UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Proposal Submission
The United States Operations
Command’s (USSOCOM) mission includes developing and acquiring unique special
operations forces (SOF) equipment, material, supplies and services. USSOCOM is seeking small businesses with a
strong research and development capability and an understanding of the SOF
operational characteristics. The 4 topics represent a portion of the problems
encountered by SOF in fulfilling its mission.
Inquires of a general nature or questions concerning the administration of the SBIR program should be addressed to:
United
States Special Operations Command
Attn:
SOAL-KS/Ms. Karen L. Pera
7701 Tampa
Point Blvd.
MacDill Air
Force Base, Florida 33621
Email: perak@socom.mil
USSOCOM has identified 4
technical topics for the FY02.1 solicitation and proposals will only be
accepted for those topics. The USSOCOM Program Executive Officers (PEOs)
responsible for the research and development in these specific areas initiated
the topics and are responsible for the technical evaluation of the proposals.
Proposal evaluation factors are listed below and each proposal must address
each factor in order to be considered for an award. Prior to December 1, 2001,
scientific and technical questions may be directly asked of the topic author,
and after that, through the DTIC SBIR Interactive Technical Information System
(SITIS).
The maximum amount of SBIR
funding for a USSOCOM Phase I award is $100,000 and the maximum time frame for
a Phase I proposal is 6 months. A Phase
I proposal for less than 6 months and/or less than $100,000 is encouraged where
low risk technologies are being proposed.
USSOCOM will request Phase II
proposals on a case by case basis. The
proposal must be structured as follows: the first 10-12 months (base effort)
should be approximately $375,000; the second 10-12 months (option) of
incremental funding should also be approximately $375,000. A Phase II proposal
for less than 24 months and/or less than $750,000 is encouraged. The maximum
amount of SBIR funding allocated for
a USSOCOM Phase II award is $750,000 and the maximum time frame for a Phase II
award is 24 months. Proposals should be based on realistic cost and time
estimates, not on the maximum time (months) and dollars. The cost of the project is based on the
overall amount of hours spent to accomplish the work required and the overall
term of the project should also be based on the same effort. In preparing the
proposal, (including the plan of objectives and milestones), firms should
consider that workload and operational tempo will preclude extensive access to
government and military personnel beyond established periodic reviews.
Evaluation Criteria – Phase I
& II
1)
The
soundness, technical merit, and innovation of the proposed approach and its
incremental progress toward topic or subtopic solution.
2)
The
qualifications of the proposed principal/key investigators supporting staff,
and consultants. Qualifications include not only the ability to perform the
research and development but also the ability to commercialize the results.
3)
The
potential for commercial (Government of private sector) application and the
benefits expected to accrue from this commercialization.
Selection
of proposals for funding is based upon technical merit and the evaluation
criteria included in the solicitation. As funding is limited, USSOCOM will
select and fund only those proposals considered to be superior in overall
technical quality and most critical. USSOCOM may fund more than one proposal in
a specific topic area if the technical quality of the proposal is deemed
superior, or it may fund no proposals in a topic area.
All proposal information must be received electronically via the
DoD SBIR/STTR Submission site. To submit,
proceed to http://www.dodsbir.net/submission. Once your firm has been registered, they may
prepare (and edit) Company Commercialization Report Data, prepare (and edit)
Proposal Cover Sheets(s) (formerly referred to as Appendix A and B), complete
the Cost Proposal form, and upload corresponding Technical Proposal(s). The
electronic proposal must be transmitted to the site by 3:00PM EST on January 15,
2002. The proposal submission, exclusive of the Company Commercialization
Report and the cost proposal must not exceed 25 pages.
Paper copies will not be considered.
A complete electronic submission is required for proposal
evaluation. An electronic signature
is not required on the proposal. Proposal evaluation will be
accomplished via a secure web site.
Please call the nearest Electronic Commerce Regional Center for
assistance in uploading proposals.
