Sensors and Seekers For Fire Control

**Background and Problem Statement** The Department of War (DoW) requires advanced sensor and seeker systems to support interceptor engagements against ballistic and hypersonic threats. As these threats continue to advance, there is an increasing need for systems leveraging diverse phenomenologies capable of high-fidelity identification, tracking and discrimination under extreme environmental conditions and on short time scales. These systems must deliver high data throughput while adhering to rigorous Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) constraints inherent to aerospace and interceptor platforms. A significant challenge remains in aligning these complex technical requirements with modern manufacturing efficiencies.
To address this, the DoW seeks to leverage advancements in commercial sensing and processing to prototype sensor and seeker solutions that support endo-atmospheric and/or exo-atmospheric engagements. The objective is to transition toward designs that are affordably produced, minimize supply chain risks, and maximize scalability to meet the urgent demand for space- and interceptor-based sensing capabilities.
**Desired Solutions and Key Objectives** The DoW is seeking integrated sensing solutions to support the prototyping and demonstration of LIDAR/LADAR, EO/IR, RF, and other active or passive modalities, separately or in combination – that are capable of fire-control-quality detection, tracking and discrimination.
Key objectives include: • Threat Detection, Tracking, and Discrimination: Demonstrate capabilities to detect, track and support the engagement of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) or Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs) across multiple flight phases (boost, midcourse, and glide). Advanced technologies to deliver the precise positional data and target characteristics required to reliably discriminate lethal payloads from non-threats, such as debris and countermeasures. • Fire Control Enablement: Provide high-accuracy, real-time tracking data (including precise range, angular resolution and high update rates) necessary for successful Kinetic Kill Vehicle (KKV) engagements in endo-atmospheric and/or exo-atmospheric environments. Key characteristics for consideration:Measurement type (e.g., range, angle, Doppler, intensity, polarization, spectral information).The achievable measurement accuracy and update rates.The processing approach (onboard vs. offboard, edge processing, AI/ML, sensor fusion).How the system handles harsh environments (vibration, shock, thermal, vacuum, radiation, weather)Timing or synchronization capabilities that support precise tracking (e.g., GPS-synchronized time stamping, clock accuracy, latency budget). • Measurement type (e.g., range, angle, Doppler, intensity, polarization, spectral information). • The achievable measurement accuracy and update rates. • The processing approach (onboard vs. offboard, edge processing, AI/ML, sensor fusion). • How the system handles harsh environments (vibration, shock, thermal, vacuum, radiation, weather) • Timing or synchronization capabilities that support precise tracking (e.g., GPS-synchronized time stamping, clock accuracy, latency budget).
**Key Solution Attributes** • Modular Form Factor: Sensor designs must be suitable for integration as either a primary seeker into a KKV or as a hosted payload on a space vehicle. • Operational Durability: Designs must be compatible with a 5-year design life in Low Earth Orbit (LEO); seeker solutions must withstand high-dynamic launch and/or re-entry environments. • Sensor Performance: Space-rated sensors are required to detect and discriminate hot or cold objects at LEO-ranges and high cross-track velocities, while functioning against both Earth and space backgrounds. This capability necessitates rapid initialization (within seconds), high frame rates, and substantial data throughput. • Aggressive Prototyping Timeline: Lab-based demonstration (6 - 9 months from award): Benchtop or lab environment demonstration showing key performance metrics (e.g., detection, tracking, discrimination) using targets or scenes that are relevant to an engagement scenario (e.g., small, fast-moving, hot or cold objects against cluttered backgrounds).On-orbit demonstration (12–24 months from award): An on-orbit demonstration as hosted payload in a relevant environment. DIU anticipates working with selected partners to integrate into a space vehicle. • Lab-based demonstration (6 - 9 months from award): Benchtop or lab environment demonstration showing key performance metrics (e.g., detection, tracking, discrimination) using targets or scenes that are relevant to an engagement scenario (e.g., small, fast-moving, hot or cold objects against cluttered backgrounds). • On-orbit demonstration (12–24 months from award): An on-orbit demonstration as hosted payload in a relevant environment. DIU anticipates working with selected partners to integrate into a space vehicle.
**Desired Attributes for Compelling Solutions** • Optimized SWaP-C: Designs that aggressively minimize Size, Weight and Power while maintaining mission-critical performance and low unit cost. • Commercial Scalability: Solutions that prioritize "Design for Manufacturability" by leveraging commercial high-volume production processes and cross-industry components, i.e, 100+ units/year. • Disruptive Economics: Proposers should demonstrate a path to a price point significantly lower than legacy defense-specific sensors when produced at scale.
**FAQs** **Q: What is fire-control-quality?** A: For this AOI, ‘fire-control-quality’ data refers to sensor outputs that can support a precise intercept solution, generally characterized by: • High positional accuracy and angular resolution • High update rate • Low latency from sensing to usable track data • Sufficient measurement quality for target discrimination (e.g., ability to distinguish between a true warhead and debris/decoys)
**Eligibility Requirements** This solicitation is open to U.S. and international vendors. Vendors are reminded that in order to utilize an Other Transaction agreement, the requirements of 10 USC 4022 must be satisfied. Specifically reference 10 USC 4022(d), which requires significant contribution from a nontraditional defense contractor, all participants to be small business concerns, or at least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.
This Area of Interest solicitation will be awarded in accordance with the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process detailed within HQ0845-20-S-C001(DIU CSO), posted to SAM.gov on 13 January 2020, updated 02 October 2023. This document is available at https://sam.gov/opp/e00f6563e0c84a04adc0a36215663e15/view.
Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement awarded in response to this solicitation may result in the direct award of a follow-on production contract or agreement without the use of further competitive procedures. Follow-on production activities will result from successful prototype completion.
The follow-on production contract or agreement will be available for use by one or more organizations within the Department of Defense. As a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the Prototype OT agreement. All Prototype OT agreements will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: “In accordance with §10 U.S.C. 4022(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has successfully been completed, this competitively awarded Prototype OT agreement may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures.”