TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Materials/Processes, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: NAVSEA 05

OBJECTIVE: Expand upon current capabilities for riverine operations and logistics support by proposing applications of new technologies aimed at extending the present operational state of the art for riverine craft operations.

DESCRIPTION: Current inventory of riverine-capable craft is limited in its ability to operate in anticipated threat environments with an appropriate mix of speed, payload, and crew/vessel survivability. In addition, lessons learned from operational experience illuminate a potential capability gap, centered on the need for riverine-capable craft with enhanced survivability / armament suites to counter anticipated threats, modular C4ISR capabilities (including transport, operation, recovery, and maintenance of Unmanned Vehicles), and unit-level Logistics support functions.

Proposals are sought for the application of technologies aimed at addressing these identified capability gaps, either by incorporation of new technologies within a suitable riverine combatant-craft concept, or by definition of the new technologies as modular "add-on" capability packages, with system interfaces defined sufficiently to enable consideration as modifications to existing or planned riverine craft design concepts.

PHASE I:
1. Proposer shall conceptualize technology alternatives that advance the present operational state of the art for riverine operations, including but not limited to:
a. Expanding operational envelope (reduction of required operational draft, damping of vessel motions during maneuvering, improved seakeeping, etc.)
b. Increasing survivability (modular and optimized ballistic protection arrangements, material selections, vessel machinery layouts)
c. Augmeting organic unit-level fire support (modular, stabilized, lightweight, sensor integrated, high-lethality weapon systems)
d. Improving C4ISR (integration of all-source intel feeds, blue force tasking and tracking, support of organic UV assets)
e. Providing affordable and sustainable unit-level Logistics (transport/deployment of supplies and small ground vehicles e.g. motorcycles and fast attack vehicles)
2. Proposer shall incorporate technology alternatives into existing or newly-proposed riverine craft concepts to illustrate potential benefits and provide suitable definition for assessment of technology impact on the basis of cost, military effectiveness, ability to operate in varied environments (tropics to desert).
3. Proposer shall define appropriate testing and validation methodology for model-to-full scale evaluation of the proposed concepts in a Phase II effort.

PHASE II: The Proposer will provide programmatic risk reduction by instantiating proposed technologies and conducting model-to-full scale testing, if selected as a result of Phase 1 efforts.

PHASE III: The Proposer will transition technologies deemed beneficial, affordable, and sustainable (as a result of testing in Phase II) into design and acquisition efforts anticipated as forthcoming in the next 2-5 years. This effort might include provision of services and analysis to the government directly in preparing a requirements documents and evaluating industry proposals. The government will support the contractor in preparing detail design guidance for use by the vehicle builder.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Riverine support technologies can enhance the logistics support/relief network to aid civilian flood and storm victims in the U.S. and around the world.

REFERENCES:
1. Friedman, N., "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft", 2002, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD.
2. McAbee, R. L., "Brown Water Navy: U.S. Naval Riverine Operations Vietnam", 2001, Honoribus Press
3. Mintz, J., "Game Warden, Mobile Riverine Force and Revolutionary Development Operations In the Delta", 1968, The Center
4. Lindberg, M. and Todd, D., "Brown-, Green-, and Blue-Water Fleets", 2002, Praeger

KEYWORDS: Riverine, Logistics, Assault, Vietnam, Craft, Amphibious

TPOC: Michael Bosworth
Phone: (202)781-3072
Fax:
Email: [email protected]
2nd TPOC: Jerome Dunn
Phone: (202)781-3519
Fax:
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between May 1, 2006 and June 13, 2006, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting June 14, 2006 , when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (06.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 06.2 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.