· Web viewPlatform Agnostic Low SWAP-C Fire Control Radar for Counter-UAS A17-127 Measurement of Force in Personnel Parachute Risers A17-128 Novel Detection Sensor for Small Arms

ARMY17.2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Proposal Submission Instructions

INTRODUCTION

The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) is responsible for execution of the Army SBIR Program. Information on the Army SBIR Program can be found at the following Website: https://www.armysbir.army.mil / .

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), topic, and general questions regarding the SBIR Program should be addressed according to the DoD Program BAA. For technical questions about the topic during the pre-release period, contact the Topic Authors listed for each topic in the BAA. To obtain answers to technical questions during the formal BAA period, visit https://sbir.defensebusiness.org/. Specific questions pertaining to the Army SBIR Program should be submitted to:

John SmithProgram Manager, Army SBIR [email protected] US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM)6200 Guardian GatewaySuite 145Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-1322TEL: (866) 570-7247FAX: (443) 360-4082

The Army participates in three DoD SBIR BAAs each year. Proposals not conforming to the terms of this BAA will not be considered. Only Government personnel will evaluate proposals.

PHASE I PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

SBIR Phase I proposals have four Volumes: Proposal Cover Sheet, Technical Volume, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report. The Technical Volume .pdf document has a 20-page limit including: table of contents, pages intentionally left blank, references, letters of support, appendices, technical portions of subcontract documents (e.g., statements of work and resumes) and any other attachments. Small businesses submitting a Phase I Proposal must use the DoD SBIR electronic proposal submission system (https://sbir.defensebusiness.org/). This site contains step-by-step instructions for the preparation and submission of the Proposal Cover Sheet, the Company Commercialization Report, the Cost Volume, and how to upload the Technical Volume. For general inquiries or problems with proposal electronic submission, contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at 1-800-348-0787.

The small business will also need to register at the Army SBIR Small Business website: https://portal.armysbir.army.mil/Portal/SmallBusinessPortal/Default.aspx in order to receive information regarding proposal status/debriefings, summary reports, impact/transition stories, and Phase III plans. PLEASE NOTE: If this is your first time submitting an Army SBIR proposal, you will not be able to register your firm at the Army SBIR Small Business website until after all of the proposals have been downloaded and we have transferred your company information to the Army Small Business website. This can take up to one week after the end of the submission period.

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https://portal.armysbir.army.mil/Portal/SmallBusinessPortal/Default.aspx

https://sbir.defensebusiness.org/

mailto:[email protected]

https://sbir.defensebusiness.org/

https://www.armysbir.army.mil/

Do not include blank pages, duplicate the electronically generated cover pages or put information normally associated with the Technical Volume such as descriptions of capability or intent in other sections of the proposal as these will count toward the 20-page limit.

Only the electronically generated Cover Sheets, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report (CCR) are excluded from the 20-page limit. The CCR is generated by the proposal submission website, based on information provided by you through the Company Commercialization Report tool. Army Phase I proposals submitted containing a Technical Volume .pdf document containing over 20 pages will be deemed NON-COMPLIANT and will not be evaluated. It is the responsibility of the Small Business to ensure that once the proposal is submitted and uploaded into the system that the technical volume .pdf document complies with the 20 page limit.

Phase I proposals must describe the "vision" or "end-state" of the research and the most likely strategy or path for transition of the SBIR project from research to an operational capability that satisfies one or more Army operational or technical requirements in a new or existing system, larger research program, or as a stand-alone product or service.

Phase I proposals will be reviewed for overall merit based upon the criteria in Section 6.0 of the DoD Program BAA.

17.2 Phase I Key DatesBAA closes, proposals due 21 Jun 2017, 8:00 p.m. ET Phase I Evaluations 23 Jun – 18 Sep 2017Phase I Selections 19 Sep 2017Phase I Award Goal 18 Dec 2017*Subject to the Congressional Budget process

PHASE I OPTION MUST BE INCLUDED AS PART OF PHASE I PROPOSAL

The Army implements the use of a Phase I Option that may be exercised to fund interim Phase I activities while a Phase II contract is being negotiated. Only Phase I efforts selected for Phase II awards through the Army’s competitive process will be eligible to have the Phase I Option exercised. The Phase I Option, which must be included as part of the Phase I proposal, should cover activities over a period of up to four months and describe appropriate initial Phase II activities that may lead to the successful demonstration of a product or technology. The Phase I Option must be included within the 20-page limit for the Phase I proposal. Do not include blank pages, duplicate the electronically generated cover pages or put information normally associated with the Technical Volume such as descriptions of capability or intent, in other sections of the proposal as these will count toward the 20-page limit.

