SAM #W56KGU-26-R-0230

RFI for Distributed Aperture Resilient Terminal System (DARTS) Prototype Development

The U.S. Army is seeking industry input for the development of a Distributed Aperture Resilient Terminal System (DARTS) prototype to improve SATCOM resiliency. - Government Buyer: - U.S. Army, Project Manager Integrated Enterprise Network (PM IEN), Product Manager Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (PdM WESS), supported by DEVCOM C5ISR Center - Requested Solutions: - Prototype system at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 - Use of commercially available components and mature technologies - System based on an array of smaller antennas instead of traditional large single-aperture antennas - Key Products/Technologies Sought: - SATCOM terminals and antennas capable of X-band and Military Ka-band operation - WGS certified terminals - Digital IF and RF technologies - Analog to digital conversion and digital IF transport - Coherent combining equipment - Control and monitoring software - Requirements: - System architecture and key component details - Technical metrics and performance data - Bill of materials (BOM) with cost estimates for system, installation, and maintenance - Solutions should conform to standards such as IEEE-ISTO 4900-2021 DIFI - No specific OEMs, vendors, or part numbers are named; the RFI is open to industry solutions using commercial components - Respondents must submit a technical white paper detailing their proposed solution

Description

Request For Information (RFI) – Distributed Aperture Resilient Terminal System (DARTS)

1.0 INTRODUCTION 

1.1 ORGANIZATION 

This Request for Information (RFI) is sponsored by Project Manager Integrated Enterprise Network (PM IEN) Product Manager Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (PdM WESS) with support from the DEVCOM Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center. PdM WESS is a U.S. Army office that acquires, fields, and modernizes strategic satellite communications (SATCOM) for the Department of War (DoW). Located at Fort Belvoir, VA, it provides secure, high-speed global connectivity for the military. 

1.2 BACKGROUND & SCOPE 

Current enterprise satellite communication (SATCOM) terminals rely on large, single-aperture antennas. These large antennas require significant infrastructure, have long timelines for installation, are easily targeted, and often present a single point of failure for the Army SATCOM network.  The Army is researching a Distributed Aperture Resilient Terminal System (DARTS) to provide a resilient means to augment enterprise communications with a quickly deployable array of multiple smaller SATCOM antennas.  

Advances in digital signal processing technology and digital radio frequency (RF) transport have created an emerging commercial market of components with the ability to efficiently divide, combine and transport RF signals to and from multiple antennas.  On receive, signal processing technology can enable the coherent combination of signals from multiple distant antennas to form an antenna array that replicates a large antenna’s performance. On transmit, where regulatory challenges don’t make coherent combining practical, commercial components that divide and route RF signals in the digital domain present the opportunity to dynamically assign transmit carriers to constituent apertures and replicate the carrier Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of a large antenna. 

While the DARTS capability to augment enterprise antenna performance are key metrics of the system, modern warfare has taught us that system resiliency, redundancy and cost asymmetry will also be distinguishing characteristics of a successful system.

Key system metrics in these categories will include: The ability to quickly deploy and easily install at a low replacement cost (i.e. system cost, installation cost, and maintenance cost).  Key performance metrics include equivalent RF performance, along with redundancy and graceful degradation resulting from kinetic and electronic attacks. It is encouraged that these architectural trade-offs are explored as part of the white paper response to justify the chosen architecture and systems components within this context. 

1.3 OBJECTIVE 

The Government is seeking information from industry providers capable of developing a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 prototype DARTS using existing commercially available components, technologies, and mature solutions.  It is requested that this information includes discussion on the chosen system architecture, components, capabilities and system cost.   

An overall rough order of magnitude (ROM) of the costs to build and demonstrate a TRL 7 prototype system is also requested.  

2.0 REQUIREMENTS 

2.1 System Architecture and Key Components

Describe your proposed solution and key components including function, capabilities, metrics and, if applicable, limitations.

Provide/Describe the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of system and key components.  Describe the trades that led proposed solution, including the reasoning and assumptions of these trades. 

2.1.1 Terminals and Antennas 

Operational RF frequencies of X-band and Military Ka-band are required.  WGS certified terminals are a recommended component of the system. Discuss the terminals and antennas selected for the proposed solution.   

2.1.2 Digital Conversion, Signal Processing and IF Connectivity

DARTS will be installed at various enterprise sites, the available space, and physical distance between antennas and the operations center will be variable.  The terrain and environmental conditions of these sites will be variable as well.    

Commercially available digital IF and RF technologies offer key components to address these installation challenges. Discuss the analog to digital conversion, digital IF transport, and coherent combining equipment selected for the proposed solution.  Provide technical information on components to support your analysis.

Specific system metrics of the digital conversion, signal processing and IF connectivity solution include: The efficiency of combining RF inputs from multiple antennas, and how the proposed solution may leverage or interface to the existing and emerging Digital IF architectures and components conforming to the IEEE-ISTO 4900-2021 DIFI Standard.

2.1.3 Control & Monitoring System  

DARTS will need its own ability to control and monitor signals arriving at the antenna array.  This functionality should include the ability to dynamically plan and assign transmit carriers to constituent apertures based on  link requirements.  Discuss control and monitoring software and equipment selected to support the proposed solution.  

2.2 System, Installation and Maintenance Costs 

Provide a system cost estimate to include a bill of materials (BOM) with costs for each component. 

Provide an estimate for installation costs.   Provide an estimate for maintenance costs.   Please list all assumptions for these estimates. 

3.0 RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS 

The response instructions are as follows: 

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper. 

White papers should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format and are not to exceed 15 pages (excluding any compliance matrix if provided). 

Responses should be submitted to brian.s.townsend6.civ@army.mil or brian.d.mcguire1.civ@army.mil no later than 17:00 EST on 30 September 2026. 

Marketing materials are not considered a sufficient response to this RFI. Provide detailed technical answers to the questions in Section 2.0. 

4.0 DISCLAIMERS 

The following disclaimers should be noted: 

This RFI is not a solicitation and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will follow. 

The Government will not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any information provided, or for any costs incurred by any respondent to this RFI. 

All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary. The Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. 

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