Distributed Multispectral Event-Driven Integrated Sensing and Communications

The Navy Aegis Program Office is interested in expanding battlespace awareness to support cross-domain operations through the integration of remote passive sensors. Currently, these sensors rely on real-time frame-based processing that generates large volumes of data, requiring significant processing power and energy and creating constraints for resource-limited hardware platforms with finite battery life, processing capabilities, and memory. In addition, transmitting large volumes of data over dynamic communication links can introduce delays and encounter bandwidth limitations that cannot meet time-critical operational needs. The complexity of the battlespace and electromagnetic environment further presents challenges for robust detection, classification, and identification. Advanced remote passive-sensor technologies that enable efficient and distributed sensing and processing will support multidomain operations by providing timely and resilient battlespace awareness. Successful technologies will be transitioned to the Aegis Combat System (ACS) to enhance distributed sensing, accelerate decision-making, and enable cross-domain operations. The Navy is seeking to develop Multispectral Integrated Neuromorphic Sensing and Communications (MINSC) technology to support endurant remote sensing capability. MINSC is an event-driven sensor featuring low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) data transmission that can timely identify a wide range of objects and transmit the information to remote platforms to integrate into the existing decision-making process. Neuromorphic computing can provide energy efficient, parallel processing, and low-latency framework for passive sensing, edge computing, and remote inference. Neuromorphic sensors deliver high temporal resolution, asynchronous, energy and bandwidth efficient data inspired by biological vision. The Navy seeks to build an Event-Driven Energy-Efficient Ecosystem to support Endurant Long-Range Sensing and Communications capability. Solutions can be software, neuromorphic hardware, and/or end-to-end neuromorphic system that can deliver robust information and fuse with existing sensors to provide improved tracking, detection, classification, and identification. The Navy is open to innovative ideas of novel system design that can make decisions locally and communicate sparingly or timely send out the event-driven information for remote inference. The intended capability is an integrated remote passive-sensing capability that performs event-driven local sensing and processing, communicating only the information necessary to enhance remote awareness, and fuses with existing sensors to improve tracking, detection, classification and identification. Distributed MINSC will provide advantages in dynamic environment and resilience to noise and debris associated with military applications. Incorporating event-based multispectral remote sensors with onboard sensors will expand operational battlespace, contribute to robust Common Operational Picture (COP) and enhance situational awareness. It will integrate with the Aegis and permit realistic testing of all threat types and configurations in a dynamic testing environment. Track visualization will be delivered through the existing ACS console Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). The solution will support current operator track management and decision-making and integrate with the AEGIS Test Bed (ATB) to facilitate system evaluation against more advanced threats. The solution will provide an enhanced capability to address targets in all configurations and optimal engagement options to the sailors, which will increase mission capability and effectiveness against the latest threats. Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and PAE MS in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.