P07 Area of Interest WHSCSO250001 FSM.pdf

Area of Interest (AOI) for

FAST STEERING MIRRORS FOR DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON SYSTEMS

Project Number WHSCSO250001 Commercial Solutions Opening HQ0034259WHSCSO AOI Title Fast Steering Mirrors for Directed Energy Weapon Systems DoD Program Office Joint Directed Energy Transition Office Issued by Washington Headquarters Services / Acquisition Directorate

(WHS/AD)

Instructions

See the current version of HQ0034259WHSCSO, Section II CSO Procedure b. Phase 1 – Solution Brief

Solution Briefs Due 4:00 PM (ET) on September 5, 2025 Contracting Point of Contact Mary Beth McFann, Agreements Specialist

Mary.b.mcfann.civ@mail.mil Technical Point of Contact Noah Van Zandt

Noah.van_zandt.1@us.af.mil

Background:

The Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (JDETO) is part of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. In accordance with the Department of Defense (DoD) Directed Energy (DE) Roadmap and other strategic guidance, the JDETO executes a science and technology (S&T) investment portfolio in DE to impact multiple directed energy weapon systems (DEWS) and multiple military missions while complementing specific military service needs. The JDETO’s S&T investments focus heavily on near-term transition opportunities (at the component, sub-system, and system levels) to accelerate the fielding of

DEWS.

JDETO investments in advanced components will unlock the potential of DEWS as part of integrated air and missile defense. Certain missions require advances in technical capabilities, producibility, and/or affordability of key components. Once these component advances are made, the high magazine depth, low cost per shot, speed-of-light time-to-target, and other benefits of DEWS will enhance mission effectiveness by increasing the number of incoming threats that can be defeated within allowable time periods, costs, and logistical burdens.

DoD Problem Statement:

The specific component for this AOI is a high-bandwidth fast steering mirror (FSM). A FSM is a flat mirror that is mounted to a mechanical assembly. Through controlled actuation, a FSM enables several critical functions for DEWS, including beam stabilization, pointing, and tracking.

Challenges with high-bandwidth FSMs for DEWS include:

• Production-ready designs across a family of diameters

• Incident laser power handling in the presence of contamination

• Very high bandwidths

The DoD seeks commercial solutions to develop FSM prototypes that balance capabilities with producibility. Three key objectives to achieve are:

(1) A production-ready family of diameters (a subset of 2” – 12” diameter) mailto:Mary.b.mcfann.civ@mail.mil mailto:Noah.van_zandt.1@us.af.mil

(2) Compatibility with High Energy Laser (HEL) systems (power density and wavelength bands)

(3) High-bandwidth operations

To achieve (1)-(3) and improve producibility, these FSMs will require standardized interfaces, control systems, substrates, and coatings across the family of diameters. Further, in military operating environments, some foreign object debris (FOD) is unavoidable, including dust and other particulates. The FSMs must survive in such environments. The JDETO’s overall goal is producible FSM prototypes that incrementally advance the best-available capabilities over the course of this effort.

The JDETO anticipates prototype development in three phases whereby FSMs with initial desired capability will be rapidly prototyped, tested, and improved through iterative design revisions and finally fielded in prototype DEWS. The first phase will be the initial prototype design, build, test, and delivery. The second phase will involve rapid design improvements and lessons learned from initial testing to improve key specifications, cost, and manufacturing. The third phase will involve demonstrating reliable and repeatable manufacturing processes with additional units produced with a consistent manufacturing process and quality control. A company could have one or more prototypes moving through the process under a single original solution brief (however, separate and distinct concepts must be submitted as separate solution briefs). For example, prototypes may be of different sizes or levels or risk and move through the phases individually. The JDETO anticipates incremental funding based on the number of prototypes in each phase at any given point during the project.

Desired Solution Attributes:

The FSMs must operate outside of clean rooms and survive operation at full power density with FOD. The FSMs must provide shoot-on-the-move capability in operating environments consistent with MIL-STD 810 G for tactical ground vehicles and surface combatant ships. The ability to provide rapid delivery of incremental improvements of the hardware to meet specifications is highly desirable, as is the ability to meet with system integrators (government and stakeholders) to discuss and adapt to their needs. If appropriate, the Government may request the creation of integrated teams to combine prototypes.

FSM specifications include:

• A family of diameters (a subset of 2”-12” diameter)

• Laser power density (kW/cm^2) handling when contaminated

• Command control bandwidth (Hz)

• Jitter (nrad)

• Mechanical stroke (mrad), accuracy (µrad/mrad), linearity (%), resolution (nrad), acceleration

(rad/s^2)

• Reflectivity at HEL, illuminator, and alignment laser wavelengths

• Wavefront error after optical coating is applied (waves)

• Surface flatness, both peak-to-valley and root-mean-squared (RMS) (nm) at full angular rate/acceleration

• Temperature range, relative humidity range, vibration, and shock

• Modes of operation (cage and rate)

• Angle of incidence (degrees)

• Common interface and connector.

Special Considerations:

• All work must be completed by U.S.-based resources within facilities capable of meeting Controlled Unclassified Information storage and related cyber security.

• Unique optical coating materials and processes required to handle high energy laser specifications will be handled as Controlled Unclassified Information with Critical Technical Information category.

• Specification handling required in accordance with DoDI 5200.48, “Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)” March 6, 2020 and key standards such as NIST SP 800-171.

• Embedded software must adhere to applicable DoD cyber and information assurance instructions and standards to allow interface with laser weapon systems’ control information systems and software. If adherence is not achieved sooner, it must be achieved by the completion of Phase 3.

The Government will identify and provide specific DoD instructions and standards when needed based on the details of prototype design.

Procedures:

Any award resulting from this AOI shall be in accordance with the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) procedures detailed in HQ0034259WHSCSO. The instructions in the CSO, and any additional instruction as specified in this AOI posting, must be followed. Acceptance of a solution not submitted in accordance with the instructions is at the sole discretion of the WHS/AD Agreements Officer. The Government intends to conduct this AOI in three phases as detailed in the CSO. The Government may issue amendments to this AOI. Companies are responsible for monitoring sam.gov for amendments to this AOI posting.

AOI Additional Instructions:

Questions should be sent to the Contracting and Technical points of contact on page 1 no later than 4:00 PM (ET) on August 28, 2025. Please be advised that submitted questions and answers may be posted to SAM.gov.

Solution briefs submitted in response to this AOI shall be submitted to the Contracting and Technical points of contact on page 1 by no later than 4:00 PM (ET) on September 5, 2025. The Government may extend the response date by amending this AOI. Companies are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for amendments to this AOI.