RCCTO: Waveform Challenge for Tactical Radios

Due Date: 18 June 2021 Description: The Army seeks a standardized, open architecture, non-proprietary SDR that may be configured to adapt to various waveforms, frequency bands, bandwidths, and modes of operation to support tactical, terrestrial communications requirements on the battlefield. Specifically, they aim to identify and source interoperable, platform-agnostic solutions to encourage innovation and economies of scale. Current Army tactical SDRs exhibit proprietary hardware and software integration by a single vendor, which reduces potential waveform innovation and competitive pricing for future enhancements and upgrades.

Category

Opportunity

DoD Communities of Interest

C4I

Subject

Waveform Challenge for Tactical Radios

Due Date

18 June 2021

Government Organization

RCCTO: U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office

Description
The Army seeks a standardized, open architecture, non-proprietary SDR that may be configured to adapt to various waveforms, frequency bands, bandwidths, and modes of operation to support tactical, terrestrial communications requirements on the battlefield. Specifically, they aim to identify and source interoperable, platform-agnostic solutions to encourage innovation and economies of scale. Current Army tactical SDRs exhibit proprietary hardware and software integration by a single vendor, which reduces potential waveform innovation and competitive pricing for future enhancements and upgrades.

Science and Technology (S&T) intellectual property (IP) providers lack a clear entry point into the Army’s SDR value chain. The Army desires an open hardware architecture that can enable innovative S&T development activities to provide rapid demonstrations of new capabilities. The SDR architecture shall support the integration of waveforms, software solutions, and updates.

Ideal traits of the hardware architecture and supported waveforms include:
- High-degree of scalability (support complex waveforms) and extended communications range.
- Common commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, that are readily available and do not require custom manufacturing.
- Standard design practices, standard interfaces for software, and Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development to abstract platform specifics to the greatest extent possible.
- Use of existing industry standard SDR architectures to the greatest extent possible (e.g., SCA, CMOSS, and MORA).
- Ability to maximize effective data rate, throughput, and range while operating within established spectrum guidelines.

PHASE I:

Develop a standardized, open hardware architecture (e.g., Software Communications Architecture (SCA), C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS), and Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA) that facilitates the decoupling of hardware and associated software-based waveforms, enabling of multi-vendor solutions, rapid integration of waveforms, and competitive pricing.

PHASE II:

Develop and demonstrate a technically feasible standardized, open radio hardware architecture prototype that showcases how the solution addresses the challenges described in the DESCRIPTION of this topic and meets or exceeds the OBJECTIVE of this topic. The demonstration shall show the prototype as a proof-of-concept in a form-factor compatible with Army uniformed officer staffing and deployment decisions.

PHASE III:

This SBIR would integrate open hardware architecture (e.g., Software Communications Architecture (SCA), C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS), and Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA )) that facilitates the decoupling of hardware and associated software-based waveforms, enabling of multi-vendor solutions, rapid integration of waveforms, and competitive pricing. Dual-use should consider applications in the hi-tech business sector.

KEYWORDS: Waveforms, Tactical Radios, Network, Control and Communications, Software Communications, Software-Defined Radios;

REFERENCES:

U.S. Army. (2019). 2019 Army Modernization Strategy: Investing in the Future. Retrieved from: https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/2019_army_modernization_strategy_final.pdf.

U.S. Department of Defense. (2018). 2018 National Defense Strategy of the United States Summary, 11. Retrieved from: https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense- Strategy-Summary.pdf.

Website

https://beta.sam.gov/opp/78f16a6fb1974ae0ad64fb7dcd6cf37a/view