AFRL: Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) Open Announcement

February 18, 2021

Category	Opportunity
DoD Communities of Interest	Energy and Power Technologies
Subject	Directed Energy Technology Experimentation Research (DETER) Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) Open Announcement
Due Date	8 February 2022
Government Organization	AFRL Air Force Research Laboratory
Description Program Summary: This is an Open ARA announcement pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. §2373. AFRL/RD is interested in receiving white papers and proposals through a Two-Step Process to perform research and development (R&D), modeling and simulation (M&S), design, component/subsystem, prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of directed energy source components (to include spares and alternate component technologies), and/or systems and any required accessories, materials, and supplies for laboratory research and experimentation and field trials in a relevant environment to demonstrate system capabilities. Dialogue between prospective Offerors and Government representatives is strongly encouraged. Note: AFRL/RD reserves the right to collapse a white paper/Two-Step into a One-Step if the situation warrants the white paper contains sufficient technical detail to do full technical proposal evaluation instead of white paper evaluation. Please see the attached DETER Industry User Guide for guidance on definitions, processes, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria.* Background: AFRL/RD equips the joint warfighter with next-generation technologies, advanced concepts, and weapon system options across all operational domains to become more agile and increase the commercialization potential of directed energy investments to ensure National defense. Topic Areas: 1. Directed Energy (DE) Sources This category of supplies covers research, development and testing for all directed energy sources in the near-term and far-term in support of National Defense. This area covers the design, component/subsystem, prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of directed energy source components (to include spares and alternate component technologies), and/or systems and any required accessories, materials, and supplies for laboratory research and experimentation and field trials in a relevant environment to demonstrate system capabilities. Systems may also be hardened to meet specific requirements imposed for operations in any domain to include ground/sea, airborne, and/or space. This area also covers the redesign, refurbishment, modification, and/or upgrade of existing sources, if required, to support laboratory experimentation, field or flight trials, and/or demonstrations. Examples of directed energy sources include, but are not limited to: a. Laser Sources b. High Power Electromagnetic (HPEM) Sources 2. Acquisition Tracking Pointing (ATP), Beam Control (BC) and Atmospheric Compensation (AC) Systems This area covers the design, component/subsystem prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of any hardware, sensors, control electronics, and software/firmware required to develop ATP, BC and AC systems to control the propagation of directed energy so as to maximize energy/irradiance on target. This area also includes any required accessories, materials, supplies, and/or services necessary to conduct laboratory experimentation and field trials in a relevant environment to demonstrate system capabilities. Systems may also be hardened to meet specific requirements imposed for operations in any domain to include ground/sea, airborne, and/or space. 3. DE Weapon Systems This area covers the design, component/subsystem prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of DE weapon components and systems, diagnostics, accessories, materials, supplies, and services necessary to build/integrate complete weapon systems for laboratory research, experimentation and field trials in a relevant environment to demonstrate system capabilities. Systems may also be hardened to meet specific requirements imposed for operations in any domain to include ground/sea, airborne, and/or space. Systems engineering design/analysis and/or trade studies are relevant in regards to size, weight, and power (SWAP). Specific topics of interest include the following areas: a. Feasibility studies of innovative HPEM applications b. Integration of disparate technologies for the fielding of new HPEM systems and weapons c. Identification and quantification of useful -HPEM effects d. Development of HPEM sources that have a role in future applications e. system integration and demonstration of future HPEM capabilities f. Power subsystems g. Thermal Management subsystems h. Command and control subsystems i. Platform integration j. Detection, targeting and tracking subsystems k. DOTmLPF-P studies and experimentation l. CONOPS, CONEMPS, TTP development and experimentation m. Performance enhancement technologies for existing systems 4. DE Effects Testing Provide testing of materials, components, subsystems, and systems to determine the vulnerability, susceptibility, and accessibility of potential DE targets to DE exposure. This includes the design, component/subsystem prototype risk reduction, fabrication/purchase, assembly, integration, and testing of unique DE components, sources, and systems and any required diagnostic and/or special test equipment/tooling and materials necessary to conduct DE-material interaction physics experimentation to establish the efficacy of DE waveforms to support the development of DE weapons system requirements and/or assessment of proposed DE weapon systems. Develop survivability requirements and recommendations for space systems and support vulnerability predictions. 