ONRBAA08-012.pdf

ONR BAA Announcement Number 08-012 Posted to FedBizOpps and FedGrants on ______________________

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA):

Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development

INTRODUCTION:

This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2), the Department of Defense Grants and Agreements Regulations (DoDGARS) 22.315(a), and DoD’s Other Transaction Guide for Prototypes Projects, USD(AT&L), OT Guide, Jan 2001. A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), other solicitation, or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) will not issue paper copies of this announcement.

The ONR reserves the right to fund all, some or none of the proposals received under this BAA. ONR provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs.

Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of ONR to treat all proposals as sensitive competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Agency Name -

Office of Naval Research

2. Research Opportunity Title –

Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development

3. Program Name –

Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development

4. Research Opportunity Number -

ONR BAA 08-012

5. Response Date -

White Papers Due: 03 April 2008 Full Proposals Due: 22 May 2008

6. Research Opportunity Description -

The Office of Naval Research (ONR), Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism S&T Department (ONR 30) is interested in receiving white papers and proposals for both Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development.

The seven Thrust Areas for which proposals are sought are as follows:

6.1. Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4)

General background information:

The S&T investment in Command and Control is focused in three main areas: (1) implementing the FORCEnet concept and its Marine Corps instantiation, Marine Air Ground Task Force Command and Control (MAGTF C2),with technologies to securely exchange data and information with and among distributed tactical forces; (2) developing decision support systems that enable tactical warfighters to take advantage of the FORCEnet and MAGTF C2 and tactically extend Net-Enabled Command and Control (NECC) for shared situational awareness; and (3) providing effective position location determination and combat identification of enemy combatants, friendly forces, and non-combatants especially in restricted communications environments. S&T investment is needed in all three of these areas to enable the realization of the USMC Distributed Operations.

The Vision: Through a seamless information architecture, future comprehensive command and coordination will be characterized by increased freedom of action and enhanced access to all distributed elements of national power through comprehensive interconnected networks.

Specific areas of interest for this BAA:

1. Basic research in materials and fabrication that has potential to lead to reduced size, weight, and power consumption components for radio frequency distribution systems in military VHF and UHF bands (30-512 MHz). Of particular interest are matching networks, channelizers, circulators, linear amplifiers, filters and electromagnetic interference architectures. Power handling ability and low-noise operation are also important factors.

2. Applied research in the areas of:

a. Adaptive Networks: proof-of-concept of methods to allow standard software applications (without modification of the application) to effectively work on intermittent, low-throughput, wireless tactical networks. Implicit in this is the need to work with heterogeneous devices and to provide a degree of fault tolerance and recovery. An important goal is minimization of network overhead while maximizing usefulness of the applications. Proposed solutions should be compatible with current military hierarchical network architectures and foreseeable distributed network architectures.

b. Adaptable Antennas: low-cost, antennas technology that can support omni-directional, sector and directional communications for individual Marines or vehicles. Though this concept would support narrowband communications, the goal is to develop antennas that can cover a wide frequency range (military UHF/VHF or UHF to S-band) in a variety of environments including urban, within structures and forested. Of particular interest are low observable designs, rapid switching between directionality modes and frequencies, and light weight.

c. Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Software-Defined Radio

Architecture: develop software-programable radio architecture using the flexibility of field-programmable gate arrays that is compatible with anticipated future versions of the Joint Tactical Radio System’s software communication architecture. Paramount are capabilities to support military UHF and VHF bands, soldier radio waveform and secure versions of wireless local area networks. A goal is the ability to simultaneously host two distinct waveforms while minimizing cost, weight, size and power consumption. Of interest are complete radio architectures, including power amplifiers and antennas, and the ability to support multiple-input-multiple-output functionality.

d. Info on Demand Technology: develop models, predictive algorithms and computing capabilities that anticipate and deliver the exact information tactical users will need with minimal input, based on the location, environments they traverse and the missions assigned. Key to this is the ability to autonomously adapt information content delivered and presentation to the user based on local computing information storage and computing capability, throughput and reliability parameters of the communications network and perceived stress level of the user while minimizing network overhead. Of interest are methods that adaptively balance computational activities between end users and reach back point or among end users.

3. Advanced technology development in the areas of:

a. Advanced High Frequency Communications: technology development and demonstration of improved terrestrial beyond-line-of-sight communications focusing on reliability, predictability, and throughput. Of particular interest are application of previous work on compact broadband antennas; broadband antenna coupling; pre-coding; modulation; channel definition; networking; and methods for time-averaging environmental contributions. Effort will result in the fabrication of a minimum of three brass board units and execution of field demonstration showing enhanced capabilities.

b. Restricted Environment Communications: technology development and demonstration of advanced modulation, coding, channel definition, spectrum agility, and antennas to allow effective tactical communications in difficult propagation and multi-path environments such as urban areas and forested regions. Methods compatible with anticipated future versions of the Joint Tactical Radio System’s software communication architecture and with established waveforms such as the soldier radio waveform are especially desirable. Link lengths of 10 km in selected restricted environment at a throughput of 50 kb/s are reasonable guidelines. Longer distance links at lower throughputs are desirable. Power management and networking are also important considerations. Three brass board prototypes should be delivered along with field demonstration of these units.

