Critical Low-risk Electro-optic Alternatives for Resilience (CLEAR)
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- N001641990001
- Agency
-
Naval Sea Systems Command
Department of the Navy, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
Naval Sea Systems Command announced the Critical Low-risk Electro-optic Alternatives for Resilience (CLEAR) program on June 10, 2026, with a submission deadline of June 29, 2026, to solicit sources capable of developing alternative domestic materials for electro-optic and infrared imaging sensors that currently depend on Chinese-export-controlled materials. The notice is unrestricted and does not use a set-aside category.
The Department of the Navy uses EO and IR cameras across multiple spectral bands (short-wave, mid-wave, and long-wave infrared) for situational awareness, surveillance, and targeting. Germanium and gallium-based optical components, which provide advantageous properties including high refractive index, transmission, and low dispersion, are critical to mid-wave and long-wave IR systems. Since 2023, Chinese export restrictions have applied to germanium, gallium, antimony, heavy rare earth elements, tellurium, indium, and related materials, making optical components reliant on these materials costly and supply-threatened. CLEAR seeks to establish alternative domestic materials to reduce supply chain vulnerability in EO/IR systems.
Notice text
Electro-optic (EO, VIS) and infrared (IR) video imaging sensors (i.e., cameras) are widely used for situational awareness, surveillance, and targeting. The Department of War (DoW) deploys such cameras in multiple spectral bands, including short-, mid-, and long wave IR, a.k.a. SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR respectively. In IR, especially the MWIR and LWIR spectral bands, germanium has advantageous optical properties such as high index of refraction, higher transmission, and lower dispersion compared to other available materials. Gallium-based materials are also highly used in IR optical components. Since 2023, China has heavily increased regulations on export of critical materials to the United States. Now export licenses are required for germanium, gallium, antimony, heavy rare earth elements, tellurium, indium, and more. Optical components reliant on germanium and gallium are especially costly and availability is critically threatened. It is therefore necessary to establish alternative domestic materials for EO/IR systems.
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