlling, and reporting status of ICBM assets; • Architectural and Functional Modernization a) Effective human machine interfaces for enhanced understanding of situations and rapid decision making; b) Enhanced presentation capabilities for shared situational awareness, both large and small scale. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for potential government applications. There are potential commercial applications in a wide range of diverse fields that include cargo transport operations centers, industrial systems monitoring, and security response command centers. REFERENCES: 1. “Enhancing Multi-domain Command and Control… Tying it all Together”, General Goldfein, USAF, 2017, https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/csaf/letter3/Enhancing_Multi-domain_ CommandControl.pdf 2. “Multi-Domain Command and Control: Maintaining Our Asymmetric Advantage”, Major General (retired) Tim Zadalis, USAF, https://www.japcc.org/multi-domain-command-and-control/ 3. “Understanding Command And Control”, Albert and Hayes, DoD Command and Control Research Program, 2006, http://www.dodccrp.org/files/Alberts_UC2.pdf 4. Three Tenets of Security, ATSPI Technology Office, https://www.spi.dod.mil/threat.htm 5. “Quantitative Metrics and Risk Assessment: The Three Tenets Model of Cybersecurity”, Hughes and Cybenko, 2013, https://timreview.ca/sites/default/files/article_PDF/ HughesCybenko_TIMReview_August2013.pdf

TECH FOCUS AREAS: Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors OBJECTIVE: This is a Direct to Phase II topic. Air Force tactical communications provide information and dataflow between various airbases involved in conflict and these airbases require communication back to central commands in the United States and in Europe. Tactical satellite communications play an important role connecting air bases, and air bases with central command. Ground to air to ground communications are important in airborne Mission Control and airspace management. [1] DESCRIPTION: GPS is vulnerable to jamming and effective adaptive filtering techniques can detect and counter swept frequencies and continuous wave interferers.[2] [3] [4] [5] Adaptive filtering methods are needed in the setting of wireless communications where the received signal is interfered by additional transmitters and by multiple scattering due to multipath in the environment of use.[6] A third important application of adaptive filtering is the protection of spread spectrum communication systems from high power, frequency-mobile jamming.[7] [8] This effort requires the evaluation of the use of adaptive filters in the three described instances involving jamming: GPS, wireless systems, and spread spectrum. In the setting of GPS and wireless systems, adaptive filtering shall be applied to detect the interferer and null it by using an array chancellor, adaptive notch filtering, and additionally, a process that leverages partial knowledge of the GPS or wireless signal structure when it is available. In the setting of spread spectrum, rapidly defined and acting notch filters shall be applied as well as more complex filter banks for multi-frequency interferers. In each of the three cases, the adaptive filter performance shall be evaluated in the setting of system models that represent all salient features of actual physical systems. PHASE I: Focus of Phase I should be design and development of small-scale test articles and preliminary testing demonstrating concept feasibility. PHASE II: Focus of Phase II should be further iterations on design and development resulting in functional or manufacturing scale up for larger test articles. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. REFERENCES: 1. Alan D. Campen, Information Systems and Air Warfare, in A. D. Campen, editor, The First Information War, AFCEA International Press, Fairfax, Virginia, 1992 2. Qiang Li, Dingjie Xu, Wei Wang, Xiangpeng Wamg and Zifa Han, Anti-jamming scheme for GPS receiver with vector tracking look and blind beamformer, Electronics Letters, vol 50, no 19, 2014 3. Li-wen Chen, Jian-sheng Zheng, Ming-kun Su, Jian-li Zhang, A Strong Interference Suppressor for Satellite Signals in GNSS Receivers, Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing, vol 36, 2017. 4. Brian G. Agee, Stephan V. Schell, William A. Gardner, Spectral-Self-Coherence Restoral: A New Approach to Blind Adaptive Signal Extraction Using Antenna Arrays, Proc. IEEE, vol 78, no 4, 1990. 5. Ying-Ren Chien, Design of GPS Anti-Jamming Systems Using Adaptive Notch Filters, IEEE Systems Journal, vol 9, no. 2, 2015. 6. Randy L. Haupt, Wireless Communications Systems: An Introduction, IEEE Press, 2020. 7. Don Torrieri, Principles of Spread-Spectrum Communication Systems, 4th Edition, Springer, 2018. 8. Qi Ling and Tongtong Li, Modeling and Detection of Hostile Jamming in Spread Spectrum Systems, 2007 IEEE Workshop on Signal Processing Applications for Public Security and Forensics.

TECH FOCUS AREAS: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform OBJECTIVE: This is a Direct to Phase II topic. Demonstrate contour, shape, optical-flow, or other image segmentation techniques for robust model based test and evaluation of target attitude determination, using perfect a priori knowledge of target geometry, for arbitrary cluttered backgrounds. A successful research effort will produce the following deliverables: 1) An image processing toolkit suitable for inclusion in current government-owned analysis tools, 2) A report detailing extensive verification of the toolkit using benchmark synthetic and real imagery, and 3) A paper accepted to a relevant scientific conference. DESCRIPTION: Photogrammetric multi-view determination of target attitude (or pose) can be a simple machine vision problem, given sufficiently resolved imagery and benign backgrounds. For ground-based imagery of missiles in flight, however, resolution can be marginal and backgrounds are rarely benign. For cooperative tests, the external geometry of the missile can be known a priori to whatever accuracy is desired. Additionally, the location of the target missile can generally be localized in the image a priori as well. This is not a tracking issue. What is needed is an evaluation algorithm that provides the “best” overlay of the known physical target on top of the measured scene. Marginal resolution, varying lighting conditions, cluttered backgrounds, and poor target contrast contribute to the difficulty of segmenting the image, and determining the best monocular pose for the target missile. A significant portion of the effort should involve selecting and or creating relevant bench mark test data sets for comparison against other state of the art approaches and methods. PHASE I: Focus of Phase I should be design and development of small-scale test articles and preliminary testing demonstrating concept feasibility. PHASE II: Focus of Phase II should be further iterations on design and development that result in functional or manufacturing scale up for larger test articles. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. REFERENCES: 1. “Spatially variant mixture model for natural image segmentation,” Can Hu, Wentao Fan, Ji-Xiang Du, Nan Xie, SPIE J. Electronic Imaging 26 (4), 11 July 2017 2. “Automatic Image Registration Based on Shape Features and Multi-scale Image Segmentation, “ Haigang Sui et al., IEEE 2017 2nd International Conference on Multimedia and Image Processing (ICMIP)C. Das, Naresh & Olver, Kim & Towner, F. (2005). High emissive power MWIR LED array. Solid-State Electronics. 49. 1422-1427. 10.1016/j.sse.2005.06.018. 3. Interactive image segmentation based on object contour feature image,” Qiang Chen et al., 2010 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, pp. 3605-3608 4. Spatio-temporal image segmentation using optical flow and clustering algorithm,” S. Galic et al., IWISPA 2000. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Image and Signal Processing and Analysis. in conjunction with 22nd International Conference

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Chemical/Biological Defense; Battlespace Environments; Sensors OBJECTIVE: Develop a Deep Learning (DL) threat detection solution using a fusion of imaging sensors and chemical/biological sensors to detect and locate concealed chemical threats (with potential capabilities for both biological and explosives threats). The developed architecture must be deployable on edge computing platforms for use in real time (better than 60 second detection, 60 frames per second for video sensors) standoff threat detection platforms (50 m) such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). DESCRIPTION: Detection of concealed chemical threats through the development of sensor technology has improved over the last decade. Automated threat identification and location remains a challenge in operational environments. Multi-modal sensing promises to provide greater threat detection capability, as well as identification of threat location and type than individual sensing modalities can provide. Imaging solutions, such as infrared sensors, LIDAR, and RADAR, provide threat detection and location capabilities but cannot adequately differentiate chemical threat types. Chemical sensors provide remarkable capability of threat identification, and general vicinity detection but cannot adequately spatially locate chemical threats. A multi-modal approach to threat detection will provide improved situational awareness and inform appropriate threat response. DL algorithms have significantly improved the ability to autonomously detect a wide range of threats. Recent developments of DL algorithms combine audio and visual representations of a state to increase the correlation of input data to a specific target. Extrapolating from visual and auditory inputs to other sensing modalities will drive automated detection algorithms for chemical/biological threats for environmental awareness of operational environments. Development of a DL architecture that jointly exploits the signature from a chemical sensor with a threat signature from an imaging sensor has multiple benefits over single mode detection modalities by increasing threat detection confidence, as well as threat identification/classification. Additionally, multi-modal DL architectures have shown promise of being less vulnerable to adversarial examples, inputs modified by introducing small perturbations to deliberately fool a target model into outputting incorrect results, bringing an additional layer of security to Department of Defense (DoD) threat detection technologies. Phase I proposals should advance the state-of-the-art of automated chemical threat detection, location, and identification by incorporating multi-modal sensor inputs to a DL detection/identification process. To advance to a Phase II project, performers must demonstrate improved detection/identification rates higher than single mode detection techniques. It is expected that in Phase I and Phase II, performers will utilize Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) or novel sensor technologies. PHASE I: Develop and test a DL architecture that jointly exploits multi-modal sensor inputs for chemical threat detection and identification. Demonstrate the improved detection performance of the multi-modal DL architecture over single mode DL automated detection algorithms. During the Phase I project, the proof-of-concept demonstration should focus on the discrimination of at least two or more chemical threats with a clear path forward on implementing the DL architecture with low size, weight and power (SWaP) computing hardware for edge computing. Chemical warfare threats of all classes are of interested for threat detection and localization (better than 5 meter accuracy). Examples of chemical threats of interest include, but are not limited to, chlorine; tear gas/pepper spray; and nitrogen oxides. The Phase I deliverable should explain the algorithms tested, software concepts, hardware requirements, results of single mode and multimodal detection tests, and potential use cases and limitations identified within the Chemical and Biological Defense program. PHASE II: Phase II will focus on the development and testing of an embedded multi-modal DL algorithm on a field portable computational platform that can accept multiple sensor inputs. Design of the DL architecture will enable low SWaP requirements of the computation platform to enable ease of deployment to operational environments on small unmanned vehicles (UxV). Evaluation of the multi-modal DL chemical detection algorithms will be extended to multiple threat vectors and demonstrate improved threat detection and identification over single mode DL architectures. Laboratory based characterization and validation of the embedded DL algorithm will be required for a successful completion of Phase II. Technical demonstration and validation of the developed technology in operationally relevant environments will take place with government personnel. PHASE III: The expected Phase II end-product is a well-designed, deployable edge computing device with an embedded DL algorithm trained for detection of chemical threats that can be used on ground and aerial vehicles. Follow-on government and civilian activities are expected to be pursued by the offeror. Transition of the developed technology will require refined algorithm training and testing to optimize the threat detection capability for the chemical threats of concern, as well as extending the number of trained threats and modalities that can be identified. Edge case testing will also be explored and defined. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Multi-modal target discrimination DL algorithms can support and enhance medical diagnostic applications for increased prognostic assurance. Additionally, leveraging multiple sensor inputs improves perception of a vehicle’s immediate environment. REFERENCES: 1. Zhang, Shiqing, et al. "Multimodal deep convolutional neural network for audio-visual emotion recognition." Proceedings of the 2016 ACM on International Conference on Multimedia Retrieval. 2016. 2. Alshemali, Basemah, and Jugal Kalita. "Improving the reliability of deep neural networks in NLP: A review." Knowledge-Based Systems 191 (2020): 105210. 3. Ortega, Juan DS, et al. "Multimodal fusion with deep neural networks for audio-video emotion recognition." arXiv preprint arXiv:1907.03196 (2019). 4. Le, Minh Hung, et al. "Automated diagnosis of prostate cancer in multi-parametric MRI based on multimodal convolutional neural networks." Physics in Medicine & Biology 62.16 (2017): 6497. 5. Giering, Michael, Vivek Venugopalan, and Kishore Reddy. "Multi-modal sensor registration for vehicle perception via deep neural networks." 2015 IEEE High Performance Extreme Computing Conference (HPEC). IEEE, 2015.

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Chemical/Biological Defense; Information Systems Technology; Human Systems OBJECTIVE: To provide a real-time, geospatially accurate, augmented reality display of various CBRNE sensor data to mounted and dismounted warfighters. DESCRIPTION: CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) sensors are present throughout the armed forces. The Stryker Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle Sensor Suite Upgrade (NBCRV SSU) provides CBRN mounted reconnaissance capability for both manned and unmanned Stryker systems. Newer, smaller CBRN and EO/IR sensors are also increasingly being deployed to small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) or Unmanned Air Systems (UAS). Much of the effort is focused on collecting situational awareness at mission-speed. The increased amount and variety of data can be challenging to interpret, especially in a moving vehicle for a mounted reconnaissance mission. While strides have been made to populate CBRN sensor data into situational awareness tools such as the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), additional real-time capabilities to present information at mission speed are desired. Augmented Reality (AR) capabilities such as the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) are being developed to provide individual warfighters with real-time heads-up viewing capabilities for a variety of applications. This development program seeks to join CBRN sensors and emerging Augmented Reality displays together to provide a detailed, unified real-time CBRN-centric view of the battlespace. Back-end integration with other existing C2 systems such as the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), and support for future higher-performance sensors utilizing AI/ML is desired. Support for open standards is also highly desired. Of particular interest is the potential to integrate and display real-time sensor information coming from a downrange, vehicle-mounted, portable mass spectrometer device as well as a handheld radioisotope identification device (RIID) to show the capability to map chemical vapors and radiation fields in real-time by directly connecting the sensors to the Heads-up Display (HUD). PHASE I: Phase I will consist of a proof-of-concept system utilizing existing CBRNE sensors, AR HUDs and other displays, user interface concepts, and accompanying system architecture showing the growth path to future sensors, phases, and capabilities. A key deliverable of Phase I will be a proof-of-concept showing direct communication of mature RIID and Mass Spectrometer data to a HUD device to generate an AR display of sensor data with localization of threats. PHASE II: Phase II will consist of maturation of the concept and integration of the system onto a representative platform and show integration with geo-referenced, off-board sensor systems, greater fidelity on the display, and increased usability to include use while on-the-move. The key deliverable of Phase II will be the demonstration of the system in a relevant platform combining the sensors on a vehicle exterior with the real-time AR view on a HUD device from the interior of a vehicle to demonstrate real-time CBRNE situational awareness. PHASE III: Phase III will transition the program to an operationally relevant environment, including testing and validation to certify the program for Department of Defense use (Joint Chemical and Biological Defense Program). The system has the potential to be installed on reconnaissance vehicles such as the Stryker or in other tactical vehicles and on unmanned reconnaissance platforms. The platform will be further extendable to other types of fielded sensors for situational awareness. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The same system could be installed on vehicles used by other agencies responsible for CBRN and EO/IR systems for surveillance missions such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). REFERENCES: 1. Lazna, T (2018). The Visualization of Threats Using the Augmented Reality and a Remotely Controlled Robot. 15th IFAC Conference on Programmable Devices and Embedded Systems PDeS 2018. Volume 51, Issue 6, 444-449. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.07.113.) 2. Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV) — Stryker Sensor Suite. https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/cbd-nuclear-biological-chemical-reconnaissance-vehicle-nbcrv-stryker-sensor-suites/ 3. Army conducts major milestone tests in development of next gen fighting system 4. https://www.army.mil/article/240584/army_conducts_major_milestone_tests_in_development_of_next_gen_fighting_system

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Chemical/Biological Defense, Biomedical OBJECTIVE: Develop a field portable, mass spectrometry-based system that rapidly identifies aerosolized biological particulate, arising from the breath of a warfighter, or from their surrounding environment and the identification technology must be adaptable to the evolution of pathogens both natural and synthetic. DESCRIPTION: Aerosolized biological particles are a major vector causing the spread of disease from human to human and from animal to human [1]. This is particularly true for respiratory pathogens such as adenoviruses, influenza viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Currently, global healthcare systems and governments are in acute crisis because of the worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic disease caused by this virus - that arose from animal-to-human transmission. The ability to rapidly, accurately and affordably screen the environment for a wide range of aerosolized pathogens arising from agricultural sources (live animal markets) and human exhaled breath could revolutionize the discovery of emerging pathogens and the ability to identify spreaders of these diseases. The ability to identify bioaerosols enables a system that could pinpoint persons who are actively shedding pathogen and spreading a disease. Identification of these spreaders, and superspreaders [2], is a vital tool aimed at shutting down the infectious cycle. The enormity and constancy of such a screening protocol argues for testing that is non-invasive, extremely low cost and requires little or no consumables. In a patient care setting a bioaerosol identification system could be used to monitor the air surrounding the patients for the presence of infectious agent. Constant analysis of the levels of these agents in the air could be used to determine the efficacy of protective measures such as advanced filtration and ventilation on the patients and staff of the facility. Excursions of these measurements above an established baseline could alert personnel to dangerous situations, triggering responses such as donning of enhanced PPE or increasing technical measures such as the air exchange rate in the facility. Finally, while a bioaerosol identification device has great utility against existing disease states, the tool could provide critical information on potential new organisms originating in agricultural or wildlife settings. Constant monitoring of the air in these environments could provide critical early stage biosurveillance as organisms mutate, potentially resulting in a future pandemic. This mode of operation could be used as a biosurveillance tool and could provide early warning of the rise of a new pandemic threat. If a potential new threat is detected, the signatures of that threat could be propagated through a distributed system of biosurveillance devices.' This technology development focuses on mass spectrometry because it has the potential to meet the following requirements that would enable wide spread use of the technology: • Direct, non-invasive sampling • Rapid automated sample preparation (< 1 min) • Very fast analysis (< 1 min) • High sensitivity (10’s of organisms) • High specificity using biomolecular signatures • Rapid adaptability to new/unknown threats through electronic signature updates • Very low cost of analysis (<$1 per test) PHASE I: Phase I entails the design of a concept for a rapid identification system of aerosolized pathogens, identification of key system components and initial testing of those components. The drivers for a technically and commercially successful system will be adaptability, sensitivity, specificity, speed, and cost-per-test. The performer will perform a detailed literature search on the aerosol concentration of pathogens in and around sources of infectious particles to determine the operative sensitivity threshold within proposed use scenarios for their specific detection technology. For certain highly desirable use scenarios, particularly high-throughput screening using human breath samples, an analysis time that is in the 1 minute or less range is preferred. Such a rapid analysis drives a base detection/identification technology that is extremely sensitive, yet it must have sufficient specificity so as not to have unacceptable false alarm rates. Finally, given the massive screening use scenarios, the cost-per-test must be very low. The initial effort in Phase I will be the development of a concept that incorporates the speed, sensitivity, specificity, and cost elements described here. Critical elements or components of the design should be chosen and tested for applicability in the proposed overarching design. Finally, a refined preliminary design should be developed to lead to a proposed Phase II prototype. PHASE II: In Phase II, the small business will develop, demonstrate and validate a system for aerosolized biopathogen identification using non-pathogenic simulants of bacterial and viral disease vectors. Following a Preliminary Design Review (PDR), the performer will assemble and test a breadboard system that has the initial versions of the sampling, analysis, and data reporting subsystems interoperating. This system will be tested using aerosolized biopathogen simulants in relevant laboratory backgrounds. The system will be benchmarked against standard laboratory techniques of biopathogen identification. The key detection/identification parameters will be assessed, and necessary improvements identified. An initial analysis of the commercial applications of the system will be conducted focusing on the baseline cost of the system, the cost-per-test, and the market space addressed by the technology development. Following the completion of the preliminary design system, the performer will upgrade the breadboard system with modifications that address deficiencies identified in testing and analysis, and leading to a Critical Design Review (CDR). Following this review, a complete prototype system will be fabricated and tested in a relevant environment. Depending on the ultimate use case for the technology, this could be a human disease sampling effort, or it could be an environmental testing scenario in a hospital unit or in an agricultural setting. The performer will provide a detailed test plan that must contain human usage approvals, if such testing is anticipated. A refined analysis of the commercial opportunities for the technology also will be completed. PHASE III: Phase III work is typically oriented towards technology transition to Acquisition Programs of Record and/or commercialization of SBIR research or technology. In Phase III, the performer is expected to seek funding from non-SBIR government sources and/or the private sector to develop or transition the prototype into a viable product or service for sale in the military or private sector markets. The Phase III description must include the "vision" or "end-state" of the research. It must describe one or more specific Phase III military applications and/or supported S&T or acquisition program as well as the most likely path for transition of the SBIR from research to operational capability. Additionally, the Phase III section must include (a) one or more potential commercial applications OR (b) one or more commercial technology that could be potentially inserted into defense systems as a result of this particular SBIR project. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: A rapid, sensitive, specific, low-cost approach to identification of bioaerosol components will have application beyond DoD needs. The ability to rapidly screen persons transmitting disease could revolutionize the control of infectious disease spread. For instance, Homeland Security components such as Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could employ such a system to screen disease spreaders at transportation hubs and border crossings. In agricultural applications, such a system could signify the spread of a disease through a feedlot or even the emergence of a potential new vector for human disease. REFERENCES: 1. Infection Prevention and Control of Epidemic- and Pandemic-Prone Acute Respiratory Infections in Health Care. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014. (https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions) 2. Frieden, T. R., & Lee, C. T. (2020). Identifying and Interrupting Superspreading Events—Implications for Control of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(6), 1059-1066. (https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2606.200495). 3. Yadana, S., Coleman, K. K., Nguyen, T. T., Hansen-Estruch, C., Kalimuddin, S., Thoon, K. C., Low, J., & Gray, G. C. (2019). Monitoring for airborne respiratory viruses in a general pediatric ward in Singapore. Journal of public health research, 8(3), 1407. (https://doi.org/10.4081/jphr.2019.1407)