Please note that there have been problems in the past with AOL uploads,
therefore suggest using an alternate internet service provider (ISP) for files
larger than 5MB. It is strongly suggested the proposal be submitted 3-5 days
prior to closing date to ensure complete submission. Firms are entirely responsible
for complete and timely submission of the proposal.
Refer to the on-line help
area of the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission site for questions, troubleshooting,
etc. For further assistance, contact
the help desk via email
or phone at 866-SBIRHLP (866-724-7457).
USSOCOM offers information on
the Internet about its SBIR program at http://www.socom.mil
and http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir.
The term “Technical Proposal”
refers to the part of the submission as described in Section 3 of the
Solicitation. WordPerfect, Text, MS
Word, RTF, and PDF are the only acceptable formats for proposal submissions. You are encouraged, but not required, to
embed graphics within the document.
When including images, care should be taken to ensure images are not of
excessive size. A resolution of 200 dpi
or below is requested for all embedded images.
Please use standard fonts in order to prevent conversion
difficulties. An overall file size of
5MB or less is recommended for each electronic proposal submission.
You will receive a
confirmation page via the submission site once the proposal has been uploaded. The upload will be available for viewing on
the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission site within 24 hours. It is within your best interest to review the upload to ensure
the server received the complete file.
Questions or problems should be directed to the help desk as mentioned
above.
You
are responsible for performing a virus check on each proposal to be uploaded
electronically. The detection of a
virus on any submitted electronic technical proposal may be cause for the
rejection of the proposal. USSOCOM
will not accept e-mail submissions. You
should contact your Internet Service Providers to if you have questions
concerning the provider’s file size transmission allowance.
SOCOM
02-001 TITLE:
Multi-Spectral Low-Light Imaging
TECHNOLOGY
AREAS: Sensors
OBJECTIVE:
Investigate the technical feasibility of fielding reproducible, meaningful,
real-time color Image Intensification (I2) devices. This innovation would
remove the existing constraint of monochrome (green) imagery of current night
vision devices and provide color imagery in its place. Producing color imagery
would allow multiple users from different physical locations to identify
targets in the scene by color content.
DESCRIPTION:
With the recent advances in night vision device performance, a re-examination
all aspects of NVG mission performance (i.e.; ability to navigate, detect and
maneuver on the battlefield) could produce a dramatic overall increase in
operational capability. Current "monochrome" representation of the
scene, traditionally exploited by the NVG user communities, could be
significantly enhanced if a reproducible color image were presented to the
user. Image Intensifiers (I2) function in a range which covers the photopic
(light visible to the human eye under daylight conditions) wave band plus
(& especially important for low light performance) the near infrared
region, which is undetected by the unaided eye. The issue to be examined, is
how to create a viable color night vision capability without investing in
technologies that are not currently ready for production.Phase I:
PHASE
I: Objectives are to:
(1)
Model the proposed system configuration for producing color night vision imagery.
(2)
Calculate system performance using current performance modeling techniques
associated with
standard
night vision characterization algorithms.
(3)
Compare the theoretical performance of the proposed Color Night Vision System
to standard night vision system performance.
(4)
Develop design and plan to construct a brass-board concept demonstrator.
PHASE
II: The Phase II objectives are to:
(1)
Build the brass-board concept demonstrator.
(2)
Measure system performance under laboratory conditions. Compare results to
standard night vision systems.
(3)
Measure system performance under real-world scenarios, acquire video footage
from Color and standard systems for side by side comparison.
(4)
Determine the best approach for transition from brass-board configuration to a
fieldable system configuration.
PHASE
III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This capability will provide an immediate, increased
capability throughout the Military, Intelligence, Law Enforcement, and Search
& Rescue communities. There are a host of user communities that have
expressed specific interest in the ability to see color imagery under low light
level conditions. Law Enforcement, Medical, Search and Rescue, and Fire
Fighting communities have expressed specific interest in this capability. The
production devices have wide spread use in non-destructive testing,
preventative maintenance, medical, forensic, and commercial security
applications.