PHASE I COST VOLUME

A firm fixed price or cost plus fixed fee Phase I Cost Volume ($150,000 maximum) must be submitted in detail online. Proposers that participate in this BAA must complete a Phase I Cost Volume not to exceed a maximum dollar amount of $100,000 and six months and a Phase I Option Cost Volume not to exceed a maximum dollar amount of $50,000 and four months. The Phase I and Phase I Option costs must be shown separately but may be presented side-by-side in a single Cost Volume. The Cost Volume DOES NOT count toward the 20-page Phase I proposal limitation. When submitting the Cost Volume, complete the Cost Volume form on the DoD Submission site, versus submitting it within the body of the uploaded proposal.

PHASE II PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Commencing with Phase II’s resulting from a 13.1 Phase I, invitations are no longer required. Small businesses submitting a Phase II Proposal must use the DoD SBIR electronic proposal

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submission system (https://sbir.defensebusiness.org/). This site contains step-by-step instructions for the preparation and submission of the Proposal Cover Sheet, the Company Commercialization Report, the Cost Volume, and how to upload the Technical Volume. For general inquiries or problems with proposal electronic submission, contact the DoD Help Desk at 1-800-348-0787.

Army SBIR has four cycles in each FY for Phase II submission. A single Phase II proposal can be submitted by a Phase I awardee within one, and only one, of four submission cycles and must be submitted between 4 to 17 months after the Phase I contract award date. Any proposals that are not submitted within these four submission cycles and before 4 months or after 17 months from the contract award date will not be evaluated. The submission window opens at 0001hrs (12:01 AM) eastern time on the first day and closes at 2359 hrs (11:59 PM) eastern time on the last day. Any subsequent Phase II proposal (i.e., a second Phase II subsequent to the initial Phase II effort) shall be initiated by the Government Technical Point of Contact for the initial Phase II effort and must be approved by Army SBIR PM in advance.

The four Phase II submission cycles following the announcement of selections for the 17.2 BAA are:

2018(a) 16 October to 14 November 20172018(b) 1 March to 30 March 20182018(c) 15 June to 16 July 20182018(d) 1 August to 31 August 2018

For other submission cycle see the schedule below, and always check with the Army SBIR Program Managers office helpdesk for the exact dates.

SUBMISSION CYCLES TIMEFRAMECycle One 30 calendar days starting on or about 15 October*Cycle Two 30 calendar days starting on or about 1 March*Cycle Three 30 calendar days starting on or about 15 June*Cycle Four 30 calendar days starting on or about 1 August*

*Submission cycles will open on the date listed unless it falls on a weekend or a Federal Holiday. In those cases, it will open on the next available business day.

Army SBIR Phase II Proposals have four Volumes: Proposal Cover Sheet, Technical Volume, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report. The Technical Volume .pdf document has a 38-page limit including: table of contents, pages intentionally left blank, references, letters of support, appendices, technical portions of subcontract documents (e.g., statements of work and resumes), data assertions and any attachments. Do not include blank pages, duplicate the electronically generated cover pages or put information normally associated with the Technical Volume in other sections of the proposal as these will count toward the 38 page limit. As with Phase I proposals, it is the proposing firm’s responsibility to verify that the Technical Volume .pdf document does not exceed the page limit after upload to the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission site by clicking on the “Verify Technical Volume” icon.

Only the electronically generated Cover Sheet, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report (CCR) are excluded from the 38-page Technical Volume. The CCR is generated by the proposal submission website, based on information provided by you through the Company Commercialization Report tool.

Army Phase II Proposals submitted containing a Technical Volume .pdf document over 38 pages will be deemed NON-COMPLIANT and will not be evaluated.