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Chemical/Biological Defense, Biomedical OBJECTIVE: To develop a multi-dose, scopolamine hydrobromide trihydrate vial containing a formulation that is stable, injectable, and suitable for GMP manufacture. DESCRIPTION: The Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medical (JPM CBRN Medical) is developing scopolamine hydrobromide trihydrate (Scop-HBT) under the Improved Nerve Agent Treatment System - Centrally Acting (INATS CA) program. Scop-HBT is an anticholinergic medical countermeasure (MCM) that temporarily blocks severe or life-threatening muscarinic effects caused by organophosphorus nerve agent (OPNA) poisoning. The improved OPNA treatment regime will consists of the Scop-HBT intramuscular (IM) injection as an adjunct to the standard of care autoinjectors containing atropine and 2-PAM (2-pyridine aldoxime methyl chloride (Pralidoxime). The combined therapeutic action will help to decrease morbidity and mortality of military personnel and civilians exposed to OPNAs. Currently, the JPM CBRN Medical is developing Scop-HBT in an autoinjector format; the concentration is not yet final, but a concentration between 0.8 mg/ml and 2.0 mg/ml is anticipated. The autoinjector in development is suitable for use by an individual to deliver immediate treatment. However, the use of single dose devices and/or vials represents a significant logistical burden to military first responders that will need to deliver multiple injections during a mass casualty event. A multi-dose vial with Scop-HBT for IM injection, 20 ml total volume containing 10-20 doses, will significantly decrease logistical burden associated with having to use multiple single dose vials to treat during mass casualty OPNA exposure incidents, as well as for treating single OPNA exposure casualties over a prolonged period of time. PHASE I: Establish preliminary specifications for a multi-dose formulation under International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Pharmaceutical Development Guidelines. The active drug substance to be employed will be Scop-HBT (United States Pharmacopeia (USP) grade or Department of Defense (DoD) supplied). Initial test vials will contain a total of 20 ml of drug solution volume, containing a concentration range of 0.8 mg to 2.0 mg of Scop-HBT per ml in an appropriately sealed, pharmaceutical grade light-restricting glass vials, as designed for injectable drug formulations. Based on the single dose formulation ranging from 0.8 mg/ml to 2.0 mg/ml, the target pH of the formulation is approximately 3.00 ± 0.10 in pharmaceutical grade buffer, and tonicity adjusted to approximate isotonicity (270 to 310 mOsm (milliosmole). The test formulations will evaluate added U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, effective antimicrobial preservatives (e.g., 0.9% benzyl alcohol or 0.5% chlorobutanol) against analytical parameters established for the DoD single dose formulation (currently in development). Stability assessments could employ forced degradation and initial real time testing for the scopolamine drug substance, and development of degradants at targeted temperatures and relative humidity conditions: refrigerated (2-8°C), room temperature (25 ± 2°C / 60% ± 5% RH), and stressed (40 ± 2°C / 75% ± 5% RH). PHASE II: Conduct further evaluation, improvements, and stability enhancements of selected candidate. Subsequent analytical testing is to be performed to determine the presence and concentrations of extractables and leachables. Real-time stability is to be evaluated to achieve a targeted shelf-life of two years at 25 ± 2°C / 60% ± 5% RH. Subsequent studies may determine the effects of potential stability enhancement techniques as needed, such as utilization of head-space nitrogen purge, vacuum seal, or other to promote extended stability to two years. A syringe needle puncture study is to be performed to evaluate required 28 day drug stability (28 days at 2-8°C and 25°± 2°C / 60% ± 5% RH (relative humidity)). The performer may evaluate the use of lyophilization as a dry powder stability enhancer after reconstitution, with bacteriostatic saline or sterile water for injection. This may be accomplished with variable addition of the antimicrobial agent as needed. The performer may determine the shelf-life stability of the lyophilized powder as needed under vacuum seal or nitrogen purge. A 28 day stability study will be evaluated to determine shelflife after reconstitution. The last developmental step is analytical analysis to demonstrate equivalence to the single dose IM Scop-HBT formulation currently being developed by the DoD (final concentration and comparator to be provided at time of contract award). PHASE III: Develop scale-up processes and technology transfer protocol for the pilot lot and good manufacturing practice (GMP) production. Develop regulatory strategy, and initiate interactions with the FDA. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a similar need for improved anticholinergic therapeutics, including multi-use vialed Scop-HBT for use in civilian casualty situations. Successful completion of all three phases under this solicitation will support small business valuation by confirming technical merit that invites further investment. This award mechanism will bridge the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and entry into a recognized FDA regulatory pathway leading to commercialization. REFERENCES: 1. Selection of the Appropriate Package Type Terms and Recommendations for Labeling Injectable Medical Products Packaged in Multiple-Dose, Single-Dose, and Single-Patient-Use Containers for Human Use. Guidance for Industry. Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. FDA-2015-D-3438. 2018. 2. Allowable Excess Volume and Labeled Vial Fill Size in Injectable Drug and Biological Products. Guidance for Industry. Division of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. June 2015 Pharmaceutical Quality/CMC. 2015. 3. International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. ICH Harmonized Tripartite Guideline. Pharmaceutical Development Q8 (R2). 2009.

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Chemical/Biological Defense, Biomedical OBJECTIVE: To develop capabilities and obtain FDA approval for dermal dressing technologies that provide multiple advantages over current wound dressings for treating dermal injuries caused by sulfur mustard. DESCRIPTION: Sulfur mustard (military designation HD or H) is a chemical warfare agent that affects multiple tissues, and causes blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. The dermal lesions caused by HD resemble burn lesions, and can cover large portions of exposed skin surfaces. Like burn injuries, HD dermal lesions are extremely painful, can lead to fluid loss, and are highly susceptible to infection. Battlefield management of these wounds by military first responders can be especially challenging due to the high potential for mass casualties, the necessity to treat during ongoing operations in austere environments, and delays in medical evacuation. The Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medical (JPM CBRN Medical) is interested in developing technologies (dressings, treatments, etc.) to treat HD dermal injuries in a battlefield environment. Candidate technologies for this application need to provide physical protection to burn-like injuries, be stable in a large range of conditions (temperature and humidity), be easy to apply, be suitable for application to various surface areas, allow inspection of injuries without removal, provide antimicrobial protection, and pain relief. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate efficacy in treating HD dermal injury in appropriate animal models of HD injury (see Phase II). In addition to being efficacious in protecting and treating HD dermal injuries to allow faster healing, top candidates for consideration will also possess additional desirable properties mentioned above. Among these are ease of application to facilitate use in a mass casualty event, and low logistical footprint (not cumbersome to carry, minimal cold chain storage requirements, sufficient shelf life, etc.). Other desirable properties sought are selective permeability to prevent fluid loss through the wound(s), antimicrobial properties to protect against infections, providing pain relief, and relative ease of removal for performing required treatments after application. These technologies have a broad potential application beyond just HD injuries; hence, they are expected to reduce logistical burden to the military first responder. PHASE I: If the proposed technologies have been previously tested for other injury types, provide in vivo data demonstrating the efficacy of the product when used to treat similar injuries such as burns, severe abrasions, and/or other comparable injuries. Quantitative data that provides clear metrics that allow the comparison of the candidate to other products or standard medical care (wound size reduction over time, time to restoration of dermal layers, etc.) is preferred. Generate and provide a regulatory plan to obtain an FDA approval or an HD dermal injury indication. The plan should align with the timing and funding levels expected for SBIR Phase I and II, with the balance of funding and studies conducted in Phase III of the project. Obtain confirmation from the FDA, via pre-IND, Q-submission or pre-submission, that the regulatory plan is acceptable to obtain the HD dermal injury approval or indication for the candidate technology. A research partner should be identified that can perform the needed pre-clinical animal studies using sulfur mustard. No animal studies are permitted during the Phase I period of performance. PHASE II: Perform an efficacy study in a small animal model. Provide a report of the small animal study to determine if the product should proceed to testing in a large animal model. Plan the large animal study, and submit an estimate of cost for conducting Phase III objectives. If feasible, perform packaging/container designs to allow treatment of larger surface areas and for multiple casualties. At this stage, accelerated stability studies to obtain estimates on storage shelf life and operational conditions should be performed. PHASE III: Perform the efficacy study in a large animal model. Prepare regulatory strategy and submit FDA documentation to add HD injury indication to the product. Submit final reports that include the results of the animal studies, and any relevant FDA information/documents to the JPM CBRN Medical. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The technologies proposed for development are also applicable to a broad range of battlefield injuries. This significantly increases the value of the technologies and reduces the burden on military first responders since it eliminates the need to carry equipment solely dedicated to chemical agent injuries. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a similar need for technologies that allow treatment of HD and burn injuries in a mass casualty event. Successful completion of all three phases under this solicitation will support small business valuation by confirming technical merit that invites further investment. This award mechanism will bridge the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and entry into a recognized FDA regulatory pathway leading to commercialization. REFERENCES: 1. Etemad L, Moshiri M, Balali-Mood M. Advances in treatment of acute sulfur mustard poisoning - a critical review. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2019; 49(3):191-214. 2. Rose D, Schmidt A, Brandenburger M, Sturmheit T, Zille M, Boltze J. Sulfur mustard skin lesions: A systematic review on pathomechanisms, treatment options and future research directions. Toxicol Lett. 2018; 293:82-90. 3. Poursaleh Z, Ghanei M, Babamahmoodi F, Izadi M, Harandi AA, Emadi SE, Taghavi NO, Sayad-Nouri SS, Emadi SN. Pathogenesis and treatment of skin lesions caused by sulfur mustard. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2012; 31(3):241-249. 4. Dachir S, Cohen M, Kamus-Elimeleh D, Fishbine E, Sahar R, Gez R, Brandeis R, Horwitz V, Kadar T. Characterization of acute and long-term pathologies of superficial and deep dermal sulfur mustard skin lesions in the hairless guinea pig model. Wound Repair Regen. 2012;20(6):852-861. 5. Ghanei M, Poursaleh Z, Harandi AA, Emadi SE, Emadi SN. Acute and chronic effects of sulfur mustard on the skin: a comprehensive review. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2010; 29(4):269-277. 6. Dachir S, Cohen M, Fishbeine E, Sahar R, Brandies R, Horwitz V, Kadar T. Characterization of acute and long-term sulfur mustard-induced skin injuries in hairless guinea-pigs using non-invasive methods. Skin Res Technol. 2010;16(1):114-124. 7. Laskin JD, Wahler G, Croutch CR, Sinko PJ, Laskin DL, Heck DE, Joseph LB. Skin remodeling and wound healing in the Gottingen minipig following exposure to sulfur mustard. Exp Mol Pathol. 2020; 115:104470. 8. Barillo DJ, Croutch CR, Reid F, Culley T, Sosna W, Roseman J. Blood and Tissue Silver Levels Following Application of Silver-Based Dressings to Sulfur Mustard Chemical Burns. J Burn Care Res. 2017; 38(5):e818-e823.

KEY TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Chemical/Biological Defense, Biomedical OBJECTIVE: Develop an antiviral drug to be used as a therapeutic in the event of disease or as a prophylactic medical countermeasure (MCM) following exposure or threat of exposure to viruses of the Bunyavirales order. DESCRIPTION: The Bunyaviridae are a very large family of single-strand, enveloped RNA viruses (more than 300 viruses) and consists of five genera of viruses: Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus, Nairovirus, Hantavirus, and Tospovirus (Tospoviruses infect only plants). They are found in and transmitted by arthropods (e.g. mosquitoes, ticks, sand flies) and rodents, and can occasionally infect humans. Several viruses of the Bunyaviridae virus family can produce mild to severe disease in human, in animals, and sometimes in both.1 Hantaviruses were first observed in the early 1950’s among troops deployed in the Korean conflict. Eventually named Hantaan virus after the nearby Hantaan River where the human cases occurred, the field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) was discovered to be the specific rodent host for the virus. The disease is actually known as Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and described in the Old World. Following a cluster of cases of severe illness, called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), in the American southwest in 1993, a newly identified virus, called the Sin Nombre virus, was isolated. Related viruses, but responsible for the same clinical disease, are described in the New World (North, Central and South America).1 Emerging Viruses posing a threat to the warfighter include members of the Bunyavirales order (e.g. Rift Valley Fever virus [RVFV], Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome virus [SFTSV], Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus [CCHFV]; Sin Nombre virus [SNV]). Outbreaks of several of these viruses have occurred during 2018 in global areas of U.S. military presence. The presence of vectors in new areas where these viruses are not currently endemic could lead to expansion of endemic areas or pose sporadic outbreak risks. For example, SFTSV is a new emerging Phlebovirus in China, Japan, and South Korea that causes hemorrhagic fever with mortality rates of up to 30%, and the tick vector for SFTSV recently has been isolated in the United States. Autochthonous infection has been demonstrated for CCHFV, a Nairovirus whose global distribution in over 30 countries is second to Dengue virus. For some viruses, animal models have not been fully developed; thus, use of transgenic mouse or hamster lines or immunosuppression may be required for initial, in vivo assessments. 2, 3, 4 This topic seeks to identify small molecule inhibitors of any phase of virus replication. The preferred therapeutic is a small molecule that exhibits broad activity across virus families. Ideally the therapeutic can be self-administered orally or at least by administration within a reasonably short time frame in clinical settings. PHASE I: Identify small molecule inhibitors of Bunyavirus replication. A) Identification and development of working stocks of appropriate strains of virus(es) for testing. Alternatively, surrogate assays (e.g. pseudotyped particles, replicase assays) in lower safety containment laboratories are sufficient for early screening. Modeling data for potential broad-spectrum inhibition of Bunyavirus replication can be used to support intermediate development at the Phase II stage. B) Using high throughput screening of existing or novel libraries, identify small molecule inhibitors to virus replication of one or more of the members of the Bunyavirales order. The screening should assess antiviral activity and cytotoxicity. Studies that include any animal use will not be permitted during Phase I; obtaining all necessary DoD Animal Care and Use Review Office (AUCRO) approvals before any animal use may commence requires significant time and will preclude completing the Phase I project beyond the allowed six-month Phase I Period of Performance. PHASE II: The objective of this phase is to assess the antiviral properties of a target small molecule for eventual IND filing. This will be accomplished by: A) Using compounds identified through high throughput screening, or for compounds in more advanced development stages, confirm the mechanism of action of optimized candidates; B) Develop clinical material for determining the PK/PD and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) of the compound and half maximal effective concentration(s) (EC50); C) In a single or series of pilot experiments, determine appropriate dose (using PK/PD modeling informed by successive experimental approaches) in an applicable animal model and assess toxicity and efficacy against one or more viruses. This stage will require development of working stocks of appropriate strains of virus(es) for testing (if not developed in Phase I), and performance within high containment laboratories. PHASE III: Preclinical development of down-selected candidates to support submission of an application for an Investigational New Drug (IND). Construction of a Development Plan through consultation with a sponsor and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Discussions and preparations would include identification of appropriate virus strains, animal models, and if applicable, clinical trial location and development. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The viral agents listed in this SBIR topic lack treatment options, and any therapeutic derived from this research will be of significant use for both civilian and military populations at risk. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/virus-families/bunyaviridae.html 2. Matsuno K, Orba Y, Maede-White K, Scott D, Feldmann F, Liang M and Ebihara H (2017) Animal Models of Emerging Tick-Borne Phleboviruses: Determining Target Cells in a Lethal Model of SFTSV Infection. Front. Microbiol. 8:104. 3. Haddock E, Feldmann F, Hawman DW, Zivcec M, Hanley PW, Saturday G, Scott DP, Thomas T, Korva M, Avšič –Županc T, Safronetz D, & Feldmann H. (2018) A cynomolgus macaque model for Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever. Nature Microbiology 3:556–562 (2018). 4. Wonderlich ER, Caroline AL, McMillen CM, Walters AW, Reed DS, Barratt-Boyes SM, Hartman AL. 2018. Peripheral blood biomarkers of disease outcome in a monkey model of Rift Valley fever encephalitis. J Virol 92:e01662-17.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Nuclear; Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea; Nuclear; Weapons; Materials; Air Platform 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 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 3.5 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: Expand the Small Business Manufacturer (SBM) base to address the Agency's need to develop qualified sources of supply to improve DLA product availability, provide competition for reduced lead time and cost, as well as address lifecycle performance issues. Through participation in DLA SBIR, SBMs will have an opportunity to collaborate with DLA Weapons System Program Managers (WSPMs) and our customer Engineering Support Activities (ESAs) to develop innovative solutions to DLA’s most critical supply chain requirements. In the end, the SBM benefits from the experience by qualifying as a source of supply as well as from the business relationships and experience to further expand their product lines and readiness to fulfill DLA procurement requirements. DESCRIPTION: Competitive applicants will have reviewed the parts list provided on DLA Small Business Innovation Program (SBIP) site, (Reference 4) as well as the technical data in the cFolders of DLA DiBBs, (Reference 3). Proposals can evolve in one of four ways depending on the availability of technical data and NSNs for reverse engineering as follows. Information on competitive status, RPPOB, and tech data availability will be provided on the website, Reference a. Fully Competitive (AMC/AMSC-1G) NSNs where a full technical data package is available in cFolders. The SBM proposal should reflect timeline, statement of work and costs associated with the manufacturing and qualification of a representative article. b. Other than (AMC/AMSC-1G) NSNs where a full Technical Data Package (TDP) is available in cFolders. These items may also require a qualification of a Representative Article. The SBM proposal should reflect timeline, statement of work, and costs associated with producing a Source Approval Request (SAR) and (if applicable) qualification of a Representative Article. Contact the TPOC if necessary. The scope and procedures associated with development of a SAR package are provided in Reference 1. c. Repair Parts Purchase or Borrow (RPPOB) may be an option for other than 1G NSNs where partial or no technical data is available in cFolders. NSNs, if available, may be procured or borrowed through this program for the purposes of reverse engineering. The instructions for RPPOB can be found on the websites, Reference 5. The SBM proposal should reflect timeline, statement of work and costs associated with the procuring the part and reverse engineering of the NSN. Depending on complexity, producing both the TDP and SAR package may be included in Phase I. d. Reverse Engineering (RE) without RPPOB is when the NSN will be provided as Government Furnished Material (GFM) if available from the ESA or one of our Service customers. In this case, contact the TPOC to discuss the availability of the NSN prior to starting the proposal. The SBM proposal should reflect timeline, statement of work and costs associated with the reverse engineering of the NSN and depending on complexity producing a TDP and SAR package in Phase I. Specific parts may require minor deviations in the process dependent on the Engineering Support Activity (ESA) preferences and requirements. Those deviations will be addressed post award. PROJECT DURATION and COST: PHASE I: NTE 12 Months $150K- Base NTE $100K base 6 Months, - Option 1 NTE $50K base 6 Months. All work should be planned to be completed during the base period. Our intent of the option is to cover unforseen testing requirements or circumstances that arise during the course of base execution. PHASE II: Phase II – NTE 24 Months $1.6M - Base 18 months, $1M Option 6 Months NTE $.6M PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The phase one period of performance is not to exceed 12 months total. However, the project schedule should plan to complete the TDP and SAR in the first six months. The options need to be reserved for lead time for TDP and SAR approval and or representative article manufacturing and qualification. Options are not automatic. Approval is at the discretion of the DLA SBIP Program Manager. The decision is based on Project Performance, Priorities of the Agency, and/or the availability of funding. Participating small businesses must have an organic manufacturing capability and a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code and be Joint Certification Program (JCP) certified in order to access technical data if available. Refer to “link 2” below for further information on JCP certification. Additionally, small businesses will need to create a DLA’s Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS) account to view all data and requirements in C Folders. Refer to “links 3 and 4” below for further information on DIBBS and C Folders. All available documents and drawings are located in the C Folder location “SBIR203C”. If the data is incomplete, or not available, the effort will require reverse engineering. PHASE I: The goal of phase I is for the SBM to qualify as a source of supply for the DLA NSN(s) to improve DLA NSN availability, provide competition for reduced lead time and cost, and address lifecycle performance issues. In this phase, manufacturers will request TDP/SAR approval from the applicable Engineering Support Activity (ESA), if required, for the NSN(s). At the Post Award Conference, the awardee will have the opportunity to collaborate with program, weapon system, and/or engineering experts on the technical execution and statement of work provided in their proposal. All Phase I Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the NSN(s) and the general challenges involved in their manufacture. Proposals that fail to demonstrate knowledge of the part will be rejected. PHASE II: The Phase II proposal is optional for the Phase I awardee. Phase II selections are based on Phase I performance, SBM innovation and engineering capability and the availability of appropriate requirements. Typically the goal of Phase II is to expand the number of NSNs and/or to build capability to expand capacity to better fulfill DLA requirements. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. COMMERCIALIZATION: The SBM will pursue commercialization of the various technologies and processes developed in prior phases through participation in future DLA procurement actions on items identified but not limited to this BAA. REFERENCES: 1. DLA Aviation SAR Package instructions. DLA Small Business Resources: http://www.dla.mil/Aviation/Business/IndustryResources/SBO.aspx 2. JCP Certification: https://public.logisticsinformationservice.dla.mil/PublicHome/jcp 3. Access the web address for DIBBS at https://www.dibbs.bsm.dla.mil , then select the “Tech Data” Tab and Log into c-Folders. This requires an additional password. Filter for solicitation “SBIR211A” 4. DLA Small Business Innovation Programs web site: http://www.dla.mil/SmallBusiness/SmallBusinessInnovationPrograms 5. DLA Aviation Repair Parts Purchase or Borrow (RPPOB) Program: https://www.dla.mil/Aviation/Offers/Services/AviationEngineering/Engineering/ValueEng.aspx

