Tech Area of Interest: Installation Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS):

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Installation Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS):

Department of Defense bases, installations and facilities are under threat by small, unmanned aerial systems (SUAS). It has proven difficult to identify and mitigate threats using currently-fielded technologies. Counter SUAS (CUAS) solutions require a variety of approaches and technologies depending on location-specific operating considerations; in part due to domestic law and regulatory variables that don’t always allow for the same approaches overseas. DIU, with its multi-service and interagency partners, is looking for solutions that meet one or all of the following CUAS challenges:

• Detection
  
  • Examples: RF, optical, RADAR, acoustic, and any other novel detection methodologies
• Identification/Classification
  
  • Preference to systems that employ adaptive methodologies for classification of threat detections
  • Library-based systems must demonstrate a plan to stay current with the growing threat
• Mitigation
  
  • Kinetic (e.g. directed energy or high-powered microwave; net capture) and/or non-kinetic (e.g. RF/EW; jamming; spoofing)
  • Preference to low collateral-damage effectors, both in physical realm and EM spectrum
  • Preference for systems that support forensics and law-enforcement

 Components and/or systems may include all aspects of the Counter UAS problem set: Man-portable; mobile; and fixed position as these systems will form a layered defense involving dismounted security force personnel, security and operations vehicles, building and perimeter fixed-site instances, and integrated command and control.

Solutions will be evaluated against: Effectiveness; ease-of-use; ease-of-integration; cost (procurement, maintenance/sustainment, operation, business models); and ability to keep pace with evolution of the threat. Tradeoffs amongst these criteria will be considered against the overall military utility of the solution and its effectiveness as part of a layered, system of systems approach. Solutions must make available an API or similar mechanism for incorporation into existing and/or planned command and control systems. Additionally, respondents must demonstrate viability of their business model, and the scalability and feasibility of their solution in accordance with CSO procedures outlined in HQ0034-19-9-DIU. 

CLEARLY STATE IN YOUR SOLUTION BRIEF IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES:

• Capability against a swarm (6 or more drones exhibiting cooperative and/or autonomous behavior).*
• Neutralizations against single or multiple fixed-wing and/or rotary-wing targets, at night, with ability to accept automated tip & cue, and at ranges greater than 300m.**

*Counter-swarm technologies and concepts may be selected to participate in a counter-swarm demonstration to assess maturity and potential against swarming UAS.

**Neutralization technologies and concepts may be selected to participate in an exclusive, week-long test event.

PLEASE NOTE: This Area of Interest solicitation will deviate from the original CSO instructions found in HQ0034-19-9-DIU. Specifically, paragraph 3.4 ‘Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP)’ phase will not be conducted per instructions. Instead, companies selected to move beyond the pitch phase of the competition will be issued further instructions to participate in a government-led test event at a government facility to prototype the operational military utility of the component/system in a CUAS scenario. This is the only deviation of the standard CSO process and all other aspects still apply.

***Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) awarded in response to this Area of Interest may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of further competitive procedures. The follow-on production contract or transaction will be available for use by one or more organizations in the Department of Defense and, as a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the Prototype OTA. In addition to being provided in this notice, any Prototype Other Transaction Agreement will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: "In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2371b(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has been successfully completed, this competitively awarded prototype OTA may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures***

Submissions accepted from 03/01/2019 10:30 to 03/11/2019 23:59 PT