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Army Phase II Cost Volumes must contain a budget for the entire 24-month Phase II period not to exceed the maximum dollar amount of $1,000,000. During contract negotiation, the contracting officer may require a Cost Volume for a base year and an option year. These costs must be submitted using the Cost Volume format (accessible electronically on the DoD submission site), and may be presented side-by-side on a single Cost Volume Sheet. The total proposed amount should be indicated on the Proposal Cover Sheet as the Proposed Cost. Phase II projects will be evaluated after the base year prior to extending funding for the option year.

Small businesses submitting a proposal are required to develop and submit a technology transition and commercialization plan describing feasible approaches for transitioning and/or commercializing the developed technology in their Phase II proposal.

DoD is not obligated to make any awards under Phase I, II, or III. For specifics regarding the evaluation and award of Phase I or II contracts, please read the DoD Program BAA very carefully. Phase II proposals will be reviewed for overall merit based upon the criteria in Section 8.0 of the BAA.

BIO HAZARD MATERIAL AND RESEARCH INVOLVING ANIMAL OR HUMAN SUBJECTS

Any proposal involving the use of Bio Hazard Materials must identify in the Technical Volume whether the contractor has been certified by the Government to perform Bio Level - I, II or III work.

Companies should plan carefully for research involving animal or human subjects, or requiring access to government resources of any kind. Animal or human research must be based on formal protocols that are reviewed and approved both locally and through the Army's committee process. Resources such as equipment, reagents, samples, data, facilities, troops or recruits, and so forth, must all be arranged carefully. The few months available for a Phase I effort may preclude plans including these elements, unless coordinated before a contract is awarded.

FOREIGN NATIONALS

If the offeror proposes to use a foreign national(s) [any person who is NOT a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b (a) (3) – refer to Section 3.5 of this BAA for definitions of “lawful permanent resident” and “protected individual”] as key personnel, they must be clearly identified. For foreign nationals, you must provide country of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement on this project. Please ensure no Privacy Act information is included in this submittal.

OZONE CHEMICALS

Class 1 Ozone Depleting Chemicals/Ozone Depleting Substances are prohibited and will not be allowed for use in this procurement without prior Government approval.

CONTRACTOR MANPOWER REPORTING APPLICATION (CMRA)

The Contractor Manpower Reporting Application (CMRA) is a Department of Defense Business Initiative Council (BIC) sponsored program to obtain better visibility of the contractor service workforce. This reporting requirement applies to all Army SBIR contracts.

Offerors are instructed to include an estimate for the cost of complying with CMRA as part of the Cost Volume for Phase I ($100,000 maximum), Phase I Option ($50,000 maximum), and Phase II ($1,000,000 maximum), under “CMRA Compliance” in Other Direct Costs. This is an estimated total cost (if any) that

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would be incurred to comply with the CMRA requirement. Only proposals that receive an award will be required to deliver CMRA reporting, i.e. if the proposal is selected and an award is made, the contract will include a deliverable for CMRA.

To date, there has been a wide range of estimated costs for CMRA. While most final negotiated costs have been minimal, there appears to be some higher cost estimates that can often be attributed to misunderstanding the requirement. The SBIR Program desires for the Government to pay a fair and reasonable price. This technical analysis is intended to help determine this fair and reasonable price for CMRA as it applies to SBIR contracts.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) operates and maintains the secure CMRA System. The CMRA Web site is located here: https://cmra.army.mil/.

The CMRA requirement consists of the following items, which are located within the contract document, the contractor's existing cost accounting system (i.e. estimated direct labor hours, estimated direct labor dollars), or obtained from the contracting officer representative:

(1) Contract number, including task and delivery order number;(2) Contractor name, address, phone number, e-mail address, identity of contractor employee entering data;(3) Estimated direct labor hours (including sub-contractors);(4) Estimated direct labor dollars paid this reporting period (including sub-contractors);(5) Predominant Federal Service Code (FSC) reflecting services provided by contractor (and separate predominant FSC for each sub-contractor if different);(6) Organizational title associated with the Unit Identification Code (UIC) for the Army Requiring Activity (The Army Requiring Activity is responsible for providing the contractor with its UIC for the purposes of reporting this information);(7) Locations where contractor and sub-contractors perform the work (specified by zip code in the United States and nearest city, country, when in an overseas location, using standardized nomenclature provided on Web site);

The reporting period will be the period of performance not to exceed 12 months ending September 30 of each government fiscal year and must be reported by 31 October of each calendar year.