6.2. Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR)

General background information:

The S&T investment in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is focused on providing real-time actionable intelligence for small unit operations (to include Distributed Operations) at the tactical edge. Specific focus areas are (1) identity dominance enabled by biometrics and Tagging, Tracking, and Locating (TTL), (2) real time methods for the analysis of human networks, (3) exposing hidden human networks, and (4) nanotechnology enabled witness materials.

The Vision: Asymmetric and irregular warfare tactics negate our conventional combined arms superiority. Enemies blend in with locals in complex (often urban) terrain. In this environment, ISR enabled capabilities to expose and understand human networks are critical. Networks are exposed by the dynamic observation of entities in disparate data sources Networks understanding is achieved by advanced analysis tools. Future ISR systems must also provide support to real-time tactical decision making, additive to supporting planning.

1. Identity dominance - Integrated biometric/ Tagging, Tracking, and Locating (TTL), capability

a. Objective: Provide human tracking algorithms based on models of biometric (face, voice and soft) and TTL (optical taggant) capabilities.

Investigate what track continuities are required for track classification.

Model a biometric/optical taggant system relevant to human tracking across an urban 5 km x 2 km area. If funded, support a proof of concept field test.

b. Discussion: The accuracy of biometric and TTL capabilities degrade with distance. It is not practical, however, to saturate an urban area with sensors. The current objective of the identity dominance area of interest is to prove that sparse biometric and TTL sensors working together can provide sufficient information to form and classify tracks.

2. Real time methods for the Analysis of Human Network Modeling

a. Objective: Increase “battlespace awareness” of human networks, improve the accuracy of classification decisions and enable a human network predictive capability.

b. Discussion: Against irregular and asymmetric actors, enhanced non-kinetic capabilities against human networks are desired. Specifically, work is needed to increase “battlespace awareness” of human networks, improve the accuracy of classification decisions and enable a human network predictive capability. The first research goal involves the development of a unique human network identifier, expressed as a multi-dimensional vector or tensor. A human network can be expressed by what it has been, how it is behaving now and the external forces influencing its behavior. Each of these three terms is also a multidimensional vector, made up of observable and latent variables. Novel network descriptors are needed to complement currently available metrics which are based on composition, structure, roles and communication flows. New attributes should be dynamic and include attributes such as the semantic distance between a network and other entities (events, places, and people).

Research must mature our ability to translate open source information into relevant and enduring categories of external forces. Classic social-cultural insights must also be modeled as external force attributes. A human network tensor, once defined and computed, is intended to be precise enough to allow the recognition of the same network in disparate data sources and for the recognition of closeness between one network and another. Classification decisions can be based on an examination of difference between the current state of the multi-dimensional human network vector and its past state. Markov hidden models can be used to test if measured differences are due to a human network state change or due to some other reason. Classification decisions can also be based on the nearness of a human network tensor and events of interest in time/ space. Once a human network tensor can be defined and dynamically observed in a common feature space, predictive capabilities are realized.

If one network is observed to be moving towards at-risk behavior, a generalized force warning may be enabled addressing the threat associated with all networks with similar human network tensors. When combined, research into human network awareness, network classification and network prediction, will be a powerful tool for warfare against the irregular actor.

3. Exposing Hidden Enemy Networks

a. Objective: Based on an uncovered human network identity (past and current structure and function), automatically develop own action decision options with predicted consequence.

b. Discussion: A game changer in irregular warfare is gaining the capability to encourage positive behavior and disrupt negative behavior.

Additionally, enhanced knowledge of how action can increase the separation in feature space between the behavior of good and bad actors or actors is needed. Higher resolution human network models, enabled by advanced network analysis, a richer understanding of human nature and environmental factors, need to be developed in order to enable effective warfighter decisions. Understanding the consequence of action taken to influence human networks ahead of time is critical to improving warfighter effectiveness and efficiency.

4. Decision space modeling

a. Objective: Develop fused models of decision surfaces for groups of people from models of decision making that incorporate the boundary conditions dictated by the limits of the human mind/brain and the boundary conditions dictated by cultural, political and economic factors.

b. Discussion: Human decision making is constrained by what a person is capable of thinking about or considering. Natural cognitive processing can be very different across disparate populations. Additional work is needed to translate available evidence on how people process information into boundary conditions on decision making. Additionally human decision making is influenced by cultural, political and economic factors.