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Warfighter Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea 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 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 3.5 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 new system to positively mark, scan, and uniquely identify the system and subsystem sections of EMATT vehicles. DESCRIPTION: Developed as a low cost, expendable, open ocean training target, EMATT allows combined training of submarine, aircraft, & ship crews in search, detection & tracking of submarines. Its “A-size” sonobuoy shape means the target can be launched from surface ships or fixed and rotary winged aircraft. EMATT offers advanced ASW training capability with minimal maintenance, training, and logistics to operate and its expendability allows exercises to occur in littoral or blue waters, day or night, and in high or low sea-states. As the EMATT technology options expand, and production volumes increase, there exists a need for improved track and trace capability, at both the fully assembled system level, as well as the subsystem or section level. A unique tag technology, that could be visually and RFID scanned would allow for improved supply chain track and trace, not only at the OEM production facility, but also as EMATTs arrive at Navy distribution points, surface ships and submarines, and overseas deliveries for foreign military sales. As innovations and new technologies are implemented into acoustic systems, tail section propulsion, payloads and sensors on this platform, it becomes increasingly complex to differentiate between the myriad of potential vehicle and section options, performance and endurance capabilities, and battery status and shelf life. A unique tag technology would simplify and confirm the mission set, when in use by operators in the field in preparation for deployment, launch and recovery. PROJECT DURATION and COST: PHASE I: NTE 12 Months $150K- Base NTE $100K base 6 Months, - Option 1 NTE $50K base 6 Months. PHASE II: Phase II – NTE 24 Months $1.6M - Base 18 months, $1M Option 6 Months NTE $.6M PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The phase one period of performance is not to exceed 12 months total. Options are not automatic. Approval is at the discretion of the DLA SBIP Program Manager. The decision is based on Project Performance, Priorities of the Agency, and/or the availability of funding. PHASE I: Goal of Phase I: Design a unique identifier tag technology for track and trace of modular UUV systems and subsystems throughout the production supply chain • Identify present “state of the art” technologies available. • Establish both optical and electro-magnetic scanning approaches (identifying scanning ranges as well as abilities to scan through materials present in the EMATT hulls and systems). • Demonstrate the tag technology’s ability to provide UUV tracking and tracing throughout the production supply chain, mission use, and recovery. • Document technology recommendations to be prototyped in Phase II All Phase I Proposals should specify a mature technology capable of achieving the Phase I goals. Proposals that fail to demonstrate that they have a technology prepared to achieve the goals will be rejected. PHASE II: Goal of Phase II: Develop and integrate prototype unique identifier tags technology for track and trace of modular UUV systems and subsystems • Build QTY 25 prototype tags leveraging the resulting design from Phase I. • Integrate prototype tags into system and subsystem components, perform pilot track and trace evaluation and testing • Establish transition plan, and commercialization strategy The Phase II proposal is optional for the Phase I awardee. Phase II selections are based on Phase I performance, SB engineering capability and innovation, the technical maturity of the proposed technology, as well as applicability to the requirement. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. COMMERCIALIZATION: The SB will pursue commercialization of the various technologies and processes developed in prior phases through participation in future DLA procurement actions on items identified but not limited to this BAA. REFERENCES: 1. A-Size Autonomous Underwater Vehicles web site: https:///www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/a-size-autonomous-underwater-vehicles.html

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials 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 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 3.5 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 thermoplastic forming of metal components for military applications in aeronautical and space platforms. DESCRIPTION: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is looking for a domestic capability to manufacture metallic components rapidly and affordably with complex shapes for air and space platforms. Manufacturing such parts currently requires many steps, including forming, machining, and joining, that dramatically increase cost and delivery times, negatively impacting the logistic supply chain. Metallic glasses are a class of alloys with exceptional strength and hardness, and they are the only metallic materials that can be processed by thermoplastic methods such as injection molding and blow molding. These methods allow parts to be manufactured in seconds rather than days or weeks, and complex shapes are produced in a single step. Initial work will identify candidate components that will benefit most from reduced manufacturing time and cost. R&D tasks include developing and demonstrating component design, die design and heating methods to manage the thermal budget specified by the metallic glass alloy being used. These efforts will be demonstrated on impactful applications in military air and space platforms. Applications that improve space access, mobility or logistics are especially desired. The processes developed should be scalable to commercially significant production rates. PHASE I: The research and development goals of Phase I are to provide eligible Small Business firms the opportunity to successfully demonstrate the viability of manufacturing complex metallic aircraft and spacecraft components using thermoplastic forming methods such as blow forming and injection molding. The vendor will identify and prioritize candidate components, considering impact to mission capabilities and logistic concerns such as cost and production time. The main effort will be to conduct preliminary studies to propose details of manufacture, showing feasibility and benefit to the USAF or USSF. A plan to demonstrate the thermoplastic manufacture of metallic parts and address implementation approaches for near term insertion into Department of Defense (DoD) systems, subsystems, components, or parts will be included in the Phase I effort. Relationships with potential customers and systems integrators will be established to aid in component identification, guide design efforts, and support the impact and insertion analyses. The deliverables for this project will include a final report describing the results from these analyses. Phase I – 6 Months $100K Phase II – 24 Months $1.6M PHASE II: Based on the results of PHASE I, the research and development goals of PHASE II will demonstrate commercial viability by successfully producing target metallic components via thermoplastic processing. Tasks to be accomplished include component design, die design, development of design tools to manage the unique thermal budget provided by the selected metallic glass alloy, and design and production of heating systems. These tools will be used to produce the target components. Sufficient validation trials will be conducted to support analyses of manufacturing at commercial scale, including cost, cycle time and commercial benefit of the innovation. Remaining technical gaps will be identified. Manufactured components shall be used for component level testing. Innovative processes should be developed with the intent to readily transition to production in support of DoD needs. A partnership with a current or potential DoD supplier, OEM, or another suitable partner is highly desirable. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. COMMERCIALIZATION: The vendor will pursue commercialization of the thermoplastic forming of metallic glasses developed in prior phases, as well as potential commercial sales of any parts or other items. REFERENCES: 1. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200902776 2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51120951_Beating_Crystallization_in_Glass-Forming_Metals_by_Millisecond_Heating_and_Processing 3. E. Pekarskaya and J Schroers, Development of Bulk Metallic Glass Components for Spacecraft Applications Using Thermoplastic Forming, AFRL-RX-WP-TR-2018-0262, http://www.dtic.mil

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials 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 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 3.5 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, demonstrate, and stand up a rare earth metal production process. The process should be able to produce metal from commercially available oxides or carbonates. It should be scalable to meet changes in industrial demand. The price should be commercially viable. The major elements of interest are neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), gadolinium (Gd), samarium (Sm). DESCRIPTION: DLA requires a domestic processing ability to produce rare earth metals from commercially available precursors. These materials are essential to a wide range of both essential civilian and military technologies. Domestic manufacturing of these material is essential for DLA to support the warfighter. The process should be able to take multiple commercially available precursors and produce high purity metal. It must be environmentally compliant with all federal, state, and local laws. Ideally the process and equipment could be used for more then a single element. The material should be at least 99.9% pure. The process should be scalable and modular to allow for rapid scale up if necessary. PHASE I: The below actions would be required to successfully accomplish Phase I: • At a minimum, develop a process flow sheet and design a lab scale of material processed of at least 2kg to confirm its accuracy. • Material produced at the required purity level. • Breakdown of cost structure for industrialization including required capital expenditures and per unit production costs. Phase I – 6 Months $100K Phase II – 24 Months $1.6M PHASE II: The below actions would be required to successfully accomplish Phase II: • Deliver a lab scale prototype (TRL 6) with a minimal low-rate production for at least 1 of the listed materials. • Using the metal produced to make a magnet alloy and test magnet blocks made from it. • Detail a plan on how to increase to full commercial production for as many of the materials as is possible with the same hardware. • Outline the economic business case for full scale commercialization. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: these materials have dual-use commercial or military applications in many complex systems.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials 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 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 3.5 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, demonstrate, and stand up a rare earth separation and refining process. The process should be able to produce rare earth oxides (or similar) from commercially available RE concentrates, ores, or industrial waste feedstock. It should be scalable to meet changes in industrial demand. The price should be commercially viable. DESCRIPTION: DLA R&D is looking for a domestic capability that demonstrates a new novel RE extraction and separation process from chemical concentrates, ores, or industrial waste feedstock. Defense weapon systems use various REs and there is currently no domestic production of these materials and therefore a risk of foreign reliance. Developing an economically viable, environmentally friendly process for enhancing the recovery of REs from the existing industrial waste feedstock, such as red mud, electronic devices, could facilitate the establishment of a viable, competitive domestic supply chain. DLA R&D seeks to prove the recovery demonstration for marketable REs from varied feedstock and facilitate commercialization of that process. R&D tasks include identifying feedstock sources in the existing domestic supply chain and developing process for extracting and processing the REs that demonstrates a significant cost advantage versus standard processing. It must be environmentally compliant with all federal, state, and local laws. Ideally the process and equipment could be used for more then a single element. The material should be at least 99.9% pure. The process should be scalable and modular to allow for rapid scale up if necessary. PHASE I: The below actions would be required to successfully accomplish Phase I: • At a minimum, develop a process flow sheet and design a lab scale of material processed of at least 2kg to confirm its accuracy. • Material produced at the required purity level. • Breakdown of cost structure for industrialization including required capital expenditures and per unit production costs. Phase I – 6 Months $100K Phase II – 24 Months $1.6M PHASE II: The below actions would be required to successfully accomplish Phase II: • Deliver a Lab scale prototype (TRL 6) with a minimal low-rate production for at least one of the rare earths and find a domestic supplier to reduce the rare earth oxide (REO) into metal/alloy. • Detail a plan on how to increase to full commercial production for as many of the materials as is possible with the same hardware. • Outline the economic business case for full scale commercialization. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. These materials have dual-use commercial or military applications in many complex systems

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials 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 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 3.5 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 industry partnership with technology companies who are developing automated robotic solutions for food production, mechanized distribution on-site in a “ghost kitchen” environment, which supplement Back-of-the-House (BOH) operations to support Front-of-the-House (FOH) serving and dining operations. This project promotes the opportunity for industry technology to be developed, tested and potentially used in military food & beverage operations. Conduct market research on technology capable of assisting with the preparation, processing, and/or cooking of food. This research seeks to identify and test solutions to improve efficiency and will permit the Services to better allocate labor resources within military dining facilities. Added benefits of reducing food and life safety risks with robotics using “contactless” food preparation in situations such as COVID-19 should be a highlighted benefit. DESCRIPTION: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support (TS) Subsistence topic of interest is research focused on the use of automation-robotics in dining facilities. This research shall cover the areas involving the preparation, processing, and cooking of food. Specific areas of interest include: • Identify technology and robotic solutions which can be utilized to perform BOH tasks that prepare food for service in FOH dining systems • Once identified, provide the characteristics/capabilities of the equipment and any solutions on how robotics could be used within Food & Beverage operations • If your firm is currently developing this type of equipment, provide the function the equipment will be executing and any timeframe for commercial testing and production. PHASE I: The research and development goals of Phase I are to provide Small Business eligible Research and Development firms the opportunity to successfully demonstrate how automation can be utilized in military dining facilities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. A concept of operations (CONOPs) or a process will be created by the vendor to show how the equipment can be utilized within the dining facilities. The deliverables for this project will include a final report to include a cost breakdown of the equipment to include, but not necessarily limited to, product cost, shipping, installation, training, parts kits, etc. Phase I – 6 Months $100K Phase II – 24 Months $1.6M PHASE II: Based on the research and development results and the CONOPs developed during PHASE I, the research and development goals of PHASE II will emphasize the actual use of the equipment within a military dining facility at a location mutually agreed upon between DLA Troop Support Subsistence, the Vendor and the Military Partner. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. Progress documented from PHASE I and PHASE II should result in a vendor’s qualification as an approved source for automation-robotics to support and supplement Dining Facilities in future procurements. COMMERCIALIZATION: The vendor will pursue commercialization of the various processes and technologies associated with the automation-robotics to support and supplement Dining Facilities project in prior phases as well as potential commercial sales of any parts or other items. REFERENCES: 1. DoD Manual1338.10, DoD Food Service Manual; 1. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/133810m.pdf 2. TB MED 530/NAVMED P-5010-1/AFMAN 48-147_IP, “Tri-Service Food Code,” October 7, 2013; http://www.med.navy.mil/directives/Pub/5010-1.pdf 3. Defense Logistics Agency: DLA Troop Support Subsistence. https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence.aspx

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Warfighter Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems 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 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 3.5 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: Concept statement: DLA is exploring the use of robots to include robot arms to better understand what capability these machines provide to leverage human tasks in materiel handling. One approach DLA wants to explore is to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into individual robots to provide autonomy to resolve current issues in materiel handling. Develop a Robotic Arm that utilizes an Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution (with deep learning if applicable) to provide a state-of-the-art capability to identify items, and pick, pack, and arrange picked items within selected boxes and operate within the DLA Distribution Warehouse environment. Additionally, the AI-embedded Robotic Arm must provide the adaptive pushing displacement required for the tight packing of items within shipping boxes, and must communicate with various warehouse systems (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT)) as needed. The desired solution should minimize infrastructure modifications to enable the artificial intelligence embedded robotic arm to operate within the warehouse environment. The goal of this effort is for the vendor to develop a capability an AI-embedded robotic arm system operating in the warehouse, that addresses the requirements for integrating with warehouse communications systems onsite (if required), such as the Warehouse Execution System (WES) at the specific warehouse. As such, this capability provides for the seamless execution of the AI-embedded Robotic Arm and its subsequent interactions with any future Smart Warehouse systems that may be developed and employed. Provide a report with a detailed analysis that captures concepts on using robotics to include robotic arms which incorporate features of artificial intelligence. The study and analysis can include concepts and approaches that are innovative and may not be known from current market research, or individual development through industry or academia. Prospective vendors should organize the objectives by priority as shown below: • Explore using methods and schemes that allow for least cube space. • How the robot system adapts or can be integrated into existing Warehouse Management System (WMS). • How the robotic system seamlessly integrates into communications and equipment like current Internet of Things (IoT), 5G communications, and knowledge systems to manage warehouse operations. • Future communications systems and equipment beyond 5G, and IoT. The state-of-the-art AI-embedded Robotic Arm solution must integrate into the existing warehouse communications systems to communicate with the WES system to allow for the embedded AI Robotic Arm to receive automated tasking instructions to pick and pack boxes, crates, and bins and use AI to accurately identify boxes, cases, crates, and individual end-items using loaded configuration information and task instructions. The provided packing instructions will be pushed to the Robotic Arm by the WES. The robotic arm should be able to operate continually as needed, and report back to the WES on the programmed Robotic Arm’s task success or failure. At a minimum, the prospective vendors should: • Explore what systems in a robotic arm or other mechanism can offer the best way to identify materiel correctly that matches with materiel transaction requests (i.e., machine vision). • Recommend methods and schemes that impact or complement robotic functionality like accurate transactions using block chain. • Discuss methods where robots and robotic arms adapt to random materiel requests regardless of timeframe, location, or item request. • Discuss methods and schemes as to the flexibility of robot tasks that mimic human tasks like packing, moving parts and equipment, wrapping, and other tasks in warehouse operations. In support of routine warehouse robotic arm operations, this research seeks to identify and test a Robotic Arm utilizing AI technology used to intelligently pack boxes within the DLA distribution warehouse environment. Importantly, the selected vendor must address the DLA-identified cybersecurity requirements by testing and evaluating the government's security control. The vendor should leverage the current technologies found in both the Robotic Arm and the AI industries. This research project will operate in locations at designated DLA Distribution Centers in the United States. DESCRIPTION: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Modernization Program (DMP) topics of interest are research focused on a Continental United States-based robotic arm with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution in support of the routine warehouse end-item picking for box packing operations. The resulting solution must be integrated with existing WES communications suites and integrate with warehouse navigation systems, that: 1. Supports a joint effort between DLA Research and Development (R&D) and DLA J4 Distribution Headquarters to conduct research and test an AI-embedded warehouse Robotic Arm system that works during warehouse operations. 2. Significantly addresses an AI-embedded Robotic arm's capabilities within an operational distribution warehouse environment. 3. Features an AI-embedded Robotic Arm that can implement repetitive box packing tasks with high precision and accuracy for regular use in warehouse operations. 4. Can be integrated into warehouse communications systems such as a WES to receive tasking and report on performance status. 5. Demonstrates a state-of-the-art operational capability when operating within the distribution warehouse environment through the application of AI-embedded Robotic Arm technology and seamlessly integrates with robust communications network technologies in a distribution warehouse environment shared with warehouse workers. 6. Provides for a reliable and robust technology solution that allows DLA Distribution Warehouses to perform automated tasks without significantly lowering operating speeds per existing industry trends. 7. Demonstrates compatibility with a Government data cloud environment to store and retrieve warehouse-generated data without relying on a separate commercial data cloud environment to navigate successfully. 8. Conclusively demonstrates the use of new AI technology and concepts for application and integration with a Robotic Arm to improve the distribution and delivery of material and goods during representative distribution warehouse operations in an innovative way. 9. All robotic/AI software control remains within the DLA server and does not transfer/communicate out to a vendor server. 10. Robotic arm needs to safely maneuver around humans without the need of a safety cage. PHASE I: Perform a design study to determine how to use a robotic arm that utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize DLA Distribution Warehouse operations, sustainment, and logistics support. Deliver a final design of a Robotic Arm with AI capability, a simulation model of DLA Distribution assets, and a demonstration of an AI-infused Robotic Arm model capable of making intelligent trade-off decisions to meet specified PM requirements. A successful design optimizes support, minimizes DLA Distribution Warehouse system downtime, and maximizes system availability using logistics inputs (component failure rates, shipping times, repair times, maintenance man-hours, and warehouse staffing). The SBIR Phase I expectation is to provide and successfully demonstrate how their proposed AI-embedded Robotic Arm concept of operations (CONOPS) improves the packing and arrangement of boxes. This automation provides for the more efficient distribution of goods and materials within the DLA distribution enterprise and effectively lessens the time to provide needed supplies to the Warfighter. The selected vendor will conduct a feasibility study to: 1. Address the requirements described above in the Description Section for AI-embedded Robotic Arm operations. 2. Identify capability gap(s) and the requirement for DLA to use an AI-embedded Robotic Arm in the DLA Distribution Operations environment. 3. Develop the vendor's Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to utilize an AI-embedded Robotic Arm and clearly describe how the requirements develop. The vendor must create a CONOPS for an AI-embedded Robotic Arm to support both routine and wartime distribution warehouse operations. The concept of operations covers the utilization of artificial intelligence with Robotic Arms within DLA distribution warehouses during routine box packing procedures, precisely describing all operational requirements as part of this process. The vendor must provide a CONOPS that includes the following tasks: • Picking, placing, and relocating items where needed • Perform packing operations mimicking human actions to complete the same steps. • Wrapping tasks to protect materiel, food, perishables, or consumables. • Distinguish in how to perform operations that have hazardous materials, or containers with volatile, caustic, corrosive, or possible explosive content. • Other operations in a warehouse as may be described with end users. This project's deliverables include a final report, including a cost breakdown of the proposed courses of action (COAs). Phase I – 6 Months $100K Phase II – 24 Months $1.6M PHASE II: Based on the research and the concept of operations developed during Phase I, Phase II's research and development goals emphasize the development of the AI-embedded Robotic Arm system following the typical DLA Distribution Warehouse concept of operations for materiel handling. During Phase II, the vendor will: 1. Address the specific user requirements, functional requirements, and system requirements as defined and provided by DLA. 2. Develop a prototype AI-embedded Robotic Arm system for Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) and Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E). 3. Implement government cybersecurity controls in the prototype design, and secure all necessary cybersecurity certifications to operate the AI-embedded Robotic Arm equipment in the DLA warehouse environment with DOD cloud connections. The DLA AI-embedded Robotic Arm system will operate across the United States at various DLA Distribution Center sites mutually agreed upon between DLA R&D and DLA Distribution HQ. This project's deliverables include a final report, including a cost breakdown of courses of action (COAs). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that “Derives From”, “Extends” or Completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects. There is no specific funding is associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBIR/STTR coded funding. Any other type funding is allowed. Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content, and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply. During Phase I and Phase II, the progress made should result in a vendor's qualification as an approved source for an AI-embedded Robotic Arm system and support participation in future procurements. COMMERCIALIZATION: The manufacturer will pursue the commercialization of the AI-embedded Robotic Arm technologies and designs developed to apply to the warehouse environment-- the processes developed in preliminary phases and potential commercial sales of manufactured mechanical parts or other items. The first path for commercial use is at DLA's twenty-six Distribution Centers and twenty Disposition Centers. When fielded, DLA estimates 20 - 26 units, but the number of units could be more. REFERENCES: 1. J. J. Enright and P. R. Wurman, "Optimization and Coordinated Autonomy in Mobile Fulfillment Systems," in AAAIWS'11-09, 2011. 2. F. Wang and K. Hauser, "Stable bin packing of non-convex 3d objects with a robot manipulator," in IEEE ICRA, 2019, pp. 8698–8704. 3. F. Wang and K. Hauser, "Robot packing with known items and nondeterministic arrival order," in R: SS, 2019. 4. A. Sahbani, S. El-Khoury, and P. Bidaud, "An Overview of 3D Object Grasp Synthesis Algorithms," RAS, vol. 60, no. 3, 2012