According to the required CMRA contract language, the contractor may use a direct XML data transfer to the Contractor Manpower Reporting System database server or fill in the fields on the Government Web site. The CMRA Web site also has a no-cost CMRA XML Converter Tool.

Given the small size of our SBIR contracts and companies, it is our opinion that the modification of contractor payroll systems for automatic XML data transfer is not in the best interest of the Government. CMRA is an annual reporting requirement that can be achieved through multiple means to include manual entry, MS Excel spreadsheet development, or use of the free Government XML converter tool. The annual reporting should take less than a few hours annually by an administrative level employee.

Depending on labor rates, we would expect the total annual cost for SBIR companies to not exceed $500.00 annually, or to be included in overhead rates.

DISCRETIONARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

In accordance with section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(q)), the Army will provide technical assistance services to small businesses engaged in SBIR projects through a network of scientists and engineers engaged in a wide range of technologies. The objective of this effort is to increase Army SBIR technology transition and commercialization success thereby accelerating the fielding of

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https://cmra.army.mil/

capabilities to Soldiers and to benefit the nation through stimulated technological innovation, improved manufacturing capability, and increased competition, productivity, and economic growth.

The Army has stationed nine Technical Assistance Advocates (TAAs) across the Army to provide technical assistance to small businesses that have Phase I and Phase II projects with the participating organizations within their regions.

For more information go to: https://www.armysbir.army.mil, then click the “SBIR” tab, and thenclick on Transition Assistance/Technical Assistance.

As noted in Section 4.22 of this BAA, firms may request technical assistance from sources other than those provided by the Army. All such requests must be made in accordance with the instructions in Section 4.22. It should also be noted that if approved for discretionary technical assistance from an outside source, the firm will not be eligible for the Army’s Technical Assistance Advocate support. All details of the DTA agency and what services they will provide must be listed in the technical proposal under “consultants”. The request for DTA must include details on what qualifies the DTA firm to provide the services that you are requesting, the firm name, a point of contact for the firm, and a web site for the firm. List all services that the firm will provide and why they are uniquely qualified to provide these services. The award of DTA funds is not automatic and must be approved by the Army SBIR Program Manager.

COMMERCIALIZATION READINESS PROGRAM (CRP)

The objective of the CRP effort is to increase Army SBIR technology transition and commercialization success and accelerate the fielding of capabilities to Soldiers. The CRP: 1) assesses and identifies SBIR projects and companies with high transition potential that meet high priority requirements; 2) matches SBIR companies to customers and facilitates collaboration; 3) facilitates detailed technology transition plans and agreements; 4) makes recommendations for additional funding for select SBIR projects that meet the criteria identified above; and 5) tracks metrics and measures results for the SBIR projects within the CRP.

Based on its assessment of the SBIR project’s potential for transition as described above, the Army utilizes a CRP investment fund of SBIR dollars targeted to enhance ongoing Phase II activities with expanded research, development, test and evaluation to accelerate transition and commercialization. The CRP investment fund must be expended according to all applicable SBIR policy on existing Phase II availability of matching funds, proposed transition strategies, and individual contracting arrangements.

NON-PROPRIETARY SUMMARY REPORTS

All award winners must submit a non-proprietary summary report at the end of their Phase I project and any subsequent Phase II project. The summary report is unclassified, non-sensitive and non-proprietary and should include:

A summation of Phase I results A description of the technology being developed The anticipated DoD and/or non-DoD customer The plan to transition the SBIR developed technology to the customer The anticipated applications/benefits for government and/or private sector use An image depicting the developed technology

The non-proprietary summary report should not exceed 700 words, and is intended for public viewing on the Army SBIR/STTR Small Business area. This summary report is in addition to the required final technical report and should require minimal work because most of this information is required in the final

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https://www.armysbir.army.mil/

technical report. The summary report shall be submitted in accordance with the format and instructions posted within the Army SBIR Small Business Portal at:https://portal.armysbir.army.mil/Portal/SmallBusinessPortal/Default.aspx and is due within 30 days of the contract end date.

