EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – U.S. Air Force researchers are asking industry to develop enabling applied sciences for bombs and missiles that contain autonomous goal recognition; weapons autonomy; weapons cyber safety; electro-optical sensors; navigation; multi-mode radar; and modular open-systems designs.
Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., issued a broad-agency announcement final week (FA8651-22-S-0001) for the Air Delivered Effects venture.
Air Delivered Effects consists of 20 separate analysis subject areas that industry will pursue over the following 5 years. These contain sensors, sensor processing, machine autonomy, cyber safety, open-systems design, weapon airframes, weapons and results simulation, and warheads and fuzes.
Autonomous goal recognition entails seeker {hardware} and software program know-how for typical guided weapons. This entails sign and picture processing; sample recognition; pc imaginative and prescient; deep studying; machine studying; and cooperative weapon seekers in a position to hand-off concentrating on info to one-another.
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The technical level of contact is David Gray, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 883-0849, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at (850) 882-3344.
Weapons autonomy know-how analysis entails bio-inspired sensing and wide-field-of-view seeker {hardware} and software program algorithms for use in contested environments. These applied sciences are for improved situational consciousness; scene technology; decentralized high-level cognitive features; swish efficiency degradation; and reconfigurable operation.
The technical level of contact is Emily Doucette, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 883-0874, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at (850) 882-3344.
Cyber resiliency safety analysis for precision-guided munitions entails cyber safety to defend advanced air-delivered munitions and weapons networks from enemy pc hackers. The technical level of contact is Calvin Roman, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 883-3091, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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EO/IR, ladar, and semi-active laser system analysis entails creating electro-optical sensors for imaging and non-imaging electro-optic, infrared, LADAR, and semi-active laser programs. Researchers are considering optical sources; detectors and readout built-in circuits; beam pointing and scanning; wide-field-of-view and multi-aperture methods;detection schemes; and discrimination, ranging, and acquisition programs.
The technical level of contact is James Savage, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 882-4250, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at (850) 882-4260.
Navigation and estimation know-how entails Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled and various place, navigation, and timing (PNT) applied sciences for unbiased and network-enabled weapons. Of curiosity are anti-jam methods; and sensor aiding comparable to passive electro-optical sensing; passive millimeter wave, magnetic, and exterior radio frequency sources; and lively sensing of altitudes, speeds, environments; dimension, weight, energy, and price (SWaP-C) restrictions.
The technical level of contact is Kevin Brink, who could be reached by e-mail at [email protected].
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Multi-function, multi-mode radar analysis entails creating parts, programs, and software program to enhance the efficiency and cut back the price, dimension, weight, and energy consumption of future multifunction radars for sensor and communications.
These sorts of radars are for altimeter sensing; navigation aiding; communications; mid-course steering; goal choice; non-target rejection; terminal monitoring; steering built-in fuzing; and aim-point choice. The radar would make use of floor shifting goal indication; excessive vary decision; artificial aperture radar; Doppler beam sharpening; and endgame goal engagement.
Applications might embrace seekers sufficiently small to be disbursed from one massive munition to have interaction a number of targets; and nose-mounted seekers ranging in diameter from 2.75 to 14 inches or extra. The want is to create seekers for extended-range hypersonic weapons that should function in dangerous climate.
Special emphasis ought to be place on participating targets in a steep-dive trajectory the place the goal could have minimal vary separation from the muddle background. The technical level of contact is Tom Lewis, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 882-8101, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at (850) 882-1717.
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Modular open programs analysis entails creating methods to get hold of quick and cheap options for air-delivered weapons utilizing open-systems requirements like Weapons Open System Architecture (WOSA) and Open Seeker Architecture (OSA). It additionally entails utilizing Docker and Kubernetes in embedded computing.
The technical contact is Jonathan Shaver, who could be reached by cellphone at (850) 875-2713, or by e-mail at [email protected].
This solicitation can be open for 5 years. Companies ought to e-mail five-page white papers no later than 21 March 2027 to [email protected]. Before emailing white papers, corporations ought to talk about their approaches with the venture’s particular factors of contact.
More info is on-line at https://sam.gov/opp/7630cdd2c2b34b63aa8d9980f5b4a333/view.