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; Cybersecurity; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace; Electronics; Information Systems; Sensors OBJECTIVE: Explore novel approaches to increase sense making for deployed forces using equipment they already carry and use. This will enable AI/ML Sense Making closer to the user with fewer delays, and reduced communications requirements, leading to a reduction of the human factors burden and physical burden by augmenting capabilities in their existing equipment. DESCRIPTION: Develop, or demonstrate existing capabilities to create virtual processing networks using the increasing computational capabilities built in to commercially available cell phones. The ability to do secure processing close to the end user presents a rich resource for moving advanced and distributed processing AI/ML closer and closer to the end user. This will decrease the communications burden or bandwidth required while decreasing the time from potential detection to final action. There is a movement to use inexpensive commercial equipment to enable operators in the field. The Android Tactical Assault Kit and it variants are now standard equipment for deploying forces. More specific to DTRA the Joint CTTSO DTRA Joint Operation Center/Tactical Assault Kit project provides sharing of imagery, planning tools, planning fragments, standard formatted request and report messages, language translation, and many additional operator developed capabilities. The old Galaxy S10 phones used with JOCTAK include dual CPU processors, 16 megapixel cameras, and at least 128 GB of ram1. The newer S21 version includes the faster dual processors, up to 512 GB of ram, a 40 MP Camera, dual encryption chips, and 5G capability2. Each generation provides more capability without development cost to the end user. The goal of this SBIR/SSTR topic is to explore harvesting and applying computational capabilities available in the current and next generation of cell phones used in DTRA Tactical Assault Kits, the Joint Operations Center Tactical Assault Kit (JOCTAK) and with the AI/ML capabilities under research in other parts of CX. The emerging application and use of TAK/ATAK with the emergence of Civilian Tactical Assault Kit or the Team Awareness Kit is indicative of the commercial application of this research. PHASE I: PHASE I: Shall execute an Analysis of Alternatives (AofA) and produce a Proof of Concept (PoC) implementation and architecture for creating secure virtual processing networks across commercially available cell phone used in the TAK/JOCTAK3 projects. PHASE II: Shall mature and fully integrate the architecture for the virtual network application with the continuous integration, continuous delivery (CICD) automated build process, located at the DI2E collaboration portal (www.di2e.net). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: All the deliverables of this topic shall be either Open Source (OS) or UNLIMITED RIGHTS and the DI2E collaboration portal shall be used for increased transparency, reduced cost and schedule, and to increase performance. SBIR/SSTR Rights are not permitted because the target transition architecture does not accept software with SBIR/SSTR Rights. Having ensured the widest availability across DoD and the government enable much wider applicaiton of the capability. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.samsung.com/global/galasxy-s10-/specs/; 2. https://www.samsung.com/global/galasxy-s21-ultra-5g/specs/; 3. https://www.civtak.org/tag/socom;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; Autonomy TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics; Sensors 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 3.5 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: DTRA seeks the capability for its robotic systems, developed to explore and exploit, in GPS denied and communications limited environments, to learn from each other. DESCRIPTION: Under the Modular Autonomous CWMD Systems (MACS) program, among others, DTRA is developing robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) to map, explore, and characterize subterranean facilities such as tunnels, caves, urban underground, and military purpose bunkers. These facilities can be extensive and include multiple levels, elevation changes, obstacles, dim and variable lighting, and other challenging conditions. In addition, GPS is unavailable in such locations and communications between users and RAS, and amongst RAS platforms, is limited in bandwidth and range. The primary mission of these RAS is to explore, map, and catalog in these environments. However, autonomous resupply, payload delivery, network forming, and other mission scenarios should be considered. The environment and missions dictate that various types of robotic platforms are necessary and the communications challenge dictates that a high degree of autonomy is necessary on each platform with the associated sensors and data load. The communication challenge also limits the amount of data that may be passed from platform - to - platform and platform - to – user which makes application of a centralized learning concept less feasible. Distributed learning solutions, such as combinations of federated learning, transfer learning, and/or distributed multi-agent reinforcement learning are approaches that enable model training on a large amount of decentralized data. That is, they enable the model to be passed over the network rather than the data. This could be extremely beneficial to the underground exploration mission of DTRA if telemetry, health and status, map and environmental information (such as air flow, air quality, lighting, traction), as well as mission specific information such as the presence or concentration of certain chemicals or radiological information, could be encoded into a model that could be more easily distributed among platforms and users that have only intermittent connectivity. This could allow platforms to more quickly navigate in areas that have already been explored by other platforms and allow more effective decisioning by each platform individually. PHASE I: Design and develop both the models and a learning architecture for robotic platforms exploring and cataloging a subterranean environment such as a tunnel or cave. In simulations of subterranean areas with communication challenges, demonstrate the capability for multiple platforms to be controlled by humans and to learn from that control as to what are obstacles, what is of interest, what is not, etc. Locally train models on the data being collected and then update the models and for other platforms to receive and benefit from those updated models. Similarly, show platforms learning from each other by locally training models and then updating the shared model. A final demonstration should show at least more efficient path planning being developed by platforms that receive an updated model after a different platform has already explored an area. PHASE II: Continue to develop the learning system and adapt it to the DTRA mission and DTRA platforms for incorporation into the group. Incorporate decisioning into the models that mitigates or adds information to the environmental conditions determined. Develop a tasking capability such that one platform may task other specialized platforms. Tasking may be dependent on specific object recognition or some other queue. Specializations may include carrying additional lighting, communications repeaters, CBRNE sensors, or other. Demonstrate the capability for the platforms to learn about the environment as well as the capabilities and limitations of the other systems in the group. A penultimate simulation demonstration should show autonomous tasking and path finding. For example, a UAV may be tasked to find the best route for a UGV to take given a particular set of obstacles and a system with specialized equipment will be called upon as required. Additionally, develop and simulate a small scale demonstration to be performed on actual hardware. Determine the hardware requirements and identify, develop, or otherwise procure it and perform a small scale demonstration in the same or similar environment that was included in the simulation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Continue to develop and refine the Phase II product into a useful asset for DTRA. Adapt the product application for DTRA specific testing to include development or application of safety and security measures as required. REFERENCES: 1. Xiao, Y., Hoffman, J., Xia, T., and Amato, C. Learning Multi-Robot Decentralized Macro-Action-Based Policies via a Centralized Q-Net. https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.08776. 2020.; 2. G. Sartoretti, W. Paivine, Y. Shi, Y. Wu and H. Choset, "Distributed Learning of Decentralized Control Policies for Articulated Mobile Robots," in IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 1109-1122, Oct. 2019, doi: 10.1109/TRO.2019.2922493.; 3. Taylor, Adam & Dusparic, Ivana & Guériau, Maxime & Clarke, Siobhán. (2019). Parallel Transfer Learning in Multi-Agent Systems: What, when and how to transfer?. 10.1109/IJCNN.2019.8851784.; 4. Rieke, Nicola. 2019. What is Federated Learning?https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2019/10/13/what-is-federated-learning/; 5. Bhattacharya, Santanu. 2019. The New Dawn of AI: Federated Learning. https://towardsdatascience.com/the-new-dawn-of-ai-federated-learning-8ccd9ed7fc3a;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform; Sensors 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 3.5 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: To develop and demonstrate an innovative robotic system showcasing a nano aerial vehicle (NAV) marsupial concept with a GPS-denied guidance capability to advance the state of Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (C-WMD) missions. DESCRIPTION: Long-range delivery of sensors and strategic capabilities to support C-WMD activities are required by DTRA and supported DOD components. Currently, small UASs are restricted by their size and power which limits their ability to both travel over long distances and perform C-WMD missions of sufficient duration at a site once they arrive. This SBIR seeks research on a multi-layered/multi-platform (marsupial) system utilizing existing commercial/government off-the-shelf (COTS/GOTS) small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) vehicle capable of coordinated, GPS-denied, marsupial deployment and recovery to meet specific C-WMD missions in the objective area. The overall intent is to develop or identify a NAV that can be carried in multiples, deployed to carry out a specific mission, and recovered by a larger robotic platform such as a sUAS (referred as a mothership). The coordination between the mothership and the NAV’s is of critical importance to be investigated and defined early as the NAV’s may be limited in their onboard computing and sensing capability due to SWAP requirements. As such, solutions that centralize the guidance and coordination on the mothership, leveraging the more extensive sensing and compute capabilities available to the larger platform along with some type of remote path planning and guidance of the NAV’s, will be considered along with solutions that feature more autonomous NAV’s. An architecture that allows flexibility in this mothership-NAV relationship as to where the NAV guidance autonomy and sensing resides is desired so as to enable different NAV variants to eventually be developed and employed. The system architecture, both physical and algorithmic, shall be open to encourage future development. Possible remote guidance concepts include laser guided NAV’s with mothership instructions or autonomous remote control with the mothership relying on its own sensors to guide the NAV’s. (new paragraph) While the desire is for an adaptable system, the specific problem to be designed to is a chemical sampling mission. In a GPS denied area, the system is to deploy NAV’s that carry a material sampling detector (equal to or less than one ounce) to discover a chemical agent. A number (desired threshold of 5) of NAVs will be deployed to different locations, sample an area, and be recovered by the mothership in order to demonstrate this concept. The focus is on the ability of the NAVs to navigate to target areas, recover a chemical sample, and return to the mothership after mission completion. The mothership may move to new areas after recovery of the initially deployed NAVs in order to deploy the other NAVs in separate areas. The command and control and mission planning of this system shall be made as intuitive as possible. PHASE I: The focus of Phase I is to identify and mitigate the highest risks areas. Specific attention should be placed on identifying the overall system architecture to include command and control concepts and determining how to leverage advances in technology for the best balance of autonomy and sensing between the mothership and NAVs. Platforms that may be utilized for both the mothership and NAVs for the chemical sampling mission shall be identified and an analysis of alternatives shall be performed that discusses the physical, sensing, and computational capabilities of the platforms and any integration or adaptation efforts required. It is highly recommended to use GOTS or Blue UASs as possible as a waiver process will be required for others. Design or identify and prototype and demonstrate the carry, deploy, and capture mechanisms and procedures. Identify the navigation and guidance methodology to be utilized and identify and mitigate the highest risks. Specifically identify the autonomy stack necessary for the mothership and the NAV to perform the chemical sampling mission and document the open architecture communications and interfaces necessary between the NAV and mothership. PHASE II: Refine the system design to include mission planning and overall command and control capability. Build the system to include a desired threshold of 5 NAVs and one mothership. Design and execute a technical demonstration that showcases the system with the mothership from a significant standoff that is well outside the NAVs range away from the initial target area. The NAV release point must be in range close enough to allow the NAVs enough time to conduct chemical sampling and return to the sUAS within their flight time constraints. There may be multiple sites for the mothership to carry the NAVs and there may be multiple chemical collection sites at each deployment location. The chemical sampling mission will consist of a non-toxic chemical collected by a standard method provided by the Government (M9 paper or other chemical sampling that can be carried by a NAV). The sensing, computing, and autonomy balance demonstrating guidance and coordination between the mothership and NAVs is the major deliverable. For the demonstration to be successful, it must show the capability of the system to accurately position the NAVs to perform their mission, in three dimensions, in a GPS denied environment. GOTs platforms may be available and should be considered along with other options. The final report should include all considerations used to prove the concept and all technical challenges that the experimental team were not able to overcome. The final report will also include videos and a briefing of all demonstration outcomes. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize and commercialize NAV marsupial system with mothership platform/SUAS for use by customers (e.g. DTRA, DoD agencies, Warfighter, industry). Although additional funding may become available from DoD sources, the awardee should look to other public or private sector funding sources for assistance with transition and commercialization. REFERENCES: 1. Banker, S. ‘Laser Guided Vehicles Navigate with Precision’. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2018/08/29/laser-guided-vehicles-navigate-with-precision/?sh=74c116975091; 2. D. A. Davis., “Pegasus Multi-Domain Can Fly and Operate on the Ground”, unmanned system, Autonomous Media. (August 20, 2019). ; 3. Dziubinski, M. ‘Training a neural network for driving an autonomous RC car’. https://medium.com/asap-report/training-a-neural-network-for-driving-an-autonomous-rc-car-3906db91f3e; 4. Choi, C.Q., “Mimicking Biology for Better Drones”, inside unmanned system, (December 2020/January 2020), p. 50. ; 5. Fumian, F., Giovanni, D. D., and L. Martellucci, Rossi, R., and Gaudia, P., “Application of Miniaturized Sensors to Unmanned Aerial Systems, A New Pathway for the Survey of Polluted Areas: Preliminary Results”, Atmosphere 2020, MDPI Journal, Basel, Switzerland, Vol 11, p. 471 (6 May 2020). ; 6. Hansman, J., “Project Perdix”, MIT Beaver Works, (Fall 2010-Spring 2011).; 7. Lutvica, Kemal & Velagic, Jasmin & Kadić, Nihad & Osmic, Nedim & Džampo, Gregor & Muminović, Hajrudin. (2014). Remote Path Planning and Motion Control of Mobile Robot within Indoor Maze Environment. 2014 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control, ISIC 2014. 10.1109/ISIC.2014.6967625.; 8. Petricca, L., Ohlckers, P., Grinde, C., “Micro- and Nano-Air Vehicles: State of the Art,” Hindawi Publishing Corporation, International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Volume 2011, Article ID 214549, Tønsberg, Norway (21 February 2011).; 9. Rosser, K., Pavey, K., FitzGerald, N. Fatiaki, A., Neumann, D., “Autonomous Vapour Detection by Micro UAV,” MDPI Journal, Basel, Switzerland; Remote Sensing EISSN 2072-4292, (11 December 2015).

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): 5G, General Warfighting Requirements (GWR); Nuclear TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems; Materials; Weapons OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to develop a secure Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) framework for legacy codes. Such a capability would integrate existing tools into a cohesive framework to automate a series of steps such as test suites, ensuring code coverage of testing, version control e.g. Git & GitLab, streamlining of build process and bookkeeping of these steps/tests/versions. Once built and tested, deploy the application code using a Singularity software container on multiple physical systems, and eventually in a “cloud”. DESCRIPTION: The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) uses High-Fidelity computer codes to investigate weapon effects phenomenology and techniques for countering WMD. The High-Fidelity codes have in some cases evolved over many decades. This topic will begin to bridge the gap from legacy practices to modern practices that combine security, software development and information technology operations (SecDevOps) that test the security of the software as part of a continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. The government-owned computational fluid dynamics code, Second-order Hydrodynamic Automatic Mesh Refinement Code (SHAMRC), is heavily used by many of the DTRA programmatic areas utilizing High-Fidelity computer codes. It is a particularly challenging application for containerized deployment because a pre-processor reads user input and generates unique source code for each problem. The code is then compiled prior to execution. SHAMRC capabilities include non-responding and responding structures, interactive particles, several atmosphere models, multi-materials, many high explosive detonation models, a K-Epsilon turbulence model, a particle surface heating model, non-equilibrium radiation diffusion, water vaporization, and dust non-equilibrium chemistry. SHAMRC is second-order accurate in both space and time, is fully conservative of mass, momentum, and energy, and runs in parallel using Message Passing Interface (MPI). Because SHAMRC is export-controlled software, another large legacy FORTRAN High Fidelity code may be used as a SHAMRC proxy in Phase I. Typically, ALM tools might include capabilities related to Requirements, Software & Hardware Development, Quality Assurance & Test Management, Release & SecDevOps. Because this effort is targeted towards existing legacy High Fidelity application codes, the emphasis should be on Quality Assurance & Test Management, Release & SecDevOps. Component integrations should be modular so that one tool such as GitHub for example, could be replaced with use of GitLab, to meet the needs of a different commercial customer in Phase III. The entire framework must run in user space without root access, although it may utilize existing underlying tools that are installed by the system administrators such as Git, GitLab and Singularity. PHASE I: Develop an approach for design of a secure ALM, CI/CD framework. The Framework design should encompass innovative use of existing open-source tools, such as Git, GitLab and the Singularity container using the fake root capability, with targets of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. At the end of Phase I the performer should have a completed architecture and an early prototype with limited capabilities as proof of concept to demonstrate feasibility of the technical approach. For each component of the framework that is not an encapsulation of an existing tool, a stub may be used as a placeholder for capabilities to be added in Phase II. PHASE II: Develop a production ready framework based on the Phase I approach and integrate with selected existing tools. Implement additional capabilities not available in existing tools to address other proposed features. Demonstrate the use of the framework on Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Program (HPCMP) systems on several High-Fidelity application codes, to include the SHAMRC code. The ability to migrate the ALM workflow and application code in a Singularity container from a DoD HPCMP physical system to a Cloud Service Provider is desirable. Cloud migration is subject to availability of cloud resources at Impact Level 5. An open research proxy may be used for development on Impact Level 2 resources. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The secure ALM, CI/CD framework and associated workflows developed for use on very demanding application codes will be well suited, once refined, for use on more general HPC workloads on pre-Exascale architectures. Improvements in this phase are expected to involve ease of use enhancements and hardening of the framework for use on a wide range of application software used in Government research and industry. REFERENCES: 1. Githttps://git-scm.com/; 2. GitLabhttps://centers.hpc.mil/users/gitlabUserGuide.html; 3. JENKINShttps://www.jenkins.io/; 4. Singularityhttps://sylabs.io/docs/#singularity; 5. Singularity fake roothttps://sylabs.io/guides/3.5/user-guide/fakeroot.html; 6. DoD HPCMPhttps://centers.hpc.mil/; 7. SHAMRChttp://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/dispatch_v3_i2_web.pdf?ver=2014-09-26-104733-797; 8. HPCMP Documentation:https://centers.hpc.mil/users/documentation.html;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): 5G, General Warfighting Requirements (GWR); Nuclear TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Nuclear; Sensors; Electronics 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 3.5 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: The objective of this effort is to develop an advanced optics based magnetic field sensor for Nuclear Weapon Effects (NWE) testing. The sensor should be low-cost and able to operate with high accuracy in a wide range of X-ray and gamma environments. DESCRIPTION: Military system components are tested in X-ray and gamma radiation simulators, for time-varying Nuclear Weapon Effects (NWE), such as System Generated Electromagnetic Pulse (SGEMP), Internal EMP (IEMP), and Open Cavity SGEMP. These effects are caused by electrons emission from conducting surfaces which generate surface currents (with associated electric and magnetic fields). These magnetic fields can have strengths of order 1 to 1000 Amps/meter with rise times of order of nanoseconds (ns). It is important to measure the magnetic fields produced by pulsed X-ray exposures to validate models of a system’s response. Traditionally, the magnetic fields of these NWE effects are measured with small B-Dot probes (simple induction coils), placed close to the external or internal surfaces of the test object. These sensors face challenges related to their miniaturization, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) susceptibility and fielding considerations within a test object [1, 2]. Optical fiber based magnetic field sensors, offer several advantages which includes having a smaller size, reduced susceptibility to EMI noise and increased dynamic range [1]. These sensors are seldom fielded for NWE testing due to the requirement to be high speed, minimally intrusive and able to operate in a harsh environment [3]. The objective of this effort is to develop an advanced optics based magnetic field sensor appropriate for NWE testing. DTRA seeks innovative ideas for the development of an advanced optics based magnetic field sensor suitable for NWE testing. The proposed magnetic field sensor should include the sensor probe as well as the measurement and recording instrumentation capable of nanosecond time resolution. The system must maintain the integrity of the magnetic field information sensed at the probe and transmitted to the recording instrumentation. The sensor probe should be low-cost, easily replaceable, small and able to operate with high accuracy in a wide range of X-ray and gamma environments. Phase 1 development should result in a conceptual design of the proposed sensor and demonstrates its feasibility for NWE related testing. Phase II development will further optimize the design of the sensor, fabricate and demonstrate that the design meets or exceeds the following threshold {objectives}: 1. B-Field Measurement Range: 0.01 to >1000 A/m 2. Accuracy: better than 5% 3. Bandwidth: >100 MHz 4. Rise Time: <3.5 ns 5. Be low cost and have a replaceable sensing element. 6. Be compact: the sensing element to be no larger than 1cm3. PHASE I: Investigation will develop a conceptual design of the optics based magnetic field sensor that, at a minimum, addresses the stated objectives presented in the Description. Demonstrate the feasibility of the sensor design with performance predictions based on peer-reviewed literature, physics-based modeling and simulation, and/or data obtained from laboratory testing of sensor components. Develop a Phase development II plan. PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I, develop and deliver a prototype that demonstrates the performance of the chosen technology for this application and meets all stated minimum requirements stated in the Phase II development plan and objectives stated in the Description. Collaborate with Government personnel to test the prototype over its full dynamic range to ensure the capability meets the performance goals. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Optimize sensor design and demonstrate performance in an operational environment. Develop manufacturing and commercialization plans for implementing the research in production and dissemination of the sensors, respectively. This technology would benefit any organization seeking a low cost, small, robust magnetic field sensor. REFERENCES: 1. Alberto, Neilia et al. “Optical Fiber Magnetic Field Sensors Based on Magnetic Fluid: A Review”, Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol 18, 12 4325. 7 Dec 20182. 2. K.B. Fournier et al. “Conducting Open-Mouth-Cavity SGEMP Experiments at the Helen Laser Facility”, JRE, Vol 27, Num 1, pg 51-71, July 20103. 3. R.D. McBride et al. “Implementing and Diagnosing Magnetic Flux Compression on the Z Pulsed Power Accelerator”, SAND2015-9860, 9 November 2015