ARMY SBIR PROGRAM COORDINATORS (PC) and Army SBIR 17.2 Topic Index

Participating Organizations PC Phone

Aviation and Missile RD&E Center(AMRDEC-M)

Lawrence Smith 256-842-3272

Armaments RDE&E Center (ARDEC)

Marzell LeeSheila Speroni

973-724-2585973-724-6935

Army Test and Evaluation Command ATEC)

Jessica KnightAnthony Ham

443-861-9339443-861-9340

Engineer Research & Development Center (ERDC)

Theresa SallsMelonise Wills

603-646-4591703-428-6281

Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC)

James MyersSusan Dael

301-619-7377301-619-5047

PEO Aviation Randy Robinson 256-313-4975Tank Automotive RD&E Center (TARDEC)

George PappageorgeAmanda OsborneTodd Sankbeil

586-282-4915586-282-7541586-282-4669

ARMY SUBMISSION OF FINAL TECHNICAL REPORTS

A final technical report is required for each project. Per DFARS clause 252.235-7011(http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/html/current/252235.htm#252.235-7011), each contractor shall (a) Submit two copies of the approved scientific or technical report delivered under the contract to the Defense Technical Information Center, Attn: DTIC-O, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6218; (b) Include a completed Standard Form 298, Report Documentation Page, with each copy of the report; and (c) For submission of reports in other than paper copy, contact the Defense Technical Information Center or follow the instructions at http://www.dtic.mil.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

This is a Checklist of Army Requirements for your proposal. Please review the checklist to ensure that your proposal meets the Army SBIR requirements. You must also meet the general DoD requirements specified in the BAA. Failure to meet these requirements will result in your proposal not being evaluated or considered for award. Do not include this checklist with your proposal.

1. The proposal addresses a Phase I effort (up to $100,000 with up to a six-month duration) AND an optional effort (up to $50,000 for an up to four-month period to provide interim Phase II funding).

2. The proposal is limited to only ONE Army BAA topic.

3. The technical content of the proposal, including the Option, includes the items identified in Section 5.4 of the BAA.

4. SBIR Phase I Proposals have four (4) sections: Proposal Cover Sheet, Technical Volume, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report. The Technical Volume .pdf document has a 20-page

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http://www.dtic.mil/

http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/html/current/252235.htm#252.235-7011

https://portal.armysbir.army.mil/Portal/SmallBusinessPortal/Default.aspx

limit including, but not limited to: table of contents, pages intentionally left blank, references, letters of support, appendices, technical portions of subcontract documents [e.g., statements of work and resumes] and all attachments). However, offerors are instructed to NOT leave blank pages, duplicate the electronically generated cover pages or put information normally associated with the Technical Volume in other sections of the proposal submission as THESE WILL COUNT AGAINST THE 20-PAGE LIMIT. Any information that details work involved that should be in the technical volume but is inserted into other sections of the proposal will count against the page count. ONLY the electronically generated Cover Sheet, Cost Volume and Company Commercialization Report (CCR) are excluded from the Technical Volume .pdf 20-page limit. As instructed in Section 5.4.e of the DoD Program BAA, the CCR is generated by the submission website, based on information provided by you through the “Company Commercialization Report” tool. Army Phase I proposals submitted with a Technical Volume .pdf document of over 20-pages will be deemed NON-COMPLIANT and will not be evaluated.

5. The Cost Volume has been completed and submitted for both the Phase I and Phase I Option and the costs are shown separately. The Army prefers that small businesses complete the Cost Volume form on the DoD Submission site, versus submitting within the body of the uploaded proposal. The total cost should match the amount on the cover pages.

6. Requirement for Army Accounting for Contract Services, otherwise known as CMRA reporting is included in the Cost Volume (offerors are instructed to include an estimate for the cost of complying with CMRA).

7. If applicable, the Bio Hazard Material level has been identified in the Technical Volume.

8. If applicable, plan for research involving animal or human subjects, or requiring access to government resources of any kind.

9. The Phase I Proposal describes the "vision" or "end-state" of the research and the most likely strategy or path for transition of the SBIR project from research to an operational capability that satisfies one or more Army operational or technical requirements in a new or existing system, larger research program, or as a stand-alone product or service.