For a group of people to achieve some agreed upon final state, the decisions they make over time must align. This generates another set of boundary conditions that can be used to define decision spaces. Lastly, work is needed to learn how to fuse decision states derived from knowledge of the person with knowledge of the group.

5. Nanotechnology-Enabled Witness Fields

a. Objective: Development of sensors that provide near real time decision support to distributed operations by detecting specific interactions.

b. Discussion: Nanotechnology offers the potential to revolutionize tactical sensors. For example, very small sensors that can “witness” environments as well as the proximity between specific people and between specific people and places could be used by the warfighter to verify information. To enable this, nanomaterials that change state in the presence of another nanomaterial need to be developed.

6.3. Force Protection

The S&T investment in Force Protection is focused on the prediction, prevention, detection, neutralization, and mitigation of hostile actions against personnel, facilities, and equipment. Proactive initiatives are intended to help shape the battlefield and enable the application of decisive military force how, when, and where desired. Three specific areas of interest apply to the Force Protection Thrust: defeat of explosive hazards (landmines, improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers); personnel and platform protection (counter-rocket, artillery, mortars, rocket propelled grenades and counter sniper); and personnel protective equipment. Proposals for 6.1 basic research, 6.2 applied research, and 6.3 advanced technology development are encouraged. White papers and proposals should document the specific phenomenology and previous research that supports the proposed technical approach. Submissions should reference the specific area of interest being addressed on the cover page. Proposals based on mature technologies that do not require research to implement will not be considered.

The Vision: Our vision is to provide advanced technology capabilities to the Marine Corps and Navy forces operating in an expeditionary environment by predicting, preventing, detecting, neutralizing, and mitigating known and anticipated threats. The investment is intended to minimize the impact of threats on military operations planning and execution, and to provide increased survivability across the spectrum of conflict.

1. Explosive hazard defeat

a. Mine Countermeasures

Mine countermeasures should emphasize scientific concepts that can be applied to the detection, neutralization, and mitigation of these devices in both the land and riverine environments. Desire to enable detection and neutralization from significant standoff distances, over a wide area, and have the capability to provide rapid and effective in-stride route clearance is stressed. Classes of mines of interest include single anti-tank and anti-personnel types, buried and surface laid, and mine fields. Neutralization of the explosive component is of particular interest; however, proposals cannot assume that the device exact location is known. The final focus area is the mitigation of the effects of the device through methods other than armor and vehicle geometry approaches.

b. Counter-improvised explosive devices

Counter-improvised explosive devices (CIEDs) should emphasize scientific concepts that can be applied to the standoff detection, neutralization, and mitigation of the effects of these devices in both the land and riverine environments, and to the prediction of the occurrence or potential for occurrence of IED events. Detection and neutralization approaches should be plausible from significant standoff distances and over a wide area, while neutralization of the explosive component (TNT, C4, TATP, Urea Nitrate, etc.) is of particular interest. Neutralization concepts that are based on knowing the exact location of the device or rely on the presence of specific associated IED components (electronics, triggers, electro-explosive devices, etc) will not be considered. Research addressing social networks and organizations as related to the construction and deployment of IEDs and that may assist in the prediction of IED events should be proposed. Prediction proposals that utilize statistical or pattern associations from past events in order to predict future events need not be submitted; however, proposals that seek to understand or exploit particular Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconaissance (ISR) signatures to either aid in detection or prediction are particularly relevant. Classes of IEDs that are of interest include stationary explosive devices (either exposed, buried, or concealed), vehicle-borne explosive devices such as car or truck bombs, and explosive devices that may be carried by humans (see separate heading), animals, or other normally innocuous transportation methods. Fully assembled devices and components in storage or assembly locations should be considered.

c. Counter Bomber

Counter Bomber is a subset of the CIED problem. Proposals specifically addressing scientific approaches to the defeat of the suicide bomber should address methods of detection at either a security check point or in open uncontrolled public spaces. Research goals are focused on development of individual or combined sensor modalities, fusion of data from multiple sensors, and algorithms to autonomously analyze fused sensor data.

Performance goals for this focus area are high probability of detection with low false alarm rate against stationary and moving targets from all aspect angles.

2. Self protection

a. Counter-rocket, artillery, mortars, rocket propelled grenades

Emphasis in the Counter-rocket, artillery, mortars, rocket propelled grenades (CRAM) area is on technologies that can be applied at the small unit or individual level, and therefore self sufficiency and light weight will be key criteria. CRAM should focus on standoff sensing, warning of targeting, or warning of incoming threats. CRAM neutralization technologies are desired that can intercept or defeat incoming threats with minimal chance of fratricide.

b. Counter Sniper

Counter sniper seeks scientific concepts that detect the sniper before the shot and that could enable detection of snipers in real time, in all weather conditions, from a moving platform or dismounted troops, and offer 3600 surveillance at a threshold range of 300 meters and to a height of 20 meters. Concepts should be capable of operating in a variety of terrains (complex urban to densely vegetated waterways) and offer high probability of detection with low false alarm rate.

