AFRL: Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER)

Due Date: 26 April 2021 Description: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Multispectral Sensing and Detection Division (RYM) in the Sensors Directorate conducts basic and applied research, advanced technology development, as well as test and evaluation to meet U.S. Air Force (USAF) aerospace electro-optical (EO) and radio frequency (RF) sensor needs for air, space and C2 sensor systems.

Category

Opportunity

DoD Communities of Interest

Sensors

Subject

Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER)

Due Date

26 April 2021

Government Organization

AFRL Air Force Research Laboratory

Description
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Multispectral Sensing and Detection Division (RYM) in the Sensors Directorate conducts basic and applied research, advanced technology development, as well as test and evaluation to meet U.S. Air Force (USAF) aerospace electro-optical (EO) and radio frequency (RF) sensor needs for air, space and C2 sensor systems. AFRL/RYM conducts programs in modeling, simulation, research, design, test, and evaluation of RF and EO subsystems and sensors for use in the offensive, defensive and integrated offensive/defensive systems.

AFRL/RYM ensures unequaled persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance; time-sensitive targeting; and battlespace access capabilities for America’s air and space forces by developing, demonstrating, and transitioning advanced RF EO sensors. AFRL/RYM plans to solicit innovative research proposals in the following fifteen research areas.

1. Antenna Technologies and Electromagnetic (EM) Scattering: the objective of this research is to advance the field of detection, tracking, and fusion of data of difficult targets in rapidly varying environments and contested electromagnetic spectrum utilizing broad and agile electromagnetic spectrum, advanced antenna, and scattering theory as well as situational awareness methodologies and develop architectures and algorithms for ISR, navigation, communications.

2. RF Sensor Systems Technology: the objective of this research investigates evolutionary and revolutionary improvements to RF sensing systems for situational awareness and targeting applications.

3. Waveform Phenomenology, Design, and Applications: Waveform agility is the foundation of this research which takes advantage of all possible degrees of freedom and explores noise-like waveforms, interference-tolerant waveforms, and low probability of intercept, low probability of detection, and low-probability of exploitation (LPI/LPD/LPE) waveforms.

4. Ultra-Sensitive Receivers for Signals Intelligence: topic addresses comprehending the physics-based relationship between a receiver noise floor and sensitivity. The long-term research goal is to enable an RF receiver capable of sequential search and analysis modes under dense/complex signal conditions to enable revolutionary sensor payloads

5. Electro-optic and Infrared Sensor Technology (EO/IR): the objective of this research is to promote novel sensors, sensor technologies, and algorithms for target sensing in general, and detection, recognition, and tracking in particular

6. Novel EO/IR Hardware and Algorithms: topic addresses the development of innovative hardware and algorithms to detect low-signal targets in noisy and heavily cluttered environments using EO, IR, hyperspectral and multispectral sensors

7. Hyperspectral Imaging Technology: This research aims to develop day/night hyperspectral technologies for enhanced material detection and identification with specific emphasis on challenges related to contested environments.

8. Standoff High-Resolution Imaging: the objective of this research is to advance the field of long-range multi-band imaging for significantly extending the range and improving the performance of passive EO/IR ISR/strike systems in highly contested environments.

9. Infrared Search and Track Technology (IRST): the objective is to develop an IRST conceptual design that supports the generation of fire control solutions at range along clear atmospheric paths and in cluttered air-to-air and air-to-ground environments with a low false alarm rate while staring over the entire system field of regard.

10. Passive EO/IR Space-based Sensing: This research aims to develop novel passive EO/IR sensing technologies to reduce cost and SWaP and/or enhance the capability of space-based ISR payloads.

11. Laser Radar Imaging, Systems, Components, and Applications: This research aims to develop innovative laser radar-based approaches for ISR, precision attack, and air-to-air engagements.

12. Sensor Information Processing and Integration: topic addresses new approaches to the integration and understanding of massive amounts of data coming from diverse sensor platforms to develop actionable intelligence and achieve autonomous or semi-autonomous situation awareness.

13. Fully Adaptive Radar: the concept of fully adaptive radar (FAR) seeks to exploit all available degrees-of-freedom on transmit and receive to maximize target detection, tracking, and classification performance.

14. Radar Communications co-existence for enabling 5G technologies and beyond: Research in this area will be devoted to exploiting promising techniques that facilitate the co-existence of radar and communications in a given spectral band using a host of diversity mechanisms.

15. Advanced Digital Multifunction Arrays: This research topic intends to develop sensors capable of performing digital beamforming while exploiting power, polarization, spatial, spectral, and temporal diversity to perform multiple, simultaneous tasks controlled through an intelligent sensor resource manager (ISRM). Intelligent resource management includes, but is not limited to, Passive Radar Illumination Selection Manager (PRISM), multi-mode resource allocation, and scheduling coalescence.

Website

https://beta.sam.gov/opp/c6d5f63c41714fd192763b1bd0c9fe34/view