10. If applicable, Foreign Nationals are identified in the proposal. An employee must have an H-1B Visa to work on a DoD contract.

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ARMY SBIR 17.2 Topic Index

A17-117 Extremely High Frequency Rail-based Synthetic Aperture RadarA17-118 Improved PNT for Missile in Contested GPS EnvironmentsA17-119 Detect, Locate, and Mitigate GPS ThreatsA17-120 Volumetric Spectral Diagnostics of Particle Laden PlumesA17-121 Low-Order Models for the Evolution of Scalar and Vector Quantities in Supersonic Particle

Laden PlumesA17-122 Accurate Hybrid Flowfield Approaches for High Altitude ManeuverabilityA17-123 Observable Signatures of Missile Threats to Army Interests in the FieldA17-124 Significant Chemical Contributors to Observable Signatures of High Altitude Maneuvering

MissilesA17-125 Nanometallic Matrices for Use in Energetic FormulationsA17-126 Platform Agnostic Low SWAP-C Fire Control Radar for Counter-UASA17-127 Measurement of Force in Personnel Parachute RisersA17-128 Novel Detection Sensor for Small Arms Projectile MotionA17-129 Interchangeable Ballistic Dynamic Pressure-Temperature SensorA17-130 Soil State IntegrationA17-131 Stabilization Product to Preserve and Concentrate Biomolecules in Serum and Urine for

Downstream Serological Diagnosis of InfectionA17-132 Military Working Dog Hearing Protection/Active Communication SystemA17-133 Enhanced Fire Control Radar (FCR) Stationary Target DetectionA17-134 UGV Electromagnetic Environment Interrogation and Exploitation

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ARMY SBIR 17.2 Topic Descriptions

A17-117 TITLE: Extremely High Frequency Rail-based Synthetic Aperture Radar

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors

OBJECTIVE: Develop a high-resolution, rail-based synthetic aperture radar capable of operating in bands within the 100-300 GHz frequency range.

DESCRIPTION: Extremely high frequency (EHF, alternatively millimeter or sub terahertz) imaging and sensing has become increasingly important for both military and commercial applications, providing capabilities for RADAR-type precision targeting, terminal guidance, height-of-burst fuzing, navigation assistance RADAR, imaging through obscurants, and non-destructive testing. Of growing interest is a non-ionizing alternative to X-ray imagers for high resolution, non-destructive testing of objects, such as identifying obscured failures, screening personnel for concealed weapons, and detecting strong scatterers in obscuring media. Of particular interest is the ability to locate scatterers of varying composition and cross section embedded in dielectric panels (e.g. nails in sheetrock, fasteners beneath laminates, metallic fragments in ceramic panels, and defects in composite tiles). As technological advances increase the power of EHF sources and the sensitivity of EHF detectors, one of the greatest remaining challenges facing EHF imaging is cost, particularly for heterodyne receivers. Since sensitive EHF focal plane arrays are not available for the foreseeable future, an alternative is needed for rapidly rendering high-resolution images of scenes containing a variety of weakly and strongly scattering targets. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques have successfully been developed and deployed at traditional microwave frequencies, whose remarkable image quality is provided by the motion of the transceiver and/or target. Applying SAR techniques to extremely high frequencies (100-300 GHz) affords the opportunity for range and cross-range resolution approaching one millimeter. However, implementation of an EHF SAR will be challenging for several reasons. First, the position of the transceiver must be known with sub-wavelength precision required for the reconstruction, so a scanning rail is preferred over a moving platform. Second, the beam must diverge to cover a large area, thereby limiting range because of the limited source power. Finally, the heterodyne receiver must be co-mounted with the transmitter in a monostatic or quasi-monostatic configuration with extremely high phase stability and calibrated frequency sweeps for accurate reconstructions. To demonstrate the concept, a rail-based EHF SAR prototype can be constructed for quiet, non-destructive testing of static targets in which the platform can have the necessary sub-wavelength stability. Such a prototype can be used to explore the fundamental operating principles, to optimize the operational envelope, and to collect proof-of-concept images.