3. Personnel protective equipment

Personnel protective equipment should enhance existing protection levels without adversely affecting human performance objectives. Scientific goals for this topic may include advanced ballistic materials, physics and mathematical-based human models and surrogates for analysis of injury mitigation and optimized modular design analysis.

Specific areas of research interest are: modeling and simulation aimed at understanding the dynamic interaction of the protective equipment and the body to assess loads, individual movement, and fatigue with the goal of improving the load bearing capability of the system; and development of validated, robust, biofidelic test surrogates correlated to injury criteria for analyzing behind armor effects such as blast, blunt trauma, and ballistic effects.

4. Other

This section offers an opportunity for proposals not strictly defined under any of the above headings. Using the general guidance provided in the background and vision statements and the themes discussed in the above focus areas, scientific proposals that seek to enhance force protection and increase survivability can be submitted.

6.4. Logistics

General background information:

The S&T investment in logistics emphasizes the research and development of new technologies pertinent to the following three aspects of logistics: (1) providing comprehensive asset visibility, (2) optimizing asset transport/delivery (3) ensuring sustainment of operations by enhancing the self-sufficiency of operational units.

The Vision: Marines of the future, operating as distributed forces supported from the sea, will benefit from a precisely tailored level of logistic sustainment from sea-based platforms to rapidly maneuvering forces ashore. Logistic planning and delivery systems of the future will be both more responsive and flexible, enabling them to keep pace with rapidly changing operational scenarios. Likewise, the commodities that are delivered will provide more operational value per unit weight in order to enhance both self sufficiency and operational maneuverability. Finally, operational units will benefit from technologies that permit them to safely capitalize on the opportunistic local availability of logistic commodities such as fuel and water.

1. Seabased Air Cargo Delivery System for Small Combat Units:

ONR solicits novel concepts for precision air deliveries of at least 500 lbs of supplies over distances of up to 200 miles from ships operating off shore to squad or platoon-sized combat units operating inland. Novel solutions are sought toward the intersecting needs of two emerging expeditionary warfare concepts: Seabasing and Distributed Operations.

As the name implies, Seabasing is intended to significantly reduce or eliminate the necessity for establishing land bases to support expeditionary warfare. With Seabasing, the traditional functions of a land base would instead be shifted to a number of ships operating in the vicinity of land combat operations. From a logistics standpoint Seabasing would sharply curtail or eliminate the establishment of fixed shore-based supply depots.

Distributed Operations describes an expeditionary warfare option whereby squad or platoon-sized units operate geographically separate from one another, but close enough to coordinate operations as required. Distributed units would be highly mobile and most likely required to operate for extended periods without the benefit of secure ground supply links. In order to avoid the confluence of Seabasing and Distributed Operations from placing an undue strain on limited helicopter assets, innovative alternatives to conventional helicopter re-supply are sought that would that would: 1) free-up limited helicopter flight hours toward other pressing Seabase-related needs, 2) decrease the necessity to conduct repetitive helicopter operations over unsecured terrain, and 3) conceivably provide a quicker response to emergency supply needs.

Potential solutions might include modifying established air or ship launched ordnance delivery methods and technologies for the precision delivery of supplies. Or, they might involve the direct transfer of supplies from non-aviation ships to fixed wing aircraft in flight. Concepts might utilize non-traditional approaches such as gliders, powered parafoils, seaplanes, airships, and gyroplanes; or conventional fixed or rotary wing aircraft operating in conjunction with such non-traditional airframes. The only restriction on the type of ship required to launch a logistic payload is that it be a vessel normally used in conjunction with expeditionary warfare. Although it is intended that an award would culminate in a realistic demonstration of the concept, it is well understood that some concepts might require non-risk bearing portions only to be implemented via surrogates or simulation in order to stay within the available budget.

2. Advanced Materials to Reduce Maintenance Requirements of Marine Corps Equipment:

ONR solicits basic and applied research toward innovative materials intended to reduce the frequency of maintenance required for Marine Corps vehicles, helicopters, ordnance or electrical equipment. The intent is to increase operational readiness by reducing the impact of mechanical wear, corrosion, and thermal degradation.

