Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contract: Behavorial Learning for Adaptive Electronic Warfare (BLADE) Phase 3

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO) on behalf of the Information Innovation Office (I2O), intends to award a Sole Source contract to Lockheed Martin for Phase 3 of the Behavioral Learning for Adaptive Electronic Warfare (BLADE) program. The primary goal of the BLADE program is to develop the capability to counter adaptive wireless communication threats in tactical environments and in tactically relevant time scales. The research under this program, originally solicitated under DARPA-BAA-10-79, focuses on the development of an electronic attack (EA) system capable of automatically jamming new wireless communication threats in-the-field. Meeting this objective requires the detection and characterization of a new threat, learning to effectively and efficiently jam the new threat, and to accurately assessing jam effectiveness in the field. During Phase 1 (Prototype Algorithm Development & Non-Real Time Performance Validation), the BLADE program demonstrated the feasibility of machine learning algorithms to separate and characterize communications networks, optimize jam waveforms, and provide real-time battle damage assessments. During Phase 2 (Algorithm Improvement & Real Time Test Bed Integration), BLADE for the first time achieved closed-loop machine learning and prosecution of jam waveforms against known and unknown radio frequency (RF) communication systems. As a current performer under both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the BLADE program, the LM team has developed the BLADE software for a digital radio transceiver, which in its current configuration provides sufficient front-end real-time analog processing and back-end digital processing to prosecute a limited number of signals over a limited number of bands. Due to the closed loop nature of the system, real-time processing performance, subsystem synchronization and overall system latency are key performance parameters of the operation hardware upon which the BLADE architected software resides. Likewise in addition to hosting the architecture, there are dedicated field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware processors necessary to maintain real-time throughput. In Phase 3, the objective is to further expand the operational envelope of the BLADE system by integrating the algorithms into a tactical communications jamming platform, addressing real-world problems like multipath, complex EME environments, moving platforms and targets, and field testing the system against representative threat environments at a Government test range. Through this award, Lockheed Martin ATL will work with the hardware provider of the desired EW platform, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, to integrate the BLADE system into that hardware and perform both ground and flight tests on the developmental unit. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate this follow-on effort with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1 "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." As a BLADE performer since the conception of the program, Lockheed Martin possesses unique knowledge, capabilities and intellectual property required to carry out the required research effort at significantly reduced cost and time to the Government. Further, Lockheed Martin's successful demonstration of a Government validated TRL-4 BLADE system capable of simultaneously prosecuting multiple threats in multiple bands makes them uniquely qualified to develop a TRL-6 prototype system in Phase 3. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation for this specific requirement is currently available. However, parties may indicate their interest and identify their capability to meet the requirement by submitting a white paper and past performance data by no later than April 7, 2014. Submit this information to: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Attn: Mr. Mark Jones, Contracts Management Office (CMO), 675 North Randolph Street, Arlington VA 22203, or via email to contact@example.gov. Questions shall be submitted to the above email address. Responses received within forty-five (45) days after date of publication of this notice will be considered by the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open basis is solely within the discretion of the Government. It is noted that DARPA's I2O Office maintains an annual Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking revolutionary research in a range of technical areas such as: secure cloud computing systems, software code with mathematically provable security properties, automated cyber security systems, electronic warfare, assured information access, and semantic analysis. The "electronic warfare" mission thrust area under this BAA specifically seeks proposals for the development and integration of advanced electronic warfare algorithms. Parties wishing to respond to this notice are invited, as an alternative, to submit a white paper against DARPA-BAA-13-32.