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Nuclear; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Nuclear; Sensors OBJECTIVE: Development of network hosted algorithms to link multiple and varied battlefield RN detectors to enable the fusing and processing of raw detector outputs into usable information. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks to develop radiation detection algorithms that would reside within a network and support the fusion of multiple and varied raw detector outputs and the processing of this data into useable information. Often, multiple detectors, and multiple detector variants are deployed to characterize a complex scene (i.e. stationary detectors, handheld radioisotope devices, vehicle-mounted detectors, and backpack detectors) within 1 square km. Currently, algorithms for identification and characterization reside on each individual detector and each detector provides its unique result. This topic aims to better utilize those data from multiple detector types and analyze data in a way as to enhance the overall mission's ability to identify and localize a radiation source in a complex scene. The intent is to change the level of analysis and potentially fuse data (gross gamma/neutron counts, gamma spectral data, and/or GPS data) to identify and characterize anomalies in radiological signatures quicker than current local algorithms on singular devices. PHASE I: Identification of multi-radiation detector algorithms and demonstrate their potential to improve the identification, characterization, and/or localization of a radioactive source in a complex scene as compared to the singular detector algorithm. Multiple candidate algorithms shall be down selected for further development in Phase II. Demonstrate pathways for meeting the Phase II performance goals through feasibility studies at the end of Phase I. PHASE II: Demonstrate enhanced identification, characterization and/or localization of radioactive sources with the multi-detector algorithm that fuses data (gamma and neutron radiation outputs, and GPS location/time) from disparate ground based and mobile detector types. Demonstrate improved performance of the multi-detector algorithm over single-system algorithms. The algorithm should support the integration of additional new detector types. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Field demonstration in radiation environment with users deploying multiple and varied radiation detectors linked via communications to a network node in which the algorithm receives detector outputs. The algorithm must conduct scene characterization in real-time as operators move through a complex environment with disparate detector modalities. The multi-system algorithm will be directly compared to legacy single-system algorithms to assess impact on mission. Develop commercialization and transition plan to DoD end users. REFERENCES: 1. Rao, N., Sen, S., Prins, N., Cooper, D., Ledoux, R., Costales, J., Kamieniecki, K., Korbly, S., Thompson, J., Batcheler, J., Brooks, R., Wu, C. NETWORK ALGORITHMS FOR DETECTION OF RADIATION SOURCES. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume 784, 1 June 2015, Pages 326-331. Accessed from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168900215000686; 2. Joint Pub 3-11;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Nuclear TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Human Systems; Information Systems; Nuclear; Sensors; Battlespace; Electronics OBJECTIVE: AR/VR evaluation tool that allows operators to walk through challenging life scenariosnuclear response scenarios (includes anomalies like shadowing, spotlighting, and attenuation effects) with radiation detectors. DESCRIPTION: Develop software to support testing and evaluation of radiation detectors and their use in challenging life-like nuclear response scenarios without the use of radiological sources. Solutions to the problem set will focus on ensuring the technologies can effectively mimic real-world anomalies such as spotlighting and attenuation effects. Possible solutions may inject data in into sensors directly. The intent is to customize commercially available augmented reality and virtual reality solutions and applythem to the recreation of complex nuclear response scenarios. The solution should be flexible and agile enough to be quickly applicable to multiple mission locations, source configurations, and radiation detection systems. PHASE I: Working Prototype-Technology Readiness Level 4 PHASE II: Robust Prototype TRL 6 PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: REFERENCES: 1. Mossel, A., Peer, A., Goellner, J., & Kaufmann, H. (2017). REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS ON A VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING SYSTEM FOR CBRN CRISIS PREPAREDNESS. Proceedings of the 59th Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2015 Berlin, Germany, 1(1). Retrieved from https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings59th/article/view/2486; 2. Gollner, J., Peer, A., Muerers, C., Wurzer, G. VIRTUAL REALKTU CBRN DEFENCE. NATO S&T – 2019 Vienna, Austria. Retrieved from https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2019/Goellner_2019-ABC/Goellner_2019-ABC-Paper.pdf; 3. Gonclaves, J., Molto-Caracena, T., Sequeira, V., Vendrell-Vidal, E. VITUAL REALITY BASED SYSTEMS FOR NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS APPLICATIONS. IAEA-CN-184/233. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/download/2519509/8sgdx5zpkwx1yxw.pdf;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; 5G, General Warfighting Requirements (GWR); Cybersecurity; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems; Sensors; Electronics 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 3.5 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: To develop a low visibility, jamming resistant, RF radio that is compatible with NE-CO sensors and operates on the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) ecosystem. It will facilitate low-visibility CBRN Search Operations by the Technical Support Groups. DESCRIPTION: TSG’s are tasked with providing the Geographic Combatant Commanders (GCC) with a tactical, low-visibility CBRN search capability. The TSG’s currently use Slingshot RF radios, and GSM/cellular to provide commanders the ability to command and control teams during search operations. Presently, the RF radios used by TSGs do not have the ability to pass spectral data and is limited to a 900MHz ISM band, which is restricted in certain COCOMs, thus limiting tactical commanders in their communication PACE plans. Large area CBRN search operations require the deployment of a multitude of sensors, both statically and dynamically, throughout the defined mission space. This requires the simultaneous transmission of dozens of data streams in environments that are RF congested. The utilization of novel AI/ML algorithms to optimize RF waveforms in real time will improve the TSG’s ability to locate and detect material of concern during search operations. This novel approach to waveform generation will allow TSGs to operate in all publically available ISM bands at 1 watt power levels which require little or no spectrum coordination with the host country, minimize the RF footprint, and are resistant to detection and countermeasure by technologically advanced adversaries. To solve this challenge, TSGs require a new RF radio system which is interoperable with current and future NE-CO sensors and CBRN TAK plugins, providing TSG’s with a flexible communications pathway, capable of relaying 300 kbps or higher for spectral analysis. Additionally, the new RF radio option should have 3 ISM band options, use minimal power, maintain a similar size or smaller than the current RF radio systems, incorporate waveforms purpose built to avoid detection, and are resistant to jamming. This would allow TSG’s to adjust their communications PACE plan with minimal effort or host nation clearances, while maintaining operational effectiveness in a low visibility environment. If successful, this RF radio system would provide TSG’s and their supported forces with greater communications interoperability, allowing for better C3, faster identification and spectral analysis, and better allocation of operational resources. PHASE I: Identify possible RF radio solutions. Requirements will include biweekly project updates, a final technical report, and successful live CONOP demonstration to include TAK functionality, sensor integration, and communications capabilities. Should include user interface for TAK a radio and network configuration as well as ML/AI capabilities to prevent jamming. PHASE II: After identifying possible solutions, developer will be required to continue biweekly project updates and compile a final technical report. Additionally, developer will provide 1 prototype low visibility system for internal testing and demonstration as well as a live CONOP demonstration. Developer will demonstrate inclusion of AI capabilities and bandwidth for spectral analysis, as well as for jamming resistance during preliminary testing. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: REFERENCES: 1. ATAK CBRNE Central Staff, Tactical Assault Kit Plugins for Decision Support in CBRNE Environments.https://cbrnecentral.com/tactical-assault-kit-plugins-for-decision-support-in-cbrne-environments/19499/; 2. Department of Defense. (2004). Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Program: Report to Congress. Washington, D. C.: DoD.; 3. Department of Defense. (2008). DoD CBRN Defense: Doctrine, Training, Leadership, and Education Strategic Plan. Washington, D. C.: CBDP.; 4. Department of Defense. (2018). Joint Electronic Library. Washington, D.C.: DoD. Accessed at: http://www.jcs.mil/Doctrine/; 5. Joint Acquisition CBRNE Knowledge System (2018). JACKS: News and Application Console. Retrieved from JACKS: https://pki.jacks.jpeocbd.army.mil; 6. Joint Publication 3-41, CBRNE Response Joint publication 3-11, Operations in CBRNE Environments Low, Cherlynn. What do made for AI processors really do? (2017) Accessed at: https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/15/ai-processor-cpu-explainer-bionic-neural-npu/; 7. National Academy of Sciences. (1999). Philosophy, Doctrine, and Training for Chemical and Biological Warfare. Retrieved from Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces: Force Protection and Decontamination: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225131/; 8. US Army (2018). “CBRN Force Modernization Strategy.”;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics; Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials; Sensors; Space Platform; Weapons 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 3.5 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 small form factor infrared (IR) reflective telescopic optics for use in interceptors that demonstrate strong performance and resilience to environmental conditions at high endo to exo-atmospheric conditions DESCRIPTION: The government has interest in developing optical systems for interceptors that show increased performance in high altitude endo and exo-atmospheric environments and in a manmade, hostile radiation environment. Prior art shows polished substrate optics, such as Silicon Carbide (SiC), offer impressive thermal stability, strength, cost savings, and optical performance while reducing overall system weight. PHASE I: Phase I should include a feasibility study investigating design and manufacturing concepts of innovative telescope optics that trade cost, weight, optical performance, and stability in the high altitude, in endo and exo-atmospheric environments, and in a manmade, hostile radiation environments. Study should focus on technology readiness of integrating optics into a fully functional IR telescope assembly no larger than 18” in diameter. Down selection of candidate materials driven by engineering judgement and testing is desired. Identify major technology gaps and limitations to overcome for future Phase II work. PHASE II: With materials from Phase I, further investigate optimizations of technology regarding mounting and installation into a multi-mirror IR telescope. Develop a multi-mirror system that matches government provided optical and packaging requirements. Develop and execute an incremental test plan that includes environmental requirements (i.e. shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, etc.) and characterization of the mirror system at simulated altitudes, and at manmade radiation levels. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Based on Phase II lessons learned, revise the systems model to proof out the new design. Develop and execute a Phase III incremental test & integration plan that will produce a final prototype. Demonstrate interface capability with a government furnished telescope mount. Perform acceptance-like testing in accredited optics range. REFERENCES: 1. Silicon Carbide Technologies for Lightweighted Aerospace Mirrors. Lawrence E. Maston, Ming Y Chen, Brett deBlonk, Iwona A. Palusinski, Air Force Research Lab Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. September 2008. ; 2. CVD Silicon Carbide Characterization. G. A. Graves Jr., D. Iden. Dayton University Oh Research Institute. August 1994. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a285667.pdf

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems; Ground Sea; Weapons OBJECTIVE: Design, develop, and integrate a software audit tool that can be run in parallel with a software development environment and be able to identify when a software developer is or is not developing their software in accordance with MDA Assurance Provisions (MAP) requirements. DESCRIPTION: The MAP, MDA-QS-001-MAP-Rev B and Rev C, define the software code/implementation requirements that contractors must follow and which are tailored using a Requirements Applicability Matrix (RAM). Currently, these software code/implementation requirements are checked and verified via manual processes or using tools after software has been coded/developed. This software audit tool should be programmed according to the MDA software code/implementation requirements identified within the MAP, Section 3.3.2.3, and be able to identify when a software developer is or is not developing their software in accordance with these requirements. PHASE I: Phase I should include a feasibility study to identify one or more innovative methods of developing a software audit tool that can be run in parallel with a software development environment. The tool should have the ability for the automated tool to read software compliance to MAP. PHASE II: Phase II should develop and execute an incremental test and integration plan that will address the technology challenges and produce a prototype for evaluation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Based on Phase II lessons learned, revise the systems model to proof out the new design. Develop and execute a Phase III incremental test & integration plan that will produce a final prototype. Demonstrate interface capability with a government furnished software and MAP sample. REFERENCES: 1. IEEE/ISO/IEC 14764 Standard for Software Engineering - Software Life Cycle Processes – Maintenance. ; 2. IEEE 1012 Standard for Software Verification and Validation. ; 3. ISO/IEC/IEEE 90003 Software engineering - Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2015 to Computer Software

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea; Weapons OBJECTIVE: Develop an automated tool that can import specifications and interface requirements from the specifications, DOORS modules, or spreadsheets and create a system architecture in Systems Modeling Language (SysML) or Unified Modeling Language (UML). DESCRIPTION: Some legacy missile defense baselines have their system architecture defined within only their specifications. An automated tool that can create a system architecture based on those specifications would be beneficial to the government and more efficient and cost-effective than manually building system architectures. PHASE I: Phase I should include a feasibility study to identify one or more innovative methods of developing an automated tool that can import specifications and interface requirements from the specifications, IBM® Engineering Requirements Management DOORS® (DOORS) modules, or spreadsheets and create a system architecture in SysML or UML. The tool should integrate new and existing system architectures. PHASE II: Phase II should develop and execute an incremental test and integration plan that will address the technology challenges and produce a prototype for evaluation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Based on Phase II lessons learned, revise the systems model to proof out the new design. Develop and execute a Phase III incremental test & integration plan that will produce a final prototype. Demonstrate interface capability and automated architecture SysML or UML with a government furnished sample specification stack. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.5/About-UML ; 2. https://sysml.org/sysml-specs ; 3. DES-N Syle Guide and Standards for SysML Architecture Development in IBM Rhapsody, Version 1.2

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems; Ground Sea; Space Platform; Weapons OBJECTIVE: Design, develop, and integrate a dynamic Missile Defense three-dimensional (3D) mission playback tool that can be used in the ship’s Combat Information Center (CIC). DESCRIPTION: The ability to process and visually display mission data within CIC would be extremely useful for flight test missions, mission planning, and other situations. PHASE I: Phase I should include a feasibility study to identify one or more innovative methods of developing a dynamic Missile Defense 3D mission playback tool that can be used in the CIC. The tool should be able to have a timely ability to replay test and or combat data. PHASE II: Phase II should develop and execute an incremental test and integration plan that will address the technology challenges and produce a prototype for evaluation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Based on Phase II lessons learned, revise the systems model to proof out the new design. Develop and execute a Phase III incremental test & integration plan that will produce a final prototype. Demonstrate interface capability to process and visually display mission data within CIC. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/aegis-combat-system.html ; 2. https://www.mda.mil/video/FTM44PostMissionVideo2.mp4

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics; Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors 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 3.5 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 infrared (IR) scene projector technology that is inherently radiation-hardened (rad-hard) for testing focal plane arrays in a test chamber that includes a radiation environment. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks the development of emitter arrays able to survive and operate through space and man-made radiation environments including total ionizing dose (TID) > 300 krads (Si), with single event upsets (SEU) < 10^(-10) errors per bit-day, and immunity to single event latch-up (SEL) at linear energy transfer (LET) levels > 100 MeV cm^2 / mg. The desired scene projector technology should have sufficiently high performance in format, dynamic range, and frame-rate to exercise next generation focal plane arrays, while at the same time being survivable in a test environment that includes radiation. Sensor technologies are outpacing the ability to test them using current state-of-the-art IR scene projectors. In addition, relevant test environments include radiation effects, so an IR scene projector in a test chamber would need to be able to operate in a radiation environment, and at cryogenic temperatures. Development of a rad-hard emitter array should allow for testing of state-of-the-art focal plane arrays. In order to advance the state-of-the-art for projector technology, projector arrays in formats of 1024x1024 or greater, operating at frame rates of 500 Hz or higher, and with dynamic range of 21 bits or greater are desired. Consider whether resolution should be specified in apparent temperature, e.g. 50 mK at 300 K, rather than in bits of dynamic range. PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a scene projector that can meet the high resolution needs of today’s state-of-the-art sensor formats. Consider producibility as well as performance. Also, demonstrate the feasibility of the scene projector operating in natural space and man-made radiation environments and at cryogenic temperatures. Develop a plan to mature the selected technique(s) in Phase II. PHASE II: Implement the plan developed in Phase I and demonstrate the performance and survivability of the scene projector. Characterize performance of the hardware in the radiation and cryogenic environments and assess the accuracy of the projected scenes. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Refine methodology and tool developed and transition to interested platforms. Pursue commercialization for various technologies developed in the Phase II for potential commercial uses such as diverse fields including training in the use of FLIR sensor technology, computer graphics, and Microelectromechanical Systems fabrication. REFERENCES: 1. Joe LaVeigne, Greg Franks, Tom Danielson, “Thermal resolution specification in infrared scene projectors,” Proc. SPIE 9452, Infrared Imaging systems: Design, analysis, Modeling and Testing XXVI, 94520Y (12 May 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2177450. ; 2. Tom Danielson, Greg Franks, Nicholas Holmes, Joe LaVeigne, Greg Matis, Steve McHugh, Dennis Norton, Tony Vengel, John Lannon, Scott Goodwin, “Achieving ultra-high temperatures with a resistive emitter array,” Proc. SPIE 9820, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XXVII, 98200Z (3 May 2019); doi 10.1117/12.2225856. ; 3. Dennis T. Norton Jr., Joe Laveigne, Greg Franks, Steve McHugh, Tony Vengel, Jim Oleson, Michael MacDougal, David Westerfeld, “Development of a high-definition IR LED scene projector,” Proc. SPIE 9280, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling and Testing XXVII, 98200X (3 May 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2225852. ; 4. “Recipes to build-up a rad-hard CMOS memory,” Cristiano Calligaro and Umberto Gatti, 2019 IEEE 25th International Symposium on On-Line Testing and Robust System Design (IOLTS). ; 5. Ken Label, Robert Gigliuto, Carl Szabo, Martin Carts, Matthew Kay, Timothy Sinclair, Matthew Gadlage, Adam Duncan and Dave Ingalls, “Hardness Assurance for Total Dose and Dose Rate Testing of a State-of-the-Art Off-Shore 32 nm CMOS Processor,” Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), also published on nepp.nasa.gov: https://nepp.nasa.gov/files/24951/NSREC2013_LaBel_W40L.pdf

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative data science technologies to advance data analysis within a missile defense digital architecture. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative complex data science methods that go beyond traditional data analysis. The focus should be on the creation of efficient and cost-effective technologies to analyze large data sets derived from missile defense modeling and simulation (M&S) results. As the MDS evolves from primarily terrestrial Radio Frequency (RF) sensor architectures to incorporating many overhead Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors to support the hypersonic missile defense mission, as well as new sensors and data taps to assure that missile defense systems are cyber secure, our ability to correlate and analyze the data from these sensors must evolve both at a system and system of systems level. Current analysis methods have difficulties with this predicted volume, variety, veracity, and velocity of data, especially when applied to data science, digital engineering and engineering simulations. Additionally, performance assessment studies using all-digital simulations generate nearly two petabytes of data annually. Data science technology areas of interest include, but are not limited to: algorithms, software tools, and turnkey solutions for complex analysis techniques (i.e. transformative, predictive and learning) that employ learning models (i.e. supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement styles) with different employment approaches (scheduling and sequencing). PHASE I: Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts to advance data science methods as it pertains to the analysis and results of data science, digital engineering, and engineering simulations in a cloud-like environment. The solutions should capture the key areas for new development, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize the time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during the design and development. PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance requirements. Coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to an ongoing missile defense architecture and data types and structures. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, full scale, field-able capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology into a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment. REFERENCES: 1. G. Deshpande, C. Arora and G. Ruhe, "Data-Driven Elicitation and Optimization of Dependencies between Requirements," 2019 IEEE 27th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE), Jeju Island, Korea (South), 2019, pp. 416-421, doi: 10.1109/RE.2019.00055. 1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8920671 ; 2. C. Wang, L. Ma, R. Li, T. S. Durrani and H. Zhang, "Exploring Trajectory Prediction Through Machine Learning Methods," in IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 101441-101452, 2019, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2929430. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8766820 ; 3. R. M. M. Vallim, A. C. P. L. F. de Carvalho and J. Gama, "Data Stream Mining Algorithms for Building Decision Models in a Computer Role-Playing Game Simulation," 2010 Brazilian Symposium on Games and Digital Entertainment, Florianopolis, 2010, pp. 108-116, doi: 10.1109/SBGAMES.2010.14. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5772278 ; 4. Y. T. Demey and M. Wolff, "SIMISS: A Model-Based Searching Strategy for Inventory Management Systems," in IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 172-182, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2016.2638023. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7778999