Possible topics for research might include novel metallic or nonmetallic materials whose bulk properties have been selectively and gradually modified toward the surface, self-healing coatings, sacrificial material layers or other concepts that can be economically applied to existing materials or structures. Concepts may include extremely hard coatings that reduce wear, corrosion resistant materials or surface treatments, materials formulated to resist high temperature degradation or other concepts that lessen routine maintenance and component replacement. Basic research efforts would likely pursue novel concepts of general applicability, whereas applied research would seek to investigate novel materials as applied to specific hardware components.

3. Modular Composite Bridge Technology Demonstration:

ONR seeks to conduct a full scale technology demonstration of a modular composite bridge structure that could serve as a replacement for the currently used metal Medium Girder Bridge. The intent is to demonstrate the capability of a modular design fabricated from composite materials to 1) simplify the process for manufacturing military tactical bridge components, 2) decrease the time required for field assembly of components, 3) increase the versatility of assembly options to meet local field conditions and anticipated load requirements, and 4) simplify logistic storage and transport.

The modular components of the technology demonstration prototype must be capable of constructing a bridge 4.5 meters wide, up to 42 meters long and capable of achieving a maximum Military Load Classification (MLC) of 100.

6.5. Human Performance/Training & Education

General background information:

The S&T investment in Human Performance Training and Education (HPT&E) is intended to enhance future Marine Corps capabilities by developing technologies, which seek to close human performance gaps utilizing training and education technologies as well as physiological and nutritional solutions. The focus shall be to prepare Marines for distributed/asymmetric warfare– from fire teams through the MAGTF level – by exploiting emerging simulation and collaborative training technologies and enablers, which permit integration of live, virtual, and constructive simulations for training.

The Vision:

HPT&E seeks to enhance the combat efficiency of the U.S. Marine Corps through the development of technology enablers. HPT&E is based on the perspective that the Marines and their supporting elements – gear, weaponry and information – must be addressed as an integrated system. HPT&E S&T efforts are predicated on the principal hypothesis that success in combat is optimized by application of innovative technologies, techniques and methodologies across a comprehensive range of Warfighting domains.

The ultimate product of the HPT&E vision is a Marine and their unit optimized and prepared for complex operations-- a scalable Marine infantry unit, acting in concert with the commander’s intent, exercising the initiative to act independently and/or as part of a task-organized team.

The Goal:

The goal of the Human Performance (HP) Focus Area is the optimization of individual and team performance in distributed/asymmetric combat environments using a range of solutions, scaleable across all leadership levels, elements of the MAGTF, and command echelons. HP places dual emphasis on understanding Warfighter capabilities and limitations as they apply to the combat arena by expanding the former and mitigating the latter. The goal of the Training & Education (T&E) Focus Area is to provide technologies which support the fundamental Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that make up the complete Warfighter. T&E includes a continuum of methods that support combat effectiveness, from basic knowledge and skills acquisition, to consolidation in mission-specific, scenario-based training, to targeted education in specialties such as critical thinking to prepare for complex, ambiguous combat conditions (“Train for certainty…educate for uncertainty”). Optimized T&E is the edge that enables Marines to respond quickly and to “think on their feet.”

Specific areas of interest for this BAA:

1. Command Post Information Integration - Current Marine Corps Command Posts are overwhelmed with information overload, leading to poor Situation Awareness (SA), poor decision-making and the inability to share and process important relevant information to seniors or subordinates. With the increase in distributed/asymmetric operations, this problem may increase significantly. Therefore, establishing and validating quantitative benchmarks for operational perceptual and decision-making performance are necessary.

Also, key information and data exchange strategies, including both hardware and software infrastructures and adaptive, technological prototypes, are needed to facilitate efficient and effective sharing and distribution of information and Situation Awareness attainment and understanding of contributing operational factors (e.g., sensor data quality, stress, fatigue, operational metrics). Key metrics include increased cognitive processing in the combat environment by greater than 50%.

2. Ergonomic and Physiologic Optimization Tools - Strict ergonomic and physiologic rules dictate how much ‘power’ an Infantryman can produce in order to physically perform, cognitively prepare himself, and sustain himself under the rigors of extended combat. The applied sciences of human factors and ergonomics offer powerful tools for optimizing physical and cognitive performance and the interactive effects among brain, body, combat gear and environment. These tools have yet to be fully harnessed to the challenge of optimizing the Infantryman. Models are needed that quantify the power production potential of the individual Infantryman and relate that potential to time-to-failure for extended periods, taking into account the modifying effects of environmental conditions (including terrain, weather, combat situation). Also needed are tools that:

enable rapid and simultaneous prototyping of multiple technology solutions to a desired system/component requirement level; include system specifications and form factor analyses, bounded by the multi-factor aspects of the Marine System and small unit teams, to ensure a smooth, integrated capability; and enable the attainment/maintenance of physiological readiness before, during and after missions.

