TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes, Battlespace

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-272, Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems

OBJECTIVE: Develop decoy and denial electronic warfare techniques using advance materials.

DESCRIPTION: Chaff has been used for over a half a century to deny the use of propagating energy as an information source to obscure or reflect electromagnetic waveforms. Innovative changes to chaff technology, by researching and developing materials that actually absorb, and phase-shift electromagnetic propagations, effectively denying enemy use of a given frequency, are needed. Radio frequency (RF) absorbing materials, also known as metamaterials (MM), can be tailored to absorb in any frequency denying threat use. Applications of this technology include battle space control of communications, denial of global positioning systems (GPS) devices, deception of active seekers for aircraft protection, or any other frequency where the MM can be produced to absorb or phase-shift the propagating energy.

PHASE I: Use basic modeling and simulation tools to demonstrate the feasibility of using metamaterials to achieve tactical effectiveness against a threat with expected RF absorption/phase-shifting. Use MM design models for various RF spectrums/frequencies in communication bands, radar bands, common-use bands, civilian bands, etc. to show expected performance criteria.

PHASE II: Develop a testable quantity of metamaterials in three different frequency bands, test them in a controlled environment, prove the modeling and simulation results against actual performance findings. Work produced in phase II may become classified.

Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. Owned and Operated with no Foreign Influence as defined by DOD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been be implemented and approved by the Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this contract as set forth by DSS and NAVAIR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advance phases of this contract.

PHASE III: Transition technology developed to appropriate platforms.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Successful outcome may have law enforcement or Department of Homeland Security application such as denial of use applications for cellular telephones, global positioning systems (GPS), or other RF bands where denial will help agents uphold peace and security.

REFERENCES:
1. Hu Tao et al. (2008). Highly Flexible Wide Angle of Incidence Terahertz Metamaterial Absorber. Physical Review B, Rapid Communications 78, 241103R

2. N. Papasimakis et al. (2009). Metamaterial with Polarization and Direction Insensitive Resonant Transmission Response Mimicking Electromagnetically Induced Transparency. Applied Physics Letters, 94, 211902. DOI 10.1063/1.3138868

3. Additional information from TPOC to clarify topic requirements for N111-013 (posted in SITIS 11/16/10).

KEYWORDS: Metamaterials; Electromagnetic; Radar Absorption; Phase-Shifting; Electronic Warfare; Denial

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 10 and December 12, 2010, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors 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 December 13, 2011, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's 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 (11.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 11.1 topic under which they are proposing.

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