PHASE I: Design an EHF rail SAR with range and cross-range resolution approaching one millimeter for static targets. Operation over bands within the 100-300 GHz region is required, and a thorough link budget analysis must be performed to assess the range, resolution, sensitivity, and stability expected of the radar for each band. The deliverable for Phase I will be a detailed, component-level design of a prototype EHF rail SAR based on this thorough trade analysis.

PHASE II: Construct, characterize, and deliver the prototype EHF rail SAR designed in Phase I. This prototype must demonstrate range and cross-range resolution approaching one millimeter and render the image scene with a user-friendly graphical user interface. The range, resolution, sensitivity, and stability of the radar must be thoroughly characterized for each of the operational frequency bands and for a variety of targets, especially dielectric or ceramic tiles with embedded metallic scatterers of varying size and shape.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Develop a stabilized, ruggedized EHF rail SAR instrument capable of being taken into the field or deployed in various military or commercial sectors where high-resolution imaging is required and x-ray imagers cannot be used.

REFERENCES:1. A. Bandyopadhyay, A. Stepanov, B. Schulkin, M. D. Federici, A. Sengupta, D. Gary, J. F. Federici, R. Barat, Z.-H. Michalopoulou, and D. Zimdars, “Terahertz interferometric and synthetic aperture imaging,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 23, pp. 1168-1178 (2006).

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2. W.L. Chan, J. Deibel, D. M. Mittleman, “Imaging with terahertz radiation”, Reports on Progress in Physics 70, p. 1325 (2007).

3. A. A. Danylov, T. M. Goyette, J. Waldman, M. J. Coulombe, A. J. Gatesman, R. H. Giles, X. Qian, N. Chandrayan, S. Vangala, K. Termkoa, W. D. Goodhue, and W. E. Nixon, “Terahertz inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging with a quantum cascade laser transmitter,” Opt. Exp. 18, pp. 16264-16272 (2010)

4. B. Cheng, G. Jiang, C. Wang, C. Yang, Y. Cai, Q. Chen, W. Huang, G. Zeng, J. Jiang, X. Deng, J. Zhang, “Real-time imaging with a 140 GHz inverse synthetic aperture radar,” IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Tech. 3, pp. 594-605 (2013).

5. J. Ding, M. Kahl, O. Loffeld, P. Haring Bolívar, “THz 3-D Image Formation Using SAR Techniques: Simulation, Processing and Experimental Results,” IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Tech. 3, pp. 606-616 (2013).

KEYWORDS: radar, synthetic aperture radar, extremely high frequency, millimeter wave, sub-terahertz, non-destructive test

A17-118 TITLE: Improved PNT for Missile in Contested GPS Environments


The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement.

OBJECTIVE: Improve operational performance by enhancing position, navigation, and timing (PNT) on missile systems operating in contested GPS environments.

DESCRIPTION: Given the vital and irreplaceable role of GPS in mission success as well as recent developments in advanced electronic attacks such as jamming and spoofing, it has become paramount to design robust methods of detecting and suppressing electronic attacks (EA) against GPS receivers. Recent techniques that preprocess RF data, apply advanced signal processing within software defined receivers, or incorporate precision clocks have demonstrated PNT improvements when the GPS receivers are subjected to electronic attacks. This SBIR is seeking novel techniques that can be matured and ultimately implemented into US Army missile systems.

Vector tracking and deeply integrated GPS receiver architectures have shown the ability to improve signal tracking while the platform is performing high-g maneuvers or when the J/S ratio is elevated. These systems improve tracking, and therefore PNT, by exploiting cross correlations that exist in the received GPS signals and knowledge of platform dynamics. While these approaches provide improved resistance to EA, they are still susceptible to jamming and spoofing in some operational environments. These architectures may be enhanced or augmented by other techniques to further improve EA resistance.

Proposals should address how the technology can be transitioned to fielded platforms. Coordination with DoD GPS equipment manufacturers is encouraged in order to guide the development process to ensure the end product is a transitionable solution.

PHASE I: Work performed under Phase I is expected to develop and determine the feasibility of novel techniques and to develop a preliminary design for a selected approach. The technique development and evaluation is expected to provide a reasonable literature search and an evaluation of the proposed method. The Phase I deliverable will be a final report detailing all methods studied plus evidence of their feasibility on an aerial platform. The final report will also include an initial prototype design to be implemented in Phase II. All hardware and software requirements should be defined.