3. Culture, Language, Ethics, and Values Non-kinetic Training Techniques – Optimizing situational awareness requires forward deployed forces to have linguistic and cultural knowledge and tools to distinguish adversary behavior from civilian non-combatants and understand/identify relationship(s) between the two. Direct communication that provides both the semantic meaning and the cultural context/perspective is critical to successful non-kinetic aspects of military operations amongst civilian populations. Currently, ground forces rely almost entirely on human translators to provide language translation and cultural context. The goal of this BAA is to address the needs of the USMC and other Naval ground forces by providing tools, techniques, and systems to enhance second language learning and cultural understanding including improving diagnostics for language proficiency. These capabilities will be built using recent findings in the fields of cognitive, cultural and social linguistics. Longer-term research agendas that will support future tools is also necessary. This includes work developing empirically tested computational models of language acquisition and processing (both Level 1 and Level 2) that incorporate cross-cultural variation, identifying cognitive and neural signatures that are identifiers of aptitude for second language learning, and understanding cross-cultural differences in neural processing of language. Work may include research in cross-cultural learning of non-verbal cues and communication.

6.6. Maneuver

General background information:

The Maneuver Thrust Area develops advanced technologies to increase the capabilities and effectiveness of the Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and aids in the execution of the Global War on Terrorism. Innovative technologies are pursued that address the entire fleet of USMC ground assets in the areas of survivability, mobility, fuel efficiency and unmanned systems. Specifically, there is interest in technologies in the following areas: (1) Advanced power plants, drive trains, and suspensions, (2) Advanced materials and survivability technology to enhance the performance and survivability of combat vehicles, and (3) Advanced robotic systems.

The Vision: Marines will maneuver from the seabase in a family of high-speed connectors that include amphibious vehicles, tilt-rotor and rotary bladed aircraft, and high-speed surface craft. Once ashore, Marines will maneuver utilizing a family of highly mobile and survivable combat and tactical vehicles.

1. Propulsion, Drive Trains, Suspensions and Fuel Efficiency

a. Develop technologies to improve current vehicle mobility and support a new family of vehicles that are lighter in weight, more fuel efficient, and more capable of being effectively transported by air from the seabase ashore. Advanced propulsion, drive trains, steering systems, and suspensions to improve performance over rough terrain are required to enable greater agility and efficiency without sacrificing speed or mobility.

b. Develop technologies relative to infinitely variable transmissions to improve fuel efficiency, reduce weight and volume, reduce complexity, and be cost affordable specifically for wheeled vehicles in the HMMWV class and for future vehicles in the 10,000 to 30,000 lb. range.

c. Develop technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption for diesel powered wheeled vehicles to include carburetion, turbo charging improvements. These technologies may also focus on increasing reliability, availability and maintainability of vehicular platform structures and power plants to include revolutionary coating and plating techniques which will reduce wear/friction and increase lubricity resulting in increased component life, fuel efficiency and mean time between failures. Coating techniques and applications should be able to coat to tolerance, be stable over the lifetime of the application and meet MIL- STD-810C specifications.

2. Platform Survivability

a. Develop technologies to improve the survivability of both current and future tactical and combat vehicles through the use of innovative passive and active technologies.

b. Develop novel, affordable, and producible lightweight armor technologies appropriate to B-kit appliqué as well as integral armor for medium tactical vehicles. Innovative Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) armor solutions and spall liners with improved performance over current state-of-the-art (i.e. Kevlar, Dyneema, S2 glass) are also of interest.

c. Develop combat / tactical vehicle seating systems with shock mitigating characteristics to reduce the incidence or severity of injuries during mine blast or IED events. Innovative seat restraint systems which allow occupants rapid ingress / egress, good visibility, and low probability of fouling on body armor or other combat equipment is of special interest.

d. Develop technologies to improve crash avoidance for military vehicles in environments such as fog, night, white out, stealth, and sandstorm conditions, and during convoy operations.

3. Robotics, Unmanned Platforms and Autonomous Operations

a. Develop technologies for robotics, teleoperation, autonomous operation, machine vision, and related means for taking the human out of direct involvement in hazardous and exceptionally arduous missions.

b. Develop technologies which serve to enhance multiple robotic platforms working in consonance, manned and unmanned platform collaborative warfighting, unmanned platform obstacle/collision avoidance and autonomous sense and respond operations in multiple domains (air/land/sea). It is desirable to have the respective unmanned platforms operate under a common UxV architecture to promote interoperability and modularity. The technologies and their operating protocols must be capable of complying with the Department of the Navy Autonomous Operations Precepts. All technologies additionally must be capable of supporting coastal warfare, riverine and expeditionary operations, over-the-horizon at the tactical/task unit level. The multi-platform footprint should not exceed the weight, cube and space characteristics for transport to the area of operations in one (1) C-17.

