SAM #N68335-26-R-0458

BAA for R&D Support: NAWCAD WOLF Airborne Systems Integration Division

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) seeks research and development (R&D) support for the Webster Outlying Field (WOLF) Airborne Systems Integration Division. - Solicitation is for basic and applied R&D in advanced air platforms, sensors, computing, security, and naval air capabilities - Includes manned and unmanned air systems, payloads, and support systems - Focus on communications, Electro-Optical (EO), Infrared (IR), Radio Frequency (RF), acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, persistent surveillance, and special sensor systems - Emphasis on software development, mathematical modeling, multi-sensor data fusion, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced algorithms - Research areas include UAS/USV/UUV autonomy, survivability, and rapid technology transition to fleet use - No specific OEMs, products, part numbers, or quantities are listed; this is a broad call for R&D proposals - Awards may be contracts or Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) - Proposals should specify period of performance, cost estimates, and technology readiness level (TRL) progression - Submission window for Phase I abstracts is open until April 10, 2027; Phase II proposals are by invitation only - Work will be performed at NAWCAD Lakehurst, NJ and Webster Outlying Field, MD

Description

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, NJ in support of Webster Outlying Field (WOLF) Airborne Systems Integration (ASI) Division is soliciting white papers/proposals for research and development support in technologies that are applicable to the following: air platforms, manned and unmanned payloads, advanced computing and processing, air platform support systems, advanced air system security and protection, and improved Naval air capabilities. Example focus areas include improved technologies, techniques or advanced applications of communications, Electro-Optical (EO), Infrared (IR), Radio Frequency (RF), acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, persistent surveillance technologies, and special sensor systems for Navy manned aircraft and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).

The NAWCAD WOLF ASI Division develops advanced air platforms, sensors (e.g., acoustics, EO/IR, radar, magnetics, and other special sensors), and systems to meet current and future Naval capability demands. The purpose of these platforms, sensors and systems is to support a variety of aviation missions including distributed maritime surveillance, Air Undersea Warfare (USW), airborne strike, air warfare, counter-air, close air support and interdiction, defense suppression, advanced communications, digital interoperability, electronic attack, naval warfare and amphibious strike, Counter Unmanned Systems (C-UxS), anti-surface warfare, and contested logistic support. Most of the air platforms will be small Group 1 to Group 4 UAS or modifications to existing larger manned and unmanned air platforms. Sensors could be air deployed (via manned or unmanned aircraft), ground, surface, or undersea deployable as driven by the mission needs. Advanced computing and processing will be focused on air vehicle, payload, edge computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, or multi-platform collaborative solutions supporting all aspects of mission information from pre-deployment, through operations, to post deployment and sustainment. Advanced air system security and protection will be focused on securing information, transmissions, anti-tampering, and reduced probability of compromise of existing technologies or technologies in development. Improved naval capabilities will focus on key naval focus areas or capability gaps supporting improved lethality, availability, and affordability.

This BAA not only includes air vehicle systems, mission systems, sensors, sensor data processing, and sensor systems, but it also includes mathematical modeling of the sensors and air platforms, communication techniques between the sensors and/or platforms, interfaces, software development, the fusion and exploitation of multi-sensor data, studies, artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning, advanced algorithms, and other techniques used to develop advanced capabilities and reduce the cost of transitioning sensors technologies to the fleet. Furthermore, this BAA shall cover development and analysis of related air, sea, and land detection models using relevant data.

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