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative scenario planning technologies utilizing novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) methods to augment and assist Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) developing test cases within a missile defense Modeling and Simulation (M&S) architecture. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative AI/ML techniques that can provide SMEs with the information they need to quickly identify text-matrix gaps and build new and novel test cases to exercise the missile defense architecture. Current missile defense scenario planning involves scenario designers manually producing test cases to be executed. These scenarios are based on various factors including system requirements, test objectives, venue capabilities, and past data analysis and can take upwards of two years to develop and run. Scenarios include a physical representation of the threat (Red Force), Blue Force, and environments. This is a time-intensive manual process where an integrated product team coordinates assessment requirements that are fed into a Rapid Scenario Prototype (RaSP) team that creates scenario requirements to meet engagement and test objective goals with the least number of test cases and scenarios possible. The scenario requirements are then incorporated into a test case description document that is used by the community to create the scenarios to be ran. This scenario generation process is a cumbersome, sequential, resource and time intensive effort requiring work by every component of the integrated simulation team plus supporting organizations, which impacts the responsiveness of the M&S to government needs. With the amount of data exponentially increasing, faster and smarter scenario generation methods based on requirements and past data sets are desired. These technologies should enhance the credibility of the integrated M&S; shorten integration time enabling the government to gain efficiencies, reduce event schedules, and produce greater quantities of credible decision quality data. PHASE I: Design and develop improved solutions, methods, and concepts for applying ML and AI in scenario generation. The solutions should capture the key areas where new development is needed, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during design development. Define the architecture and data structures required to support the missile defense M&S enterprise. PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance requirements. The contractor will coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to ongoing and planned missile defense projects. This prototype design will be used to form the development and implementation of a mature, full-scale capability in Phase III. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new hardware and/or software technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, fieldable capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology for a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment. REFERENCES: 1. G. Deshpande, C. Arora and G. Ruhe, "Data-Driven Elicitation and Optimization of Dependencies between Requirements," 2019 IEEE 27th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE), Jeju Island, Korea (South), 2019, pp. 416-421, doi: 10.1109/RE.2019.00055. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8920671 ; 2. C. Wang, L. Ma, R. Li, T. S. Durrani and H. Zhang, "Exploring Trajectory Prediction Through Machine Learning Methods," in IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 101441-101452, 2019, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2929430. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8766820 ; 3. R. M. M. Vallim, A. C. P. L. F. de Carvalho and J. Gama, "Data Stream Mining Algorithms for Building Decision Models in a Computer Role-Playing Game Simulation," 2010 Brazilian Symposium on Games and Digital Entertainment, Florianopolis, 2010, pp. 108-116, doi: 10.1109/SBGAMES.2010.14. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5772278 ; 4. Y. T. Demey and M. Wolff, "SIMISS: A Model-Based Searching Strategy for Inventory Management Systems," in IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 172-182, Feb. 2017, doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2016.2638023. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7778999

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a methodology and computer system that allows analysts to create and display operational defense effectiveness assessments for missile raid scenarios. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks development of efficient solution techniques to perform operational defense effectiveness assessments for missile raid scenarios. Current operational effectiveness assessments (such as geographic heatmaps) that calculate and display the probability of engagement success across a geographic region (P[ES]), where P[ES] is the probability that a missile threat is successfully intercepted, are often confined to single-threat scenarios. For a single threat, multiple target locations can be evaluated and the P[ES] can be calculated via simulation for each one. By combining these probabilities, a heatmap picture can be constructed showing the relative protection available in different parts of a defended area. Missile raids of multiple simultaneous threats directed at multiple targets can be modeled and simulated, but the simple metrics and clear interpretation of the results for the single threat case are not easily extrapolated to raid scenarios where all threats could target the same location or may target different locations. Evaluating these raid scenarios entails significant mathematical and computational complexity because the combinations of possible threat aimpoints grows exponentially with the number of threats in a raid. This topic desires solutions that provide meaningful metrics, create accompanying efficient solution techniques and support suitable information dispay to perform operational effectiveness assessments for missile raid scenarios. Without loss of generality, assume that the probability of primary interest in a raid evaluation is the probability of a leaker across multiple threats. The concept of simple operational effectiveness assessments, like a geographic heatmap, must be extended to consider how to display the missile defense system effectiveness and performance when defending against raid scenarios. PHASE I: Define meaningful metrics for raid scenarios. Design and develop methods and algorithms for a proof of concept computer system that allows analysts to predict and display the operational effectiveness and performance of the missile defense system against a given missile raid based on a limited number of simulation runs and replications. Demonstrate that the predictions are sufficiently accurate across a geographic region. PHASE II: Expand the methodology and computer system to minimize the computational resources needed to create and display a complete missile raid operational effectiveness assessment. Demonstrate this operational effectiveness assessment for multiple missile raids of varying complexity. Coordinate with the government sponsor during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to ongoing and planned missile defense projects. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new hardware and/or software technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, full-scale, field-able capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology for a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment. REFERENCES: 1. Pavalko, W., K. Chevli, and M. Monius. 2000. “Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Analyses.” John Hopkins APL Technical Digest 21(2):261-268. ; 2. Office of the Secretary of Defense. 2019. “2019 Missile Defense Review” (see https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jan/17/2002080666/-1/-1/1/2019-MISSILE-DEFENSE-REVIEW.PDF accessed: 7 January 2020). ; 3. Ender, T., R. Leurck, B. Weaver, P. Miceli, W. Blair, P. West, and D. Mavris. 2010. “Systems-of-Systems Analysis of Ballistic Missile Defense Architecture Effectiveness Through Surrogate Modeling and Simulation.” IEEE Systems Journal 4(2):156-166.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a communications model and effects that supports next generation overhead sensors. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks to develop a new and innovative simulation communications model and for the next generation of overhead sensor in support of the Missile Defense System (MDS) to defend against hypersonic threats. These communications need to be modeled for accurate Modeling and Simulation (M&S) stimulus. Research is needed to develop visual and performance models of the physical, Media Access Control (MAC), network, transport, and application layers associated with overhead sensor communications. Additionally, research is needed to model the communications architecture and effects to support live virtual constructive simulation architectures and various compositions within an integrated architecture. Technology areas of interest include but are not limited to: modeling approaches, event logging, data collection optimization, and extensible Application Programing Interface (API). PHASE I: Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts to advance the simulation of overhead sensor communications and effects modeling methods as it pertains to the MDS performance simulations running in a cloud environment. The solutions should capture the key areas for new development, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize the time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during the design and development. PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance requirements. Coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to an ongoing missile defense architecture and data types and structures. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, full scale, field-able capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology into a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment. REFERENCES: 1. J. S. Draper et al., "Tracking and identification of distant missiles by remote sounding," 1999 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Proceedings (Cat. No.99TH8403), Snowmass at Aspen, CO, USA, 1999, pp. 333-341 vol.4, doi: 10.1109/AERO.1999.792101. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/792101 ; 2. https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/defense-systems/hypersonic-and-ballistic-tracking-space-sensor-hbtss/

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Autonomy; Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative digital data engineering based techniques and technologies that leverage Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and Development and Operations (DevOps) practices to create and manage authoritative sources of truth and knowledge across the Missile Defense System (MDS) Systems of Systems (SoS). DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative technologies for applying AI/ML, MBSE and DevOps in MDS throughout the Systems Engineering (SE) V-model process. Currently, MDS SE is predominantly a manual, analog, time intensive, effort at both the element system level and the MDS SoS level. Often, products and data are developed at each level of the V-model, then passed on to the next level in a stove piped fashion and are not treated as a strategic asset that exists across the entire lifecycle. Thus, these products are usually not reusable or extensible for other aspects of engineering. Challenges also arise with configuration management and data management of these products. In addition, current tools are not easy to use and are not easily integrated into Microsoft Office. Treating data as a strategic asset and applying these techniques and technologies across the V-model should provide engineers and developers with the information they need to more quickly engineer and manage the complexity of the MDS. With the complexity of the MDS increasing and the amount of data exponentially increasing, faster and smarter engineering techniques and tools that pipeline the work in automatic ways while enabling an efficient configuration and data managed environment are desired. In addition, technologies that allow one to query across all the collected and metadata tagged engineering data sets (e.g., flight test, ground test, digital simulation, requirements, architecture, Random Access Memory (RAM), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), test plans, data analysis, etc.) are also desired. Lastly, technologies that enhance the quality and effectiveness of the MDS; shorten integration time enabling the government to gain efficiencies reducing schedules, and produce more lethal weapon systems are also of interest. PHASE I: Design and develop improved solutions, methods, and concepts for applying AI/ML, and MBSE in systems engineering to create and manage authoritative sources of truth and knowledge across the MDS SoS. The solutions should capture the key areas where new development is needed, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize the time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during design development. Define the architecture and data structures for the MDS M&S enterprise. PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance requirements. The contractor will coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to ongoing and planned missile defense projects. This prototype design will be used to form the development and implementation of a mature, full-scale capability in Phase III. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new hardware and/or software technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, field-able capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology for a missile defense system level engineering environment. REFERENCES: 1. https://ac.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2018-Digital-Engineering-Strategy_Approved_PrintVersion.pdf ; 2. J. Garae, R. K. L. Ko and S. Chaisiri, "UVisP: User-centric Visualization of Data Provenance with Gestalt Principles," 2016 IEEE Trustcom/BigDataSE/ISPA, Tianjin, 2016, pp. 1923-1930, doi: 10.1109/TrustCom.2016.0294. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7847177 ; 3. J. Lu, D. Chen, J. Wang and M. Torngren, "Towards A Service-oriented Framework for MBSE Tool-chain Development," 2018 13th Annual Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), Paris, 2018, pp. 568-575, doi: 10.1109/SYSOSE.2018.8428746. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8428746 ; 4. N. Waldram, S. Cornford, M. Piette and G. Plattsmier, "Cross Lifecycle Modeling in MBSE," 2019 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, USA, 2019, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/AERO.2019.8741966. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8741966 ; 5. N. J. Lindsey, M. Alimardani and L. D. Gallo, "Reliability Analysis of Complex NASA Systems with Model-Based Engineering," 2020 Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS), Palm Springs, CA, USA, 2020, pp. 1-8, doi: 10.1109/RAMS48030.2020.9153633. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9153633 ; 6. Q. Li, H. Wei, C. Yu and S. Wang, "Model and Data Driven Complex Product Development: from V, Double Vs to Triple Vs," 2019 International Conference on Intelligent Computing, Automation and Systems (ICICAS), Chongqing, China, 2019, pp. 860-864, doi: 10.1109/ICICAS48597.2019.00185. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9051368 ; 7. D. J. Folds and T. A. McDermott, "The Digital (Mission) Twin: an Integrating Concept for Future Adaptive Cyber-Physical-Human Systems," 2019 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (SMC), Bari, Italy, 2019, pp. 748-754, doi: 10.1109/SMC.2019.8914324. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8914324 ; 8. https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/7/Take_the_Red_Pill-Digital_Acquisition.pdf

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials; Weapons 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 3.5 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 dynamic seals capable of withstanding temperatures over 800 degrees F and pressures over 3,000 lbf/in^2 (psi) in a solid rocket motor environment. DESCRIPTION: The government desires solid propulsion systems with greater impulse and thrust for future systems. Increasing solid propellant burn temperatures may help achieve this goal but also creates thermal challenges for materials. This topic seeks to improve thermal capability of dynamic seal materials for use in solid propulsion systems. Materials should be capable of operating at temperatures over 800 degrees F and pressures over 3,000 lbf/in^2 (psi). Additionally, low friction, long shelf life, and chemical compatibility in a solid rocket motor environment is desired. One application of dynamic seals is in pintle valves for controllable solid propulsion systems. Traditional elastomeric materials used in these dynamic seals include Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and other fluorocarbons. Proposed solutions could be elastomeric materials with higher temperature capabilities or other innovative concepts for dynamic seals. PHASE I: Evaluate feasibility of proposed material concept by modeling and simulation and/or proof of concept testing. Material formulation and/or coupon fabrication is recommended to provide evaluation of critical properties. Work with solid propulsion system developers to understand environments. PHASE II: Continue material and process development through design, analysis, and experimentation. Optimize processing parameters for yield and quality. Material testing should be conducted to validate material models and generate property databases. Demonstration in a representative environment is desired. Phase II should identify an insertion opportunity and conclude with a mature manufacturing process. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Work with a solid propulsion system manufacturer to iteratively design and fabricate prototype components for high-fidelity testing in a relevant solid rocket motor environment for current or future missile defense applications. A successful Phase III would provide the necessary technical data to transition the technology into a missile defense application. REFERENCES: 1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. October 1973. Space Shuttle Seal Material and Design Development for Earth Storable Propellant Systems. ; 2. U.S. Missile Defense Agency. March 3, 2016. Ballistic Missile Defense System. Retrieved from http://www.mda.mil/index.html ; 3. George P. Sutton. 2010. "Rocket Propulsion Elements." 8th edition, John Wiley & Sons Inc. ; 4. William E. Hansen. 2009. United States Patent #7,509,796, “Pintle Controlled Propulsion System with External Dynamic Seal”

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics; Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform; Sensors; Space Platform 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 3.5 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: Analyze best method and implementation for external inputs to navigation systems for course correction in global positioning system (GPS) denied environments. DESCRIPTION: Currently, most navigation systems must either have inputs from GPS to correct course, or have very accurate Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to ensure angular random walk (ARW) error is low. The former are susceptible to GPS jamming and the latter are expensive, large and can be very sensitive to environmental factors. The government desires non-jammable external queueing systems for constant error correction to allow less expensive IMUs to be used in GPS contested environments on multiple platforms. Application to hypersonic platforms is desired. Current external queuing systems such as star trackers are used for initial position, but not used for constant error correction. Also, star trackers historically have poor performance in direct sunlight. PHASE I: Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts to introduce external inputs into a navigation system. The solutions should capture the key areas for new development, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize the time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during the design and development. PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance goals. Coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to an ongoing missile defense architecture and data types and structures. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, full scale, field-able capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology into a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment. REFERENCES: 1. I. Hrvoic, G.M. Hollyer, Brief Review of Quantum Magnetometers, 2009. https://www.gemsys.ca/pdf/GEM_Brief_Review_of_Quantum_Magnetometers.pdf ; 2. D.J. Pines, X-ray NAVigation for Autonomous Position Determination, National Academies 1. Panel on Robotics, Communication and Navigation, Mar. 29, 2011. 2. https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/depssite/documents/webpage/deps_063592.pdf ; 3. J.E. Hanson, Principles of X-ray Navigation, SLAC-R-809, 1996. https://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacreports/reports16/slac-r-809.pdf

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Space; Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials; Sensors; Electronics; Space Platform; Weapons 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 3.5 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: Design and develop innovative equipment to produce large, nearly perfect, high quality, single-crystal cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) material suitable for the production of the highest-performing long-wave infrared (LWIR) detector arrays. DESCRIPTION: Mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) infrared detector array technology has improved significantly over the last decade. Single element millimeter-sized detectors made from bulk HgCdTe crystals in the 1960’s have evolved today through research into arrays having more than one million elements with each element measuring less than 20 micrometers. This has resulted in Department of Defense infrared systems having much greater sensitivity and a much larger field of view. Infrared detectors made with HgCdTe provide the government with the highest sensitivity for many missile-defense applications. Furthermore, HgCdTe detectors made by epitaxially growing HgCdTe films with differing Hg/Cd ratios onto infrared transparent CdZnTe substrates allow these detectors to operate at the highest cryogenic temperatures possible for a given sensitivity. This greatly increases the platforms and devices these detectors can be used on. As detector arrays get larger, the CdZnTe substrate size needs to increase to both accommodate the larger detectors as well as reduce cost. One major drawback toward producing such large arrays, however, is the relative immaturity of large, nearly perfect, and fully single-crystal CdZnTe substrates. Recent research has demonstrated that some of the very largest HgCdTe infrared detectors arrays have defects that arise from an imperfect CdZnTe substrate. Even for smaller size detector arrays, the lack of large CdZnTe substrates is still driving down the yield and making smaller arrays cost rise to prohibitive levels for some applications. The development of a capability to produce large CdZnTe substrates is recommended. Currently, the government believes that the most promising approach towards achieving this goal would be to extract large (e.g. 8x8 cm) substrates from boules grown in a thermally-stable Vertical Gradient Freeze (VGF) furnace. The boule would have a large diameter (e.g. 150 mm) and be nearly single-crystal. It is anticipated that such a growth furnace would need to have very tight control of the stability and uniformity of the high temperatures within its growth region. This VGF would also include an isotherm zone that is significantly cooler than the growth region in order to support overpressure control. One acceptable approach for responding to this topic would be to propose the development of an innovative VGF design that incorporates new technologies in order to meet or exceed the capabilities described above. Other approaches for producing CdZnTe material will be considered if they show a clear potential to meet the topic objectives and are suitable for the intended application. For example, one approach might be to propose improvements to either a Traveling Heater Method, Vertical Bridgeman, or other innovative furnace designs in order to meet topic objectives. However, the proposal should ompare these alternative methods to the VGF benchmark described above. A more speculative approach would be to epitaxially grow CdZnTe on a different substrate (e.g. CdTe). However, perceived challenges with defects, infrared absorption, CTE-mismatches (from cryogenic to bake-out), and throughput make these approaches seem higher risk compared to furnace-based approaches. These are a few examples and other techniques and approaches will be considered. In all cases, the primary focus of this topic is on the development of the equipment needed to implement a particular growth technique in a production setting, rather than further development of the underlying technique itself. Note that this topic is focused on improving the capability to produce bulk single-crystal CdZnTe material and not on the subsequent steps needed to further process this bulk material into substrates. Solutions related to pre-growth preparation (e.g. precursor purification, mixing, cleaning) are important but are outside the scope of this topic. Likewise, solutions related to further processing bulk-material into substrates (e.g. dicing, polishing) are also outside of the scope of this topic. Proposed solutions should, to the extent possible, leverage existing standards and processes for these steps and shouldn’t add any new steps or complicate existing ones. Proposals should present complete solutions that incorporate a number of innovations, which, as a whole, would significantly push the state-of-the-art. Proposals should not focus primarily on a single aspect of the growth process (e.g. crucible design, control software, modeling) which, by itself, would only provide a marginal, incremental improvement. Proposed solutions should increase equipment life expectancy >2 times and increase CdZnTe substrate yields by >25% compared to existing approaches. Proposed solutions should also be compatible with all the material specifications and safety requirements of a state-of-the-art commercial CdZnTe foundry. The government currently believes that the most viable commercialization plan is for a small business to design, fabricate, and supply production equipment to a domestic CdZnTe foundry rather than trying to produce the material in-house or attempting to produce substrates from this material. Other arrangements will be considered if adequate justification is provided. Proposers are strongly encouraged to partner with a domestic CdZnTe foundry as early as possible. PHASE I: Study the scientific and technical feasibility of the proposed approach. Collaborate with government agencies, CdZnTe foundries, and LWIR detector manufacturers to develop requirements. Conduct research, analyses, and experimentation as needed to demonstrate feasibility and/or validate models. Develop preliminary designs for the new production equipment. Complete cost and performance assessments and compare to existing state-of-the-art approaches. Identify risk areas and mitigation plans that would be implemented in Phase II. Complete a plan for Phase II and collaborate with suppliers to verify that the plan is executable. No travel to government facilities would be necessary during Phase I. PHASE II: Finalize equipment designs and fabricate a prototype. Demonstrate the ability to produce CdZnTe material that approaches (to the extent possible) all of the topic objectives. Provide samples of this material to the government and industry partners for independent assessment. Sample sizes, quantities, and configuration for testing will be coordinated with the government. Update models with experimental data and refine the design based on lessons-learned. Finalize cost and performance estimates based on these initial results. Collaborate with industry partners to put together a Phase III plan that includes quotes and letters of commitment. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Transition operation of the production equipment to a domestic CdZnTe foundry. Provide comprehensive supporting documentation and training for their operation and maintenance. Produce a large quantity (to be contractually specified) of material for verification testing to demonstrate quality, consistency and reproducibility. Continue to improve the equipment design in order to meet or exceed the topic objectives. Adapt the equipment to also support CdZnTe growth for other defense applications (e.g. medium-wave infrared and/or x-ray detection). REFERENCES: 1. Benson, J.D., Bubulac, L.O., Jaime-Vasquez, M. et al. Impact of CdZnTe Substrates on MBE HgCdTe Deposition. Journal of Elec. Mater. 46, 5418–5423 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5599-1 ; 2. Benson, J.D., Bubulac, L.O., Wang, A. et al. Impurity ‘Hot Spots’ in MBE HgCdTe/CdZnTe. Journal of Elec. Mater. 47, 5671–5679 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-018-6523-z ; 3. Benson, J.D., Bubulac, L.O., Jaime-Vasquez, M. et al., CdZnTe Substrate Contamination. Journal of Elec. Mater. 44, 3082–3091 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3823-4 ; 4. Benson, J.D., Bubulac, L.O., Jaime-Vasquez, M. et al. Analysis of Etched CdZnTe Substrates. Journal of Elec. Mater. 45, 4502–4510 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-4642-y