SOCOM
02-002 TITLE:
Portable Wireless Monitoring Station
TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems
OBJECTIVE:
SOF tactical users lack a small package that permits them to monitor RF and
wireless communications. Having this capability will save lives during
dangerous missions. This SBIR will
research, design and build a rugged, inexpensive tactical monitoring system for
deployed SOF personnel. The system will
attempt to use the latest in commercial off the shelf (COTS) and Government off
the shelf (GOTS) equipment. The system
should use plug and play technology, and provide for future upgrades as technology
and signals change.
DESCRIPTION:
Wireless communications are a growing mode of communications in all parts of
the world. SOF need to be able to
monitor communications for force protection.
A package that can be integrated into the Joint Threat Warning System
(JTWS) Manpack, Team Transportable, Maritime, and/or Air variants will permit
SOF to monitor entire regions covered by INMARSAT.
The
system will have the following requirements:
·
Small
and compact (requirement less than 250 cubic inches, objective of 150 cubic
inches).
·
Ruggedized
package for harsh environments, to include no fans.
·
Low
power (<50W).
·
9-16VDC
input power (9-25VDC objective). The
Monitoring Station will contain NO internal power; it will be powered via the
customer’s chosen power source.
·
Coherent
LO ability for direction finding (DF) applications.
·
At
least two tuners covering at least 30 to 3000 MHz (objective of 10MHz to
10GHz).
·
At
least 30MHz bandwidth.
·
At
least 80dB dynamic range.
·
Target
database (objective of 5,000 entries).
·
NT
operating system with removable hard drive.
·
Support
for 24 control / voice channels.
·
Recognize
G3 fax signals, and detect the presence of G3 fax and data modem answer tones.
·
Support
for multiple fax formats.
·
Objective
of detecting and analyzing spread spectrum/frequency-hopping signals.
The
system should utilize DSP technology that is software configurable. It should have the capability of being
software upgraded when signals/ configurations change. It will have as an objective to be Joint
Component Architecture Framework (JCAF) compliant. Note: SPAWAR Systems Charleston can assist the bidder with the
JCAF software. The system should be remoteable using TCP/IP or other standard
format. Successful proposals will use
novel technology to achieve substantial enhancements to equipment size, weight,
performance, reliability, power consumption, data rate speeds, and/or cost or
offer new ways of computing, communicating, sensing or displaying information.
PHASE
I: Research and propose system design
that will provide plan to meet the above requirements and objectives, stressing
the small size, power, and the number of formats that can be detected. Efforts should focus on technological
approach for addressing the requirement.
PHASE
II: Significant interaction with SOF tactical users will be required to ensure
that the system being designed will meet their needs. Develop two (2) system prototypes. Will be required to demonstrate in a realistic tactical
environment. Conduct limited testing
to prove feasibility over a seven day mission scenario.
PHASE
III DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGIES: This system
is designed primarily for tactical operations, and has application in at least
two USSOCOM programs. It will also have
application with the other military services and law enforcement agencies. An
enterprising company could spin this product off into the commercial market as
a wireless maintenance device.
KEYWORDS: INMARSAT, Tactical, Intelligence, monitoring
system, cellular, wireless, fax, signals, G3.
SOCOM 02-003 TITLE:
Lightweight, Disposable Air Cargo Delivery System (DACD)
TECHNOLOGY
AREAS: Air Platform
DESCRIPTION.
Lightweight, Disposable Air Cargo Delivery System (LDACDS) to provide Special
Operations Forces (SOF) with long-range airdrop resupply and sustainment during
operations across the spectrum of SOF operations. This capability to resupply
mobile and stationary units operating behind enemy lines with POL, ammunition,
weapons/commo, water/food without having to land and or slow down in the air, therefore
greatly reducing air-drop signature and greatly improving survivability.
There
are no specific technologies of interest.
The Services have been working this area for a long time, and tried many
different approaches to precision airdrop of small bundles, to include using
parachutes, gliding deccelerators, cushioned munitions and pallets. All of
these solutions can work, but none of them are optimal. The author is open to any ideas that meet
the requirement to include new technologies and application of existing
technologies. The cheaper, simpler, and
more effective the solution in terms of range, accuracy, signature, and
payload, and employment complexity the better.
