TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 403

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a miniature low cost receive antenna and low power processing for passive detection and direction finding of sources of radar and communication frequencies for use on unmanned undersea, surface, and air vehicles to assist with navigation and surface contact avoidance.

DESCRIPTION: Unmanned systems are envisioned to operate in the littoral environments. Safe operation will depend on the need to passively identify white traffic including freight, shipping, and pleasure traffic. Use of passive detection will complement the active navigation radar and/or visual detection systems when fused in the vehicle, especially at times of low visibility. Most of the littoral traffic will use both navigation radar and some type of communications. The desired system shall be capable of receiving and decoding Automated Identification System (AIS) signals, which are required for ships over 300 gross tonnage. The system should also have the ability to detect radar and communication transmissions and localize on a bearing to assist with tracking of ships less than 300 gross tonnage (not AIS equipped). The system shall include software to localize and track the targets (including position uncertainty) using the inputs from the receiver antenna and electronics. This system can be installed on Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) for fully passive detection or coordinated with radar on an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) to determine location and type of vessel for navigation purposes. The system should be designed for the more challenging case of UUVs. UUVs are power and space limited; their masts do not extend far above the water surface and are subject to wind and wave motion effects. The system is not expected to detect traffic over the horizon.
Current state of the art in applicable technology is deployed on the Virginia class submarine as part of the AN/BLQ-10 ESM system and described in references 3, 4, and 5. Part of the purpose of this system is to assist the submarine with navigation in high traffic areas. A similar capability is needed for UUVs & USVs. For the UUV and USV application, it is necessary to reduce the size of the equipment to fit the processing in a desktop sized box (which may include multiple processors) and use less than 500W of power. The system should be fully automated providing signal type, direction, range (if determined), and the AIS information (if vessel is equipped) of the detected signal to the unmanned vehicle control system. The system should fit into an 8" diameter x 6" long waterproof package for mounting on a UUV or USV mast and cover the radar and communication frequencies from 3 MHz (coastal radars) to 12 GHz (satellite communications). The receive antenna will be mounted only 18" above the waterline which may decrease reception due to washover and reflections as compared to current system. New technology development is needed to overcome the reduction in size and power, reduced distance from waterline, and reduced antenna size, and fully automate the system (without manned assistance or supervision) to provide a similar capability to unmanned vehicles as the AN/BLQ-10 provides to the submarine for navigation in the littoral regions.

PHASE I: Design new technologies to miniaturize antennas for receiving and direction finding of electronic signals of both radar and communication frequencies. Design low power electronics and advanced processing to allow surface contact tracking. Proof of concept demonstrations are desired and may include lab simulations, breadboards, or smaller scale prototypes.

PHASE II: Develop, build, and test a prototype version of the antenna, low power electronics, and software capable of receiving and localizing electronic signals of both radar and communication frequencies. Demonstration of receiving and decoding of AIS signals. Development of standard interfaces of this system with the unmanned vehicle control system.

PHASE III: Support for integration of the prototype system onto a Navy UUV or USV and support of testing. Navy test assets will be provided that match the interfaces defined in Phase II., including the test platform obstacle avoidance system.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: An automated surface contact avoidance system will reduce manning aboard both military and commercial shipping.

REFERENCES:
1. Navy UUV Master Plan. April 20, 2000 http://www.auvsi.org/resources/UUVMPPubRelease.pdf
2. The Navy UUV Master Plan. November 9, 2004. http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/technology/uuvmp.pdf
3. BLQ-10 Sub ESM Suite www.navalsupport.com/pdfs/astecs.pdf
4.) BLQ-10 Sub EMS Suite http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/an-blq-10.htm
5.) NSSN Photonics Mast http://www.eo.kollmorgen.com/product_spec3.html

KEYWORDS: UUV; USV; navigation; radar; communications; AIS ; unmanned vehicles

TPOC: Daniel Deitz
Phone: (202)781-2670
Fax:
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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