All-Signal Tactical Real-Time Analyzer (ASTRAL)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the following technical areas: (1) development and demonstration of a hybrid analog/digital photonic/electronic processor demonstrating real-time nonlinear cyclostationary and convolutional processing and low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) signal processing gain over input EM signals filling a bandwidth of 1 to 10 GHz, and (2) identification of architectures and algorithms for military applications that are well-suited to real-time wideband hybrid analog/digital photonic/electronic implementation. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that develop and demonstrate a system for radiofrequency and optical electromagnetic (EM) signal environment surveillance, situational awareness and understanding, providing a factor of at least 1000x improvement over current signal awareness speed and spectrum coverage and suitable for mobile tactical operations. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of cyclostationary or convolutional processing practices and algorithms.