6.7. Fires

The Fires Thrust Area develops advanced technologies to increase the capabilities and effectiveness of the Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and aids in the execution of the Global War on Terrorism. Innovative technologies are pursued that address the entire arsenal of USMC fire power assets in the areas of Targeting and Engagement technologies, Advanced Munitions, and Advanced Weapons. Specifically, there is interest in technologies in the following areas: 1) integrated day night sights for personal/crew-served weapons, 2) precise and accurate delivery of 81mm mortar rounds through trajectory shaping of the ballistic flight path and on-board guidance/seeker system, and 3) precise and accurate delivery of 81mm mortar rounds through compensation of the wind direction/velocity effects at the point of launch.

The Vision:

Marines will maneuver from the seabase and operate in all climes and places. Small, distributed Marine units will locate, close with, and destroy larger enemy units through precise and accurate fires. They will use integrated optics/sensors that can see through all battlefield conditions (day, night, low light, and obscuration) and organic, precision delivery weapons that will give them rapid and accurate overwhelming firepower.

1. Integrated Day Night Sight Technlogy (IDNST)

a. Objectives: Develop a system and supporting technologies for ground troops to have a highly functional, lightweight, weapon aiming device/optic that is capable of operating day and night in a wide variety of weather/visibility conditions. This device must allow US Forces to detect potential enemy forces out to the maximum effective range of their personal weapon (not handguns) before they can engage US Forces.

These potential adversary personnel may also be operating in highly cluttered urban environment with both short and long range weapons and optical devices. The IDNST will operate day and night once mounted on the Marine’s weapon and/or helmet and provide the operator with sufficient information to make an engagement decision within an appropriate time of possible detection. If helmet mounted, a clear aimpoint for the weapon must be displayed. Once detection is made, the IDNST will allow the operator to utilize magnification (at least 2x – 8x) to point and track the weapon at the selected target. The decision to engage the target will be left to the operator. The low visibility/night system display may be B&W and/or color. If the system utilizes laser technology during operations, then it must be eye safe for all personnel at appropriate ranges depending on aided or unaided operation. ONR envisions that the completed IDNST may use technologies such as near infrared (NIR), short wave infrared (SWIR), medium wave infrared (MWIR), or long wave infrared (LWIR) and able to provide vital military utility value in fog, rain, smoke, dust, day & night operations, and inside buildings/caves to allow the operator to have key visual standoff features.

b. Technical challenges (include, but not limited to):

1. Detect enemy personnel carrying weapons preferably before they fire a shot when utilizing the IDNST in a manual scan mode.

The key objective is to see crisp/clear/high resolution images to make positive identification of enemy personnel at ranges out to the maximum effect range of the weapon system (up to 1000m or more).

2. Develop techniques to reject clutter and maximize probability of correctly detecting, locating and identifying targets.

3. Reduce system design complexity minimizing moving parts while maximizing robustness to include providing a laser and be a lightweight system (must be ~ 2 lbs or less, but a weight of 1.5 lbs or less is the preferred goal to include power source).

4. System will be used by Marines and/or Soldiers to aim personal infantry weapons (M4, M16 series, M249) in a wide variety of combat environments to include urban environments and will undergo firing in these environments.

5. The IDNST must be fully integrated with the infantry weapon to include zeroing weapon, ballistic compensation, windage and elevation adjustments, etc.

6. The IDNST must be capable of operating in temperatures from - 40 deg F to +140 deg F.

7. If weapon mounted, the IDNST must be capable of being affixed to standard Picatinny rail mounting systems found on infantry weapons.

2. Precision 81mm round delivery

a. Distributed Operations Precision Engagement – Wind Sensing

Technology

1. Wind velocity sensing technology. Lack of precise knowledge of wind velocity severely impacts the precision of unguided munitions. This source of inaccuracy is traditionally quantified in terms of range error (head or tail wind dependent) and azimuthal error (cross wind dependent). A wind velocity sensing system is needed capable of determining head and cross wind velocity components along a 5,000 meter unguided munitions trajectory (2,500 meter max ordinate). The sensing system shall be accurate to within 2 knots (1 sigma) for each orthogonal velocity component. The system shall be of size, weight, and power (SWaP) and ruggedness appropriate for the dismounted warfighter operating under challenging physical and meteorological conditions.

Specifically, this BAA seeks proposals for development of Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 breadboard prototypes that demonstrate wind velocity sensing feasibility.

Breadboard prototypes shall be configured for laboratory use. The TRL-4 prototypes shall be subjected to appropriate and credible accuracy testing. The TRL-4 prototypes shall meet or exceed the following minimum performance criteria:

Wind Velocity Sensing Accuracy 2 knots 1 sigma Wind Velocity Sensing Range 2,000 meters

In addition to meeting/exceeding the above criteria, the TRL-4 prototypes shall credibly demonstrate how the SWaP, ruggedness, and longer sensing range (5,000 m) requirements will be achieved by more advanced prototypes.