5. Modeling, Simulation and Analysis (MS&A) This area covers the development/procurement, testing, maintenance, modification, upgrade/reuse, and execution of scientific modeling, simulation and analysis software and requisite IT hardware systems necessary to efficiently execute software to support DE weapon system design, development, testing, and data analysis of test results. This includes campaign-level, engagement-level, system, and component-level MS&A codes to create test scenarios, assess design reference mission compliance, provide pre-test predictions, and conduct post-test assessment of system performance. In addition, sound principles for software engineering and development must be employed for all developed software and documentation. Robust software testing, validation, and verification are critical to software development efforts. As appropriate, software must scale to large simulation sizes and be portable to massively parallel computer architecture. MS&A software may include fast running engineering codes and detailed physics modeling codes. Examples of MS&A sub-topic areas include, but are not limited to: a. DE System Performance MS&A b. DE System Effects MS&A c. DE System Target Assessment d. DE System Biosafety and Biological Effects e. DE Source and Component Virtual Design f. Satellite signatures and Radiometric/photometric assessments of space objects. g. Assess electro-optical Space Domain Awareness (SDA) systems and architectures. h. Space system functional modeling and response i. Conduct Space Domain Awareness in non-traditional orbits j. Quantify safe operating conditions for lasers operating through the atmosphere and space 6. Wargaming This area covers the development/procurement, testing, maintenance, modification, upgrade/reuse, and execution of wargaming and scientific modeling, simulation and analysis software and their requisite IT hardware systems necessary to efficiently execute this software to support DE weapon system design, development, testing, and data analysis of wargaming results. This includes campaign-level, engagement-level, system, and component-level wargaming MS&A codes to create test scenarios, assess design reference mission compliance, provide pre-test predictions, and conduct post-test assessment of system performance. In addition, sound principles for software engineering and development must be employed for all developed software and documentation. Robust software testing, validation, and verification are critical to software development efforts. As appropriate, software must scale to large wargaming and simulation sizes and be portable to massively parallel computer architecture. Wargaming MS&A software may include fast running engineering codes and detailed physics modeling codes. Additionally, the wargaming area should provide general wargaming support to include DE wargame planning, table top, MS&A, and field execution, and wargame reporting. In addition, provide required hardware, software/firmware, accessories, materials, supplies, infrastructure, diagnostics, targets, safety equipment, and services necessary to conduct wargame research, experiments, field and/or range testing of DE components, subsystems, systems and demonstrations under operationally relevant conditions. 7. Innovative Space Domain Awareness Provide basic & applied research, algorithms, software/firmware, materials, supplies, and services necessary to conduct technology maturation for ground-based surveillance of space objects. Examples include, but are not limited to: a. Closely-spaced object detection and characterization. b. Daytime detection and custody of satellites. c. Orbit determination techniques and algorithms for satellites significantly affected by lunar and solar gravity. d. Rapid, on-demand orbit determination. e. Extremely wide field-of-view image exploitation for satellite discovery and custody. f. Multi-phenomenology sensor integration (e.g. optical, radar, passive radiofrequency). g. Active optical techniques for satellite ranging and characterization (e.g. LiDAR, LADAR). h. Sharp imaging of satellites through the atmosphere at low elevation angles. i. Characterization of atmospheric deep turbulence for image restoration. j. Techniques, algorithms, architecture designs, etc. for collaborative autonomous telescope networks. k. Multispectral, hyperspectral, and polarimetric characterization of space objects. l. Techniques to improve and exploit short- and long-wave infrared characterization of space objects. m. Machine learning algorithms to advance the state-of-the-art in areas such as: • Point spread function correction. • Space object image classification using resolved or non-resolved sensor imagery. • Uncorrelated track association. • Space object feature identification, model inference, and attitude regression. • Space object detection in noisy image backgrounds. • Generation of realistic space scene imagery / discernment of real vs. synthetic. • Detection of subtle, unique image artefacts of interest in a large dataset. 8. Experiments, Testing and Demonstrations Provide general and specialized test support to include DE test planning, laboratory and field demonstration, and reporting. Provide required hardware, software/firmware, accessories, materials, supplies, infrastructure, diagnostics, targets, safety equipment, and services necessary to conduct testing of DE components, subsystems, systems, and demonstrations under operationally relevant conditions. 9. Laboratory Materials, Supplies and Services in Support of Experimentation Provide required ancillary support systems, equipment, materials, supplies, infrastructure, and services necessary to support the development, operation, maintenance, and testing required to evaluate DE through experimentation in the laboratory and field during trials or flight/range testing. Examples include, but are not limited to: a. Clean rooms, anechoic chambers and necessary equipment, materials, supplies and/or services to support all aspects of DE source development, laboratory experimentation, and field trials. b. Diagnostic and/or special test equipment/tooling required for: • Quality assurance of components used in the fabrication of DE sources • Damage assessments and root cause analysis of component, subsystem and system failures • Characterization of target physical, chemical, and electromagnetic properties • Fabrication, assembly, integration, testing, operation and maintenance of DE sources • Direct/indirect measurements of DE source performance c. Power systems required to operate the source and any required ancillary equipment or services necessary to install, operate and/or maintain these systems d. Unique chemicals to operate, clean, and/or maintain direct energy systems and/or laboratory facilities used for directed energy experimentation as well as any required materials, accessories or services required for safe storage, use, operations, and proper disposal of any hazardous materials e. Thermal management components and systems, to include system-level and facility-level systems, necessary to support safe operations of DE sources. This includes materials, supplies, accessories, services and/or any support required for safe operations and maintenance of the system as well as proper disposal of hazardous materials/waste. f. Any required safety related items necessary to fabricate, assemble, integrate, test, operate and maintain directed energy sources.
Website	https://beta.sam.gov/opp/6dfa1c96a0b24c4794eccb6d959636ae/view