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors; Electronics 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 3.5 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: Research and develop X-band waveforms that are both producible by commercially-available radar electronics and that are optimal for missile-defense applications. DESCRIPTION: Long-range missile-defense radars are capable of producing a wide variety of waveforms in order to maximize sensitivity and/or resolution. The choice of waveform could depend on the task (e.g. acquisition, tracking, discrimination, etc.), target type (e.g. boosting missile, reentry vehicle, etc.), and environmental conditions (e.g. atmosphere, clutter, interference, weather, etc.). The waveform options are, in part, limited by the capabilities of the radar electronics needed to produce them. New, and potentially better performing, waveforms become feasible as electronics continue to improve and are incorporated into new or upgraded missile-defense radars. This topic seeks to research and develop the best X-band waveforms possible for missile-defense applications by leveraging the current state-of-the-art in commercially-available radar electronics. The notional radar application may be assumed to be a large ground- or sea-based X-band (8-12 GHz) active electronically scanned array capable of searching for, tracking, and discriminating missile threats at ranges greater than 1,000 kilometers. Radio Frequency (RF) waveforms may be assumed to be centrally produced and then distributed to the elements. Several transmit and receive channels may be assumed. Targets of interest include ballistic and non-ballistic (e.g. boosting, hypersonic, etc.) missiles as well as their related items (e.g. staging debris, countermeasures, etc.). It is anticipated that modeling and simulation will play an important role in the success of this research and development (R&D) effort. Medium- to high-fidelity models would likely be needed in order to accurately simulate the salient changes to the waveform as it propagates through the atmospheric transmit channel, to/from the target, and then back through the receive channel. Of particular interest is accurately modeling the receiver/exciter subsystem, which could incorporate the latest in commercially-available field-programmable gate arrays, digital-analog converters, timing generators, and data-links (among other components) in order to generate, filter, up-/down-convert, and convert software-defined waveforms between the analog and digital domains. Proposers might need to develop their own receiver/exciter model or improve upon an existing model. The government should have rights to this model and it should integrate well with other subsystem models provided by other vendors. It should be noted that the goal of this effort is not to produce models but rather to use them, as needed, to study and assess optimized waveforms. These waveforms, not models, are the desired end-product of this R&D effort. PHASE I: Identify candidate waveforms based on a literature review and in-house analysis. Consult product specifications to determine which waveforms could be generated using commercially-available hardware. Analyze how these waveforms might be distorted/corrupted given the real behavior of radar hardware, long-range propagation through atmosphere, and target interaction. Propose innovative modifications to the waveform in order to compensate for this distortion. Down-select to the most promising waveforms. Put together a plan for further investigating these waveforms in Phase II using modeling and simulation. Identify any government-provided models and/or information that would help the execution of this plan. Identify which electronics are major contributors to waveform distortion and demonstrate the ability to model at least one contributor’s effect on the waveform. No travel to government facilities would be necessary during Phase I. PHASE II: Obtain, develop, and/or integrate the models necessary to investigate the performance of the waveforms under realistic conditions. If possible, validate these models using measured data. Incorporate government-provided information into these models and refine waveform selections based on this information. Assess these candidate waveforms under a wide variety of objectives, targets, and environmental conditions. Assess innovative modifications to the waveform in order to compensate for distortion. Begin developing a logic tree for when to select a particular waveform and how to optimize its parameters on a pulse-by-pulse basis for a given scenario. Proposers are highly encouraged to begin collaborating with missile-defense radar developers. Portions of Phase II would likely be classified. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Refine the waveforms in a fully classified environment. Assist with implementing these waveforms in a government-provided test radar and analyzing its performance. Transition the products of this research (waveforms and, if applicable, models) to the government and its contractor(s) and continue to provide support. REFERENCES: 1. Mervin C. Budge & Shawn R. German, Basic Radar Analysis, Artech House, 2015. ; 2. Mark A. Richards, Fundamentals of Radar Signal Processing, Second Edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform; Information Systems 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 3.5 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 software tools to predict signatures (Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Radio Frequency (RF), and/or Acoustic) of hypersonic cruise missiles, based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and accounting for turbulence, chemically reactive flow, propellant exhaust chemistry, radiative heat transfer, RF propagation, and acoustics. DESCRIPTION: To address the evolving hypersonic threat, the government desires software tools to predict signatures (EO/IR, RF, and/or Acoustic) of hypersonic cruise missiles, accounting for aerothermal heating, wake flow, propulsion plumes, and ablation. The government envisions the use of CFD software to predict the flight environment of a maneuvering cruise missile system, along with gas-flow chemistry and vehicle material-response computations, plus radiation transport (EO/IR) and RF propagation capabilities. Tools should handle realistic missile geometries and propulsion systems for sustained powered flight (tens of minutes) in the Mach 5 to 10 range at mid-stratospheric altitudes. The government envisions non-real time, high-fidelity solutions. Ultimately, the government desires tools that will support, acquisition, track, and trajectory prediction for hypersonic cruise missiles (modeling and simulation, as well as operational). PHASE I: Develop concepts for new and/or enhanced-existing computational tools to predict aero-thermal effects and signatures for hypersonic cruise missile systems. The contractor should identify strengths/weaknesses associated with alternative solutions, methods, and concepts. Demonstrate credibility of proposed computational and validation approaches. Computational experimentation using simple nominal, unclassified shapes is suitable in this phase. PHASE II: Develop and validate computational tools to support hypersonic cruise missile signature predictions. Tools should account for features and aerodynamic wakes from complex geometries and control surfaces. Provide a performance analysis of the planned computational capability (i.e., computer resource requirements). Complete executable code for the developed signature-prediction toolset, and an operator manual. Develop and implement verification and validation of the toolset. The contractor is expected to become familiar with hypersonic cruise missile test flights and realistic trajectories. Coordinate development efforts with the government, and/or potential prime-contractor partners, to ensure product relevance and compatibility with missile defense projects and government modeling and simulation systems. Portions of the Phase II effort are likely to be classified. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Collaborate with simulation model developer(s) and/or user(s) on integration of product(s) into a missile defense application. Optimize toolset to accommodate new advances in the technology of tracking and prediction of cruise missile flight. Transition the technology to an appropriate government or defense contractor for integration and testing. Integrate and validate the functional signature tools into a real-world missile defense application. REFERENCES: 1. J. Letsinger, “Hypersonic Global Strike Feasibility and Options,” Air War College Research Paper, Air University, Maxwell AFB Alabama, February 2012. ; 2. J.J. Bertin, RM Cummings. “Fifty Years of Hypersonic, Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going.” Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 39: 511–536, 2003. ; 3. Candler, Johnson, Nompelis, Gidzak, Subbareddy, and Barnhardt. January 2015. “Development of the US3D Code for Advanced Compressible and Reacting Flow Simulations.” AIAA-2015-1893, AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Kissimmee, FL. ; 4. J.D. Anderson, “Hypersonic and High-Temperature Gas Dynamics” 2nd Edition. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Reston, VA 2006. ; 5. D. Van Wie, S. D’Alessio, M. White, “Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion.” Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Volume 26, No. 4: 430-437, 2005. ; 6. J. McNamara, P. Friedmann, “Aeroelastic and Aerothermoelastic Analysis in Hypersonic Flow: Past, Present, and Future.” AIAA Journal; Vol. 49, No. 6: 1089-1122, 2011.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace; Weapons 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 3.5 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 technology to improve kill effectiveness of interceptors. DESCRIPTION: Highly maneuverable threats challenge the performance abilities of hit to kill interceptors. Increasing the effective kill volume of a hit to kill interceptor may relax overall system requirements and improve affordability of defense systems. This topic will explore kill enhancing devices, to include warheads, which improve the probability of kill for highly maneuverable advanced threats. Relevant technology and investments could fall under numerous categories, such as: modeling and simulation, fuzing, warhead, sensors, etc. Improvements in hardware should minimize size and mass while increasing the effective kill volume. The kill enhancing device should improve the kill volume, warhead compactness, and/or lethality given the following technical parameters. The maximum missile fairing size should not exceed a 21-inch diameter. The maximum warhead mass should not exceed 50 kilograms. Improvements in fuzing technology should optimize end-game distance and timing to interception. Improvements in sensor technology should consider a minimum closing velocity at 1.5 km/s. Kill enhancing devices can be, but are not limited to: blast/fragmentation/shaped charge warhead, fragmentation material, fuzing technology, sensor technology, etc. PHASE I: In the Phase I effort, the contractor will perform a trade study to identify kill enhancing devices in relation to the advancing missile defense environment. The optimal kill enhancing device will be down-selected for initial conceptual design from the performed trade study. An analytical study should demonstrate the kill enhancing technology improves the kill volume, lethality and/or compactness of the warhead. PHASE II: In the Phase II effort, the contractor will design and develop sub-scale warhead component technology demonstrated through bread board/brass board testing. The sub-scale testing should validate the analytical predictive modelling. Portions of the Phase II effort are likely to be classified. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In the Phase III effort, the contractor will produce a full scale prototype demonstration and evaluation of the technology. Contractor will provide manufacturing, quality, and safety documentation to be transferred to a program of record. REFERENCES: 1. Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, “Chapter 13 Warheads.”, https://fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/fun/part13.htm ; 2. An, X.; Ye, P.; Liu, J.; Tian, C.; Feng, S.; Dong, Y. Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation Characteristics of Metal Cylinder and Rings Subjected to Internal Explosive Loading. Materials 2020, 13, 778. ; 3. Fong et al. Adaptive Fragmentation Mechanism to Enhance Lethality. US 8276520 B1, United States patent and Trademark Office, 02 Oct. 2012 4. Kuhns et al. Fragmentation Warhead. US 6484642 B1, United States patent and Trademark Office, 26 Nov. 2002

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform; Information Systems; Battlespace; Weapons 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 3.5 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: Support hypersonic threat interception by developing battle management and advanced guidance and control algorithms based on differential game theory, continuous pursuit/evasion concepts, control theory, and optimization methods. DESCRIPTION: The subsequent trajectory and aim point of a detected and tracked hypersonic threat is indeterminate, although subject to constraints, due to either pre-programmed maneuvers (unknown in advance to the defense) or real-time evasion by the threat from a threat-detected interceptor. Application of state-of-the-art pursuit-evasion strategies to battle management and to guidance and control processes could increase the likelihood of successful defense. Key output of the objective computational capabilities is optimal interceptor launch scheduling and dynamic behavior in flight (i.e., the interceptor flight plan to be updated in useful real time during the engagement). Expected collateral outputs include optimal (from the offense point of view) threat behavior and a collapsing map of possible threat impact points. The computational framework should be capable of real-time solution, and be suitable for execution at the battle management node and, optimally, onboard the interceptor(s). The objective of this topic can be further described by considering the scenario-imposed constraints on both the defense/pursuer/interceptor and on the offense/evader/threat: The underlying assumption is that the evader (the offensive threat), has two objectives: (i) maneuver to evade interception by the defense, and (ii) conserve sufficient momentum and energy to reach the target (or alternatively, another high-value target). Model constraints for the offense may include threat missile performance capabilities, target/target-set selection, degree of offense knowledge/assumptions about defense-asset capabilities, and capacity for sensing of defensive interceptor maneuvers. One special case is where the offense pre-programs the threat target with a pre-determined evasive trajectory, but does not update that trajectory based on real time tracking of the interceptor. A parallel underlying assumption is that the pursuer (defense) has the objective of denying either one of the two offense objectives, i.e. to either achieve intercept or to force the threat to exhaust its energy capability to reach target range due to evasive maneuvers. Model constraints for the defense may include interceptor performance, interceptor inventory, threat acquisition and tracking accuracy, knowledge/assumptions about the threat capability and intention, and defended asset relative values. Primary near-term application is in defense against boost/glide-type offensive hypersonic weapons, and for interception during the threat mid-trajectory glide phase. PHASE I: Develop computational algorithms for the differential game with limited constraints using nominal trajectories. This phase should focus on 1-on-1 simulation (one pursuer and one evader). The scenario could utilize a single interceptor at a certain location and a single threat with one target. Algorithm outputs could be battle management, optimal launch scheduling, and optimal guidance onboard the interceptor. Evaluate feasibility compared to traditional guidance, navigation and control (GNC) with nominal data. PHASE II: Enhance computational capability with increased functionality. This could also include the possibility of government supplied information. A missile defense system insertion opportunity should be identified. Work with a potential system integrator. Evaluate effectiveness compared to traditional GNC. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Develop fire control and guidance algorithms based on Phase II results, suitable for insertion into an operational battle manager and/or interceptor GNC (guidance, navigation and control). Work with system integrator to develop roadmap for actual insertion into an operational system. Productize the tool to expand capabilities to other military applications. REFERENCES: 1. Differential Games: A Mathematical Theory with Applications to Warfare and Pursuit, Control and Optimization, Rufus Isaacs, John Wiley and Sons, 1965. ; 2. Mauro Pontani and Bruce A. Conway , “Numerical Solution of the Three-Dimensional Orbital Pursuit-Evasion Game” 1. J. of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, Vol. 32, No. 2, 474 – 487, March – April 2009 https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.37962 ; 2. Mauro Pontani and Bruce A. Conway , “Optimal Interception of Evasive Missile Warheads: Numerical Solution of the Differential Game”, 3. J. of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, Vol. 31, No. 4, 1111 – 1122, July – Aug 2008. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.30893

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics; Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors 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 3.5 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: This topic seeks to advance the state-of-the-art in infrared scene projector (IRSP) technology in order to increase hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) test and evaluation capability to address requirements related to Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors for hypersonic target signature detection. DESCRIPTION: Hypersonic and counter-hypersonic system development is a national defense priority. Next-generation EO/IR sensor systems associated with these platforms challenge existing HWIL test and evaluation capabilities. This topic seeks technology developments that would enhance HWIL capability to test multi-spectral (MS), hyper-spectral (HS), and wide field-of-view (WFoV) sensor systems to assess sensor/seeker performance under simulated hypersonic aerothermal and aerodynamic conditions to accommodate space tracking applications for hypersonic and ballistic threats. Enhanced capability requires integration of multiple technologies (hybrid solution) for scene projectors to meet next generation sensor performance testing. Current generation sensors are at the limits of testability in existing test chambers. Current HWIL capabilities are as follows: −Spatial Resolution/Format: Existing facilities which have 512x512 projection capability cannot meet WFOV needs. Currently, WFOV and large format sensors are tested piecewise. That is, test a part of the sensor, stop test, rearrange the setup and test the next part. This is both inefficient in test time and does not test the entire sensor over its field of view, or full format. This practice prevents system level effects from being tested. Projector arrays require 2-1 spatial sampling ratio. −Temporal Response: Current Infrared Scene Generators (IRSG) are ~ 200Hz with 8 – 14 bits of radiance quantization. −Spectral Range: Current IRSGs are single band (long-wave infrared, middle-wave infrared, or short-wave infrared). −Spectral Resolution: Currently most projectors span across a band. −Dynamic Range: Maximum apparent temperatures are < 1000 degrees K. Future Multi-spectral, Hyperspectral, and WFoV sensor requirements greatly exceed current capability for Hardware-in the loop sensors testing. This project would push capability towards the following: −Spatial Resolution/Format: An ability to test wide field of view sensors with apertures up to 10”; an ability to test sensor arrays approaching 8k x 8k (64M pixel). −Temporal Response: 1 kHz (objective); > 200 Hz (threshold); Radiance quantization: 14 bits (threshold) 16 bits (objective). −Spectral Range: Accommodates Dual-Band operation. −Spectral Resolution: Accommodates wavelength selectively with spectral resolution < 0.15 micrometers for each pixel. −Dynamic Range: Necessary maximum apparent temperatures need to be > 1000 degrees K (threshold); > 1300 K (objective). PHASE I: Complete optical, mechanical, electrical design layout using existing commercial components that target the cost-Size, Weight and Power (c-SWAP) and system requirements prescribed with predicted system performance results based upon Modeling & Simulation (M&S). Identification of tech gaps/shortfalls for specific components/devices performance desired. PHASE II: Down-select among performers to build and demonstrate a prototype for a specific representative test scene. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Integrate the developed technology into a (HWIL) application to evaluate the performance of the technology in real world test environment. REFERENCES: 1. Igor Anisimov and Yakov Soskind, "Infrared Dynamic Scene Projector: Technical Challenges and System Requirements”, 2016 GOMAC Tech Conference. For access to reference, please email: igor.anisimov.1@us.af.mil ; 2. Daniel A. Saylor, D. Brett Beasley, Bill Braselton, and James A. Buford Jr. "Current status of IR scene projection at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command", Proc. SPIE 4366, Technologies for Synthetic Environments: Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing VI, (31 August 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.438066 ; 3. Jim Oleson, John Cordell, Derek Greer, Tom Joyner, and Brian Woode "Large format resistive array scene simulation validation testing and readiness", Proc. SPIE 7663, Technologies for Synthetic Environments: Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing XV, 76630A (23 April 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.852648

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform; Information Systems; Weapons 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 3.5 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: Evolve beyond classification based on a predetermined set of features for a given threat type and reason on a larger set of information to include scene based reasoning and contextual evidence. DESCRIPTION: Advances in technology have allowed adversaries to employ numerous types of reentry vehicles and decoys in an attempt to thwart counter techniques. Understanding and classifying inbound objects quickly provides critical information necessary to perform optimal midcourse defense through precision assignment and targeting of the highest priority objects. To enhance the accuracy of this classification, we pursue advances in contextual reasoning. Recognizing that the threat may not appear as was predicted, that which can be discerned from the context about the engagement and threat presentation could be key. DARPA has expanded the ‘wave’ concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to a third wave of AI including contextual adaptation, and we aspire to incorporate this paradigm for threat identification. The first wave of AI was expert systems with handcrafted reasoning – rules that were defined by subject matter experts. The second wave brought in the new developments in machine learning, primarily supervised deep learning in the classification domain. Although this was a remarkable advancement, it generally dealt with individual classification and obscured the reasons for the classification call. For complex scenes, hierarchical reasoning, scene based reasoning, or evidence based reasoning for an expanded concept and exploitation of evidence, may enable us to achieve additional accuracy for threat identification, as well as gain confidence knowing why the determination was made. The goal is to develop a better classifier, with disparate sensor data. that assesses classification of objects, including over time (as opposed to single shot classifiers) so that salvo firing control can be better informed to target high priority objects. The classifier must be mission assured by informing the operator of an unknown classification of an object rather than best guess by way of some metric in order to prevent misclassifications on zero-day events. PHASE I: Demonstrate proof of principle with technology prototype. From self-generated representative data from two different sensor types, design a classifying technology utilizing additional scene, or context, information. Deliver Algorithm Description Document (ADD) to accompany final report with test results and analysis. PHASE II: Using realistic, relevant data, produce matured technology prototype. Define preferred data and message content for optimal technology performance. Validate concept with flight and/or ground test data. Assess performance across a range of government supplied scenarios and data compositions. Deliver ADD with test results. This phase will likely be classified due to the nature of the data. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The topic has numerous unclassified applications, as well as alternate classified applications. For example, disease detection, mental illness diagnosis, terrorist identification, disaster management, and natural language processing. REFERENCES: 1. Looking for a synergy between human and artificial cognition: Brézillon, P., Blackburn, P., Dapoigny, R. (eds.) CONTEXT 2013. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 8175, pp. 45–58. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). ; 2. Representation of procedures and practices in contextual graphs. Brézillon, P. Knowl. Eng. Rev. 18, 147–174 (2003). ; 3. Reasoning with Contextual Knowledge and Influence Diagrams. Erman Acar, Rafael Peñaloza, arXiv:2007.00571v1. ; 4. Relational inductive biases, deep learning, and graph networks, P.W. Battaglia et al, arXiv:1806.01261v3, October 2018 ;