2. Wind velocity prediction, interpolation, and extrapolation algorithms. Wind velocity sensing will not occur at the precise time and location of a particular shot. Yet, the ballistic computation for a particular shot assumes the wind velocity data are current and along the trajectory. A prediction, interpolation, and extrapolation algorithm is needed that will project prior sensed wind velocity data to the moment of a planned shot.

Furthermore, the algorithm shall interpolate/extrapolate from the actual sensed location(s) to the planned trajectory itself. The predictions/interpolations/ extrapolations of the algorithm shall be accurate to 2 knots (1 sigma) or for each orthogonal velocity component given perfect sensed data up to 30 minutes old and 1,000 meters remote.

It is anticipated that accurate atmospheric modeling on small time and length scales will be required to fulfill this need. Methods for accuracy testing of prototype algorithms shall be addressed. The algorithms shall be capable of running on a standalone laptop or tablet computer under the Microsoft Windows or Linux operating systems.

Specifically, this BAA seeks proposals for algorithmic investigations that demonstrate the feasibility of wind velocity prediction/interpolation/extrapolation meeting or exceeding the following minimum performance criteria:

Computed Wind Velocity Accuracy 2 knots 1 sigma (each velocity component) Age of Input Data 30 minutes Remoteness of Input Data 1,000 meters

The investigative results shall provide appropriate and credible methods for algorithm accuracy testing.

b. Flight Control Kinematic Unit for 81mm Mortar

The Office of Naval Research is seeking whitepapers describing concepts to affordably outfit unguided existing and future 81-mm mortar rounds with guidance, navigation, and controls (GNC) to enable trajectory shaping in urban environments with a resultant delivery accuracy within 5-m circular error probable (CEP) excluding target location errors. Trajectory shaping in this urban environment means the ability to guide the munition to impact at locations in-between buildings. The Flight Control Kinematic Unit shall have a means to load mission parameters; set flight operation as guided or unguided;

set the programmed trajectory in guided mode to divert from the ballistic flight to precisely achieve the 5m CEP; or be able to sense, acquire, and appropriately divert to impact an aimpoint from a designation system within a 5m CEP, and set the detonation mode as either point detonation upon target impact or point in space mode that detonates along a specified point in the programmed trajectory. Each mode shall be uniquely selectable and programmed during the setting operation. In the event Flight Control Kinematic Unit is gun-launched without having been set, it shall function as an unguided round in the Point Detonating mode.

Flight Control Kinematic Unit shall withstand the forces encountered during manual loading and launch operations. It shall be supplied, handled, loaded, fired and extracted in a similar manner as a conventional fuze. In guided flight mode it shall reach at least 90% of the maximum range as its unguided counterpart.

7. Point(s) of Contact –

Questions of a technical nature should be submitted to:

Point of Contact Name: Ms. Laura Worcester Point of Contact Occupation Title: Deputy, Programming, Planning and Operations

Department Title: Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare & Combating Terrorism S&T Department Department Code: ONR 30 Address: Office of Naval Research

One Liberty Center, OLC 1163 875 N. Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995

E-mail address: laura.worcester@navy.mil

Questions of a business nature should be submitted to:

Point of Contact Name: Pleshette Brown Point of Contact Occupation Title: Contract Specialist Division Title: Contract & Grant Awards, Management Division Code: Code ONR 0253 Address: Office of Naval Research One Liberty Center, OLC 127E 875 N. Randolph Street Arlington, VA 22203-1995 Email Address: Pleshette.brown@navy.mil

8. Instrument Type(s) -

Awards may take the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transaction agreements, as appropriate.

9. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers -

12.300

10. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Titles -

Basic Scientific Research

11. Other Information -

This announcement is restricted to basic and applied research and that portion of advanced technology development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. Contracts, grants and other awards made under this BAA are for scientific study and experimentation directed towards advancing the state of the art and increasing knowledge or understanding.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

The estimated total amount of awards is $50M anticipated to be made available over a three year period. ONR may issue BAAs annually with a potential open period of one year. ONR may award less than $50M under this BAA and apply subsequent funding as it is made available in the out-years.

*Anticipated Range of Individual Award Amounts:

$300K to $3M per year

*Anticipated Period of Performance:

Up to three (5) years

* Funding Type:

Research and Development Funding of Budget Activity 1 (Basic Research), Budget Activity 2 (Applied Research), and Budget Activity 3 (Advanced Technology Development) is available for this effort.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All responsible sources from academia and industry may submit proposals under this BAA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals.

However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation.

Federally…