A range of solutions would even be considered for different payloads and
range, however, nominal requirements are to deliver 60 pounds of emergency
supplies from a wide variety of aircraft with drop speeds of up to 130 knots to
within 30ft of intended location.
PHASE
I: Compare available and developing technologies against resultant capabilities
to provide the government with alternative approach(es) to test, at the concept
level. Employment possibilities include
fixed and rotary-wing manned and unmanned aircraft.
PHASE
II: Based on the optimal solution(s) identified in Phase I, develop prototype
systems and demonstrate in controlled field conditions.
PHASE
III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Precision re-supply in search/rescue and disaster
and humanitarian relief situations.
SOCOM
02–004 TITLE:
Tactical Antenna Switching and Positioning System (TASPS)
TECHNOLOGY
AREAS: Electronics, Information Systems
OBJECTIVE: Design and build an inexpensive lightweight
portable Tactical Antenna Switching and Positioning System to be carried aboard
and employed on US Navy ships without accessing permanently installed Navy
communication assets. The system should
be capable of unattended function, and continuous tracking of UHF satellites.
DESCRIPTION: The TASPS will provide a platform for a
small lightweight UHF SATCOM antenna and an interface to maintain contact with
geosycronus satellites. Contact must be maintained despite ship movement and
periodic blockage of the line of sight (LOS) between the antenna and satellite
by the ship’s superstructure. The system
must be capable of unattended operation.
The
limited ability for co-use of Navy UFH SATCOM assets creates a dire need for
this capability. The Navy has limited SATCOM capabilities for additional users
(i.e. those who are not part of the ship’s normal company, but base on the ship
on a temporary basis). Temporary personnel are required to install additional
UHF SATCOM systems. Advantaged antenna
placement is in high demand on these ships and special permissions are needed
to access the best placement areas.
With this proposed system the user is able to board a USNS ship and
install systems with little coordination or impact to vital ship's
communications and radar systems.
The
currently used system employs two directional antennas. The system maintains each antenna’s lock on
the satellite by turning the antenna at the direction of either a GPS or
compass feed. When the ship’s
superstructure blocks one antenna the system switches to the other
antenna. The current system, however,
does not work well. The system does not maintain the antenna’s lock on
satellites well, and high winds further disrupt the directional antenna’s
tracking. The user envisioned system would interface two UHF SATCOM radios
(AN/PRC-117F or equivalent) using one small, man-portable Omni-directional
antenna on each side of the ship. The
system would switch between the two antennas when the LOS to the satellites is
blocked and employs amplifiers and pre amplifiers to make up for the
omni-directional antenna’s lack of gain.
Current technology might also allow a system with directional antennas
that are adjusted in accordance with the satellite signal. As the ship turns and signal strength
decreases, the antenna automatically turns to maintain its tracking. The
current system and user’s envisioned future system descriptions are provided
not to dictate to potential vendors an approach to the problem, but to help
make clear what the problem is. The user is open to innovative and creative
solutions to maintaining UHF SATCOM communications while onboard ship.
Regardless
of the solution devised, there are several requirements that the system must
meet. It must accommodate transmit RF
power, in the UHF frequency range (225-400MHz), of 100 watts per channel. It
must provide minimal attenuation of the receive signal, to provide maximum
possible receive signal level at the radio system. The system must function in an ocean environment, which includes
but is not limited to high winds (in excess of 50 knots) and sea spray. The system must be DAMA compliant. The
system must be capable of being transported on commercial aircraft and should
be contained in not more than two hardened cases weighing not more than 60 lbs.
each.
PHASE
I: Develop overall system design that includes specification of antenna
switching and positioning technology, system specification, and protocol
operation.
PHASE
II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype system in a realistic environment.
Conduct testing to prove feasibility over extended operating conditions.
PHASE
III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This system could
be used in a broad range of military and civilian applications where automatic
RF switching and antenna tracking are necessary. Uses on board Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement vessels are
potential candidates for this technology.