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Space Platform; Battlespace 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 3.5 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: Design an Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) system that distributes across multiple sensors and systems terminating at the interceptor. DESCRIPTION: Federated Neural Nets (FNNs) train an algorithm across multiple, heterogeneous decentralized edge devices, such as sensors, or cell phones, where the assumption of independent, identically distributed data may not be valid. Google has explored this concept of keeping all the training data on the device, decoupling the ability to do machine learning from the need to store the data in the cloud, or a centralized server. FNNs have been utilized to learn a shared prediction model while components provide more secure transmission of information. For missile defense, the interceptor seeks determination of object class, as well as threat attributes to support handover applications that could benefit from artificial intelligence. However, the interceptor is separated from raw sensor data which could inform neural nets by layers of information processing. In a distributed system, generally, raw data is refined repeatedly through the system, and the terminal node then has very limited information available to resolve complex, dynamic situations. If the system is designed and trained, however, as one coherent network, the information transmitted for interceptor exploitation is maximized. In this case, layers may reside in a distributed manner and parameters are transmitted across the communications network, adding an extra layer of security. For a classical supervised machine learning system class labels are associated with input data, and this is the goal here, but the NN itself is distributed across multiple nodes. The proposed solution is not required to be a NN, or an FNN in particular, but needs to utilize elemental data in a manner that allows maximum flexibility for the terminal element. PHASE I: Design a system that distributes a machine learning application across multiple, disparate sensors. Analyze message size, processing loads at each node, and utility for terminal node. Explore factors that may inform feasibility, suitability, and utility in the missile defense system. Deliver a prototype system with test data and results. PHASE II: Expand and mature the prototype to the actual missile defense system with realistic data, transmission rates, and potential bandwidth limitations. Demonstrate performance for terminal node threat identification. Explore robustness across system uncertainties. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Many data fusion applications where raw data can be fused at a remote node to predict a classification would benefit from this technology. This could include illness prediction from pharmacy ordering patterns and/or traffic prediction from cell phones. REFERENCES: 1. Communication-Efficient Learning of Deep Networks from Decentralized Data, H. Brendan McMahan, et al, Feb. 2017, arXiv: 1602.05629v3. ; 2. Federated Machine Learning: Concept and Applications, Qiang Yang et al, Feb. 2019, arXiv:1902.04885v1. ; 3. Performance Analysis of Distributed and Federated Learning Models on Private Data; International Conference on Recent Trends in Advanced Computing 2019. ; 4. Agnostic Federated Learning, Mehryar Mohri, et al, Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Machine Learning, 2019.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace 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 3.5 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: Design a technology to serve as a battle management aid, in particular inform salvo management. DESCRIPTION: Although system-wide battle management handles tasking and assignments to sensors and weapon systems, each weapon system then must assign weapons from its inventory and request tasking. As new versions of weapons come online, mixed field inventory assignment and management can become difficult to optimize in light of fundamental uncertainties. Not only may the salvo composition need to be constructed from more than one weapon system, but modest but significant differences in ability and reliability should also be considered. Additionally, salvo timing and management after launch in light of potential battlespace updates should inform the battle management. Input will consist of threat state from the centralized battle manager, but considerations need to be made concerning the type of threat system being engaged in terms of fundamental capabilities – matching interceptor capabilities to threat capabilities. With fixed inventory sizes, and uncertain threat inventories, the goal is to define how highly capable and reliable weapons should be partitioned to address the threat. Salvo composition, timing and management, before as well as after launch should be optimized with respect to available, and dynamic, threat information. PHASE I: Define a test set of two major interceptor versions, with modest but significant variations in capability and reliability among the sets. Define a small set of threats that represent variety in maneuverability, countermeasure configuration, and warhead number. Define an artificial intelligence system, e.g. reinforcement learning, that produces a small set of battle plans from which the warfighter can select. Demonstrate how battlespace updates effect the plan. Develop prototype code with an algorithm description document with test results. Include particular input information that would benefit the operation. PHASE II: Using high fidelity weapon and threat information, including throughout the timeline, upgrade the fidelity of the system to handle realistic data. Ensure the developed plan is consistent with commander intent as well as defined tactics, techniques and procedures. Define how the system would respond to data updates, and define requests for more information (sensor tasking.) Submit a list of preferred system information to support optimal engagement. Develop and deliver code with an algorithm description document with test results and analysis of government delivered scenario data as well as own data. Demonstrate through analysis robustness of the system. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: This task involves system automation and could learn from, as well as inform, automated systems such as vehicle driving, plant operation, and inventory management for emergency response. REFERENCES: 1. Alpha C2-An Intelligent Air Defense Commander Independent of Human Decision-Making, Qiang Fu et al, IEEE Access, May, 2020, DOI 10.1109/Access.2020.2993459. ; 2. An Introduction to Deep Reinforcement Learning, Vincent Francois-Lavet et al, December 2018, ArXiv:1811.12560v2. ; 3. AI-enabled wargaming in the military decision making process, Peter Schwartz et al, Proc. SPIE 11413, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Multi-Domain Operations Applications II, 11413H (April 2020) doi 1117/12.2560494. ; 4. PEORL: Integrating Symbolic Planning and Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning for Robust Decision-Making, Fangkai Yang et al, Proceedings of the twenty-Seventh International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI – 18).

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning; 5G; Microelectronics; Space TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors; Electronics; Space Platform; Nuclear; Weapons 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 3.5 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: To develop a process to radiation harden commercial microelectronics that were not originally designed to operate in a radiation environment. DESCRIPTION: The market for microelectronics that meet government radiation requirements is small. Commercial microelectronics can meet the government’s performance requirements but they are not designed to meet military radiation requirements. The underlying concept of this topic is that today’s state-of-the-art microelectronics have inherent radiation hardness that meet certain levels of performance in the space and man-made environments. For example, Fully-Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (FD-SOI) technologies and Fin Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) technologies have an inherent hardness to single-event effects because of their reduced sensitive area at the transistor level. Additionally, cube sat vendors have developed single board computers that use an architecture built on the use of commercial radiation tolerant electronics to meet their radiation requirements. This topic seeks innovative solutions that modify already fabricated parts to enhance their radiation performance for single-event effects and dose-rate. Parts should be able to survive and operate through space radiation environments with recommended total ionizing dose (TID) >100 krads (Si), single event upsets (SEU) < 10-10 errors/bit-day, and immunity to single event latch-up (SEL) at linear energy transfer (LET) levels > 75 MeV cm2/mg. For dose-rate, the modification must improve the part’s performance 10x or demonstrate the part can already meet significant dose-rate levels. Potential solutions may involve modifying the SOI substrate of FDSOI to improve their hardness or changing the dopant concentration of the semiconductor. Other solutions may use a concept of heterogeneous packaging that pairs a state-of-the-art Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or general purpose processor with a radiation tolerant or hardened watchdog part. This would be similar to the concept of taking a single board computer and redesigning it with advanced heterogeneous packaging techniques. Solutions that will not be accepted are ones that rely on shielding the part or requiring access at the state of the art foundry to add or change masks. All solutions should start with already fabricated parts either in bare die form or packaged parts. PHASE I: Develop the proposed approach to a sufficient level to demonstrate its viability and identify requirements for full development. The following are anticipated at the conclusion of Phase I: a) A demonstration/proof-of-concept of the viability of the proposed approach. b) A plan for the development of an initial working prototype capability. PHASE II: Optimize design(s) to improve baseline performance, increase survivability and level of operability in realistic radiation environments. Fabricate and test optimized parts in realistic radiation environments and against standard military temperature cycling specification. Work with a vendor/trusted foundry/fabrication house and/or military prime contractor on part(s) manufacturability/producibility. Incorporate hardened parts in a representative space avionic subsystem/system application and test in realistic space radiation environments. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Team with a vendor/trusted foundry/fabrication house and/or military prime contractor to develop and space qualify radiation-hardened parts. Work with the transition partner to establish a pathway to insert technology into an existing or planned missile defense application. REFERENCES: 1. Srour, J.R., and J.M. McGarrity. “Radiation Effects on Microelectronics in Space.” Proc. IEEE; (United States) 76:11 (1988). ; 2. A. H. Johnston, "Radiation effects in advanced microelectronics technologies," in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 1339-1354, Jun 1998. ; 3. P. Nsengiyumva et al., "Analysis of Bulk FinFET Structural Effects on Single-Event Cross Sections," in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 441-448, Jan. 2017, doi: 10.1109/TNS.2016.2620940. ; 4. R. Liu et al., "Single Event Transient and TID Study in 28 nm UTBB FDSOI Technology," in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 113-118, Jan. 2017, doi: 10.1109/TNS.2016.2627015.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Sensors, Electronics, and Electronic Warfare TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Microelectronics, Space, GWR OBJECTIVE: Develop a compact, free-space electro-optical (EO) shutter to regulate photons arriving at a laser-based remote sensing receiver and to detect weak returns from targets largely obscured by strong returns from overhead tree canopies or camouflage. DESCRIPTION: The government seeks to develop a compact, low-cost, dynamic optical shutter/isolation capability for integration with existing and/or future active remote sensing platforms. The system shall be capable of operating with a high repetition rate (Objective: 100 kHz) pulsed, polarized output, free-space pulsed lasers (1064 nm), and deployable in-line with narrow field of view imaging lidar systems. The device shall have an acceptance angle of 1 degree or more, maintain and select polarization, and be bi-directional. It shall facilitate on-demand pico- and nanosecond gating between 200 pm to 100 ns, ideally, of both a pulsed laser source and the time-delayed return of reflected pulses off a far-field target. The capability can build on Pockels Cell/Q-Switch technology and represents a new functional implementation and developmental evolution of this technology because it leverages recent advances in crystal growth, electrode design, and voltage control electronics. It promises to dramatically improve the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of long-standoff active EO systems. The proposed range gating technology will be demonstrated as a breadboard prototype. By providing exquisite temporal power control over in-situ scene illumination (transmitter) and received backscatter, it should improve the performance of traditional Geiger-mode lidar systems by improving the probably of detection of targets under canopy, while conferring improved system-level optical damage tolerance to both inadvertent and adversarial sources of high-intensity illumination. Such a capability will allow for improvements in the ability of single-photon and conventional linear-mode lidar systems to image past highly reflective objects (such as canopy) by selectively and effectively attenuating these returns, while simultaneously improving sensor sensitivity with respect to far-field target objects in the human activity layer. Because of the notional design of such a system, this capability, as developed, also lends itself for use in dynamic in-sensor attenuation of highly reflective objects in scene and undesired sources of active illumination within the field of regard. It affords the entire system an additional degree of protection against optical damage and provides additional capabilities in the areas of pulse picking and/or pulse slicing. In addition, it confers the potential to pick pulses out of a multi-pulse train (e.g., MHz pulse repetition frequency), reduce the pulse width of nanosecond pulses into the picosecond range, and selectively gate far-field returns based on the mission profile. PHASE I: Develop one or more proof-of-concept component designs and modeling analysis that meet the technical performance requirements outlined above. PHASE II: Build a monolithic optical assembly that is fixture mountable to a standard imperial optical breadboard, and associated electrical equipment, suitable for bench testing. Identify paths to a production-ready device that can be integrated into a long-standoff 3D imaging system. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The desired Pockels cell will improve both passive and active imaging systems that require nonmechanical high-speed optical shutters and signal attenuators, specifically those already using optical components based on the Pockels effect.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): AUTONOMY OBJECTIVE: Establish a general approach for dynamically setting the tuning parameter for a given community detection (CD) algorithm and graph. Validate the approach on four algorithms with novel data provided by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) . DESCRIPTION: NGA produces timely, accurate, and actionable geospatial intelligence to support U.S. national security. NGA works with a variety of data types including graph networks, which can be used to analyze computer, biological, and social networks. One of the fundamental problems in graph networks is CD. About half of all CD algorithms require a tuning parameter. For example, the Walktrap [1] algorithm finds communities by taking random walks on the graph, but the user must define the length of the walks. For the purposes of this solicitation, we are investigating the four CD algorithms in Table 1. Table 1 CD algorithms and their parameters. Time complexity is provided in terms of n (number of nodes) and m (number of edges). All four algorithms are available in the igraph library [5]. CD algorithm Tuning parameter Time complexity Walktrap [1] num_steps O(mn2) Spinglass [2] gamma O(n3.2) Leiden [3] gamma O(nlog(n)) FluidC [4] num_communities O(m) In real-world scenarios (where ground truth is not available) parameter selection is performed by maximizing a heuristic like modularity [6]. However, this approach has several limitations. First, modularity is unable to resolve small communities in large networks, even when they are well-defined [7]. Second, the brute-force approach to parameter tuning is computationally inefficient because it requires running the algorithm multiple times. The purpose of this solicitation is to develop a method for dynamically setting the parameter value for a given CD algorithm based only on observable features of the graph (e.g., number of nodes, degree distribution, average diameter, centrality measures, or clustering coefficient [8]). This approach reduces the overall time required to process large graphs by avoiding a brute-force search, facilitates automation of the CD algorithms, and advances research in parameter selection for graph network algorithms. Please note that NGA prefers proposals whose dynamic parameter selection solutions generalize beyond CD algorithms and even beyond the graph network domain. CD algorithms that are parameter-free (e.g., Fastgreedy, Infomap, Label propagation, or Edge betweenness see [9]) or based on deep learning [10] are out of scope for Phase I. Communities are defined as subgroups of nodes that are more densely connected internally than with the rest of the network, suggesting that the network has certain natural divisions within it. PHASE I: Design and develop a method for dynamically setting the parameter value for a given CD algorithm and graph. Test the proposed approach on the four CD algorithms listed in Table 1. NGA will evaluate funded proposals using test graphs for which NGA knows the ground truth. For each test graph, performers must choose one tuning parameter for each of the four CD algorithms. The performers’ scores and an analysis of the time complexity of their approaches will determine who is funded in Phase II. PHASE II: Validate the generalizability of the proposed approach by dynamically setting the parameter value for at least two other graph algorithms (i.e., not CD algorithms). Performers will be responsible for selecting the target algorithms and performing experiments that validate their approach. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The ability to automate algorithms that otherwise require human input is of significant commercial value. This technology could be used to create new features for existing software products or automate human-driven processes. REFERENCES: [1] P. Pons and M. Latapy, “Computing communities in large networks using random walks (long version),” arXiv:physics/0512106, Dec. 2005 [Online]. Available: http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0512106. [2] J. Reichardt and S. Bornholdt, “Statistical Mechanics of Community Detection,” Phys. Rev. E, vol. 74, no. 1, p. 016110, Jul. 2006, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.74.016110. [3] V. A. Traag, L. Waltman, and N. J. van Eck, “From Louvain to Leiden: guaranteeing well-connected communities,” Scientific Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 5233, Mar. 2019, doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41695-z. [4] F. Parés et al., “Fluid Communities: A Competitive, Scalable and Diverse Community Detection Algorithm,” in Complex Networks & Their Applications VI, Cham, 2018, pp. 229–240, doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-72150-7_19. [5] G. Csardi, “The igraph software package for complex network research,” Int J Complex Syst, vol. 1695, 2006 [Online]. Available: https://igraph.org/. [6] M. E. J. Newman, “Modularity and community structure in networks,” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 103, no. 23, pp. 8577–8582, Jun. 2006, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0601602103. [7] A. Lancichinetti and S. Fortunato, “Limits of modularity maximization in community detection,” Phys. Rev. E, vol. 84, no. 6, p. 066122, Dec. 2011, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.84.066122. [8] L. Peel, “Estimating network parameters for selecting community detection algorithms,” in 2010 13th International Conference on Information Fusion, 2010, pp. 1–8, doi: 10.1109/ICIF.2010.5712065. [9] Z. Yang, R. Algesheimer, and C. J. Tessone, “A Comparative Analysis of Community Detection Algorithms on Artificial Networks,” Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 30750, Aug. 2016, doi: 10.1038/srep30750. [10] F. Liu et al., “Deep Learning for Community Detection: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities,” Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 4981–4987, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.24963/ijcai.2020/693.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics; Information Systems; Materials; Space Platform 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 3.5 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: The objective of this topic is to develop applied research toward an innovative capability to develop a small form factor system that enables reliable access to the Starlink commercial internet system. DESCRIPTION: As a part of this feasibility study, the proposers shall address all viable overall system design options with respective specifications on the key system attributes. The current commercial Starlink system uses a 1m dish and requires significant amounts of power to operate. The key system attributes for the desired system are that it must be man portable and battery powered. The system should be designed to be as small as possible while providing enough link margin to achieve reliable internet connection over the Starlink constellation. The antenna and modem need to be miniaturized along with being integrated with a small commercial off the shelf Software Defined Radio (e.g. Epiq Z2) for the RF link. PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study to assess what is in the art of the possible that satisfies the requirements specified in the above paragraphs entitled “Objective” and “Description.” The objective of this USSOCOM Phase I SBIR effort is to conduct and document the results of a thorough feasibility study (“Technology Readiness Level 3”) to investigate what is in the art of the possible within the given trade space that will satisfy a needed technology. The feasibility study should investigate all options that meet or exceed the minimum performance parameters specified in this write up. It should also address the risks and potential payoffs of the innovative technology options that are investigated and recommend the option that best achieves the objective of this technology pursuit. The funds obligated on the resulting Phase I SBIR contracts are to be used for the sole purpose of conducting a thorough feasibility study using scientific experiments and laboratory studies as necessary. Operational prototypes will not be developed with USSOCOM SBIR funds during Phase I feasibility studies. Operational prototypes developed with other than SBIR funds that are provided at the end of Phase I feasibility studies will not be considered in deciding what firm(s) will be selected for Phase II. PHASE II: Develop, install, and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study on a man portable Starlink system. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: This system could be used in a broad range of military applications where the need for a man portable Starlink system is required for operation of a communication or data exfiltration system. REFERENCES: 1. Special Operations Tactical Communications, Defense Media Network, 27 May 2020, Andrew White; https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/special-operations-tactical-communications/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Microelectronics; Network Command, Control and Communications TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics; Information System; Materials; Space Platform 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 3.5 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: The objective of this topic is to develop applied research toward an innovative capability to develop a small form factor antenna that enables Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite communications for small handheld devices. DESCRIPTION: Design a long-range cruise missile incorporated into a Common Launch Tube (CLT) with a threshold range of 200 NM and an objective range greater than 400NM. This system will include, at threshold, an EO/IR seeker and as an objective incorporate a multi-mode seeker package able to acquire and/or reacquire targets in flight. At threshold it shall have a removable payload section that can accept 13lbs of warhead or other desired payload (objective of 37 lbs), compatibility with an X-Net radio, electric propulsion, and an INS/GPS (M-Code) capability. Key attributes include the long range, data link connection to Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) (threshold) and SADL/Link-16 (objective), resilient GPS/INS to work in a denied GPS environment, a sensor capable of identifying targets once over the target area, and a payload to effect the target. PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study to assess what is in the art of the possible that satisfies the requirements specified in the above paragraphs entitled “Objective” and “Description.” The objective of this USSOCOM Phase I SBIR effort is to conduct and document the results of a thorough feasibility study (“Technology Readiness Level 3”) to investigate what is in the art of the possible within the given trade space that will satisfy a needed technology. The feasibility study should investigate all options that meet or exceed the minimum performance parameters specified in this write up. It should also address the risks and potential payoffs of the innovative technology options that are investigated and recommend the option that best achieves the objective of this technology pursuit. The funds obligated on the resulting Phase I SBIR contracts are to be used for the sole purpose of conducting a thorough feasibility study using scientific experiments and laboratory studies as necessary. Operational prototypes will not be developed with USSOCOM SBIR funds during Phase I feasibility studies. Operational prototypes developed with other than SBIR funds that are provided at the end of Phase I feasibility studies will not be considered in deciding what firm(s) will be selected for Phase II. PHASE II: Develop, install, and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study on a small form factor UHF SATCOM antenna. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: This system could be used in a broad range of military applications where the need for a small form factor UHF antenna is required for operation of a communication or data exfiltration system. REFERENCES: 1. Special Operations Tactical Communications, Defense Media Network, 27 May 2020, Andrew White; https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/special-operations-tactical-communications/.

RT&L FOCUS AREA(S): Hypersonics; General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons 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 3.5 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: The objective of this topic is to develop an innovative long-range cruise missile that will fit in the Common Launch Tube (CLT) and have a threshold range of 200 NM and an objective range greater than 400NM. DESCRIPTION: Design a long-range cruise missile incorporated into a Common Launch Tube (CLT) with a threshold range of 200 NM and an objective range greater than 400NM. This system will include, at threshold, an EO/IR seeker and as an objective incorporate a multi-mode seeker package able to acquire and/or reacquire targets in flight. At threshold it shall have a removable payload section that can accept 13lbs of warhead or other desired payload (objective of 37 lbs), compatibility with an X-Net radio, electric propulsion, and an INS/GPS (M-Code) capability. Key attributes include the long range, data link connection to Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) (threshold) and SADL/Link-16 (objective), resilient GPS/INS to work in a denied GPS environment, a sensor capable of identifying targets once over the target area, and a payload to effect the target. PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study to assess what is in the art of the possible that satisfies the requirements specified in the above paragraph entitled “Description.” The objective of this USSOCOM Phase I SBIR effort is to conduct and document the results of a thorough feasibility study (“Technology Readiness Level 3”) to investigate what is in the art of the possible within the given trade space that will satisfy a needed technology. The feasibility study should investigate all options that meet or exceed the minimum performance parameters specified in this write up. It should also address the risks and potential payoffs of the innovative technology options that are investigated and recommend the option that best achieves the objective of this technology pursuit. The funds obligated on the resulting Phase I SBIR contracts are to be used for the sole purpose of conducting a thorough feasibility study using scientific experiments and laboratory studies as necessary. Operational prototypes will not be developed with USSOCOM SBIR funds during Phase I feasibility studies. Operational prototypes developed with other than SBIR funds that are provided at the end of Phase I feasibility studies will not be considered in deciding what firm(s) will be selected for Phase II. PHASE II: This system could be used in a broad range of military applications where a long-range weapon must fit in small space. REFERENCES: 1. SOCOM Replenishing Precision-Guided Weapon Stockpiles; https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2018/5/11/socom-replenishing-precision-guided-weapon-stockpiles#:~:text=Dynetics%27%20standoff%20precision%2Dguided%20munition,systems%2C%20according%20to%20the%20company.&text=The%20kits%20will%20provide%20SOF,munitions%20and%20other%20weapon%20systems.