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PHASE II: Work performed in Phase II is expected to mature the Phase I design, implement selected approaches, and develop a prototype system to improve PNT in the presence of EA such as jamming and spoofing. Use of GPS simulators and laboratory signal generators to simulate electronic interference will be used in this phase. Phase II deliverables will be a prototype system, as well as final report describing the prototype design and implemented approaches.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III, the prototype system will be matured and finalized. A technology transition plan will be developed for consideration of US Army program managers. Commercialization applications include other DoD users operating in contested GPS environments, as well as commercial sectors relying on GPS (e.g. aviation, shipping, etc.).

REFERENCES:1. P. W. Ward, "Performance comparisons between FLL, PLL and a novel FLL-assisted-PLL carrier tracking loop under RF interference conditions," in Proceedings of the 11th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute of Navigation. Nashville, TN: ION, September 1998.

2. Lashley, Matthew, Bevly, David M., "Performance Comparison of Deep Integration and Tight Coupling", NAVIGATION, Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 60, No. 3, Fall 2013, pp. 159-178.

3. Broumandan, A., et.al. “Spoofing Detection, Classification, and Cancelation (SDCC) Receiver Architecture for a Moving GNSS Receiver”, GPS Solutions, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2015, pp 475-487.

4. Starling, J. and Bevly, D. M. "Error Analysis of Carrier Phase Positioning Using Controlled Reception Pattern Array Antennas," Proceedings of the Institute of Navigation International Technical Meeting, Monterey, California, January 2017

5. Powell, R., Starling, J., Bevly, D. M., "A Multiple-Antenna Software GPS Signal Simulator for Rapid Testing of Interference Mitigation Techniques," Proceedings of the 2017 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Monterey, California, January 2017

KEYWORDS: GPS, PNT, GPS Threats

A17-119 TITLE: Detect, Locate, and Mitigate GPS Threats



OBJECTIVE: The objective of this topic is to develop an innovative approach to detecting, locating, and potentially mitigating RF sources of GPS jamming and spoofing.

DESCRIPTION: Novel processing techniques have increasingly begun utilizing the geometric RF-diversity of hostile transmitters, i.e., jammers, to mitigate unfriendly signal injection. These techniques typically "form" weighted divergent measurements, from RF samples, based on energy, directional delay and Doppler. In addition to mitigation of these signals, some algorithms have been developed to determine direction of arrival of these hostile RF signals (primarily jammers). For example, MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithms use controllable reception pattern antenna (CRPA) derived covariance matrices to determine angle-of-arrival for jamming signals (or signals with higher-than-expected energy). This SBIR aims at the development of novel techniques, which use existing antenna configurations or minor changes to the vehicle's RF front-end, to determine direction-of-arrival of malicious interference sources (i.e., trackable spoof signals) on a missile platform (potentially extendable to other platforms).

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Direction-of-arrival determination of such interference may rely on the geometric diversity of multiple antennas, multipath assumptions or other RF characteristics that highlight unique transmitter-related RF characteristics. For example, trackable interference, aka spoofers, likely generate the entire GPS-like constellation and transmit from a common point; thus, these signals generate exogenous constellation-wide delay (i.e., in a bend-pipe versus line-of-sight RF transmission). Other defining characteristics of a malicious interference may include increased energy (i.e., jammers), clock drift/offset coloring, inter-satellite interference, etc.

In the proposed solution, SBIR respondents are encouraged to use generally realizable, or available, hardware and assets on missile platforms to achieve an on-board mitigation routine for interference signals. The available hardware may include on-board CSAC (chip scale atomic clocks), a FRPA antenna and, potentially, one multiple-element CRPA antenna+module (with available covariance estimation). Software approaches are encouraged, but minor hardware upgrades may be considered.

PHASE I: Initial research and first-order simulated results.

Work performed under Phase I is expected to develop and determine the feasibility of several novel techniques and to develop a preliminary design for a selected approach. The technique development and evaluation is expected to provide a reasonable literature search and an initial evaluation of at least two options in software (The software may assume static or dynamic motion relative to the interference source). Each technique should also incorporate hardware/software requirements. The Phase I deliverable will be a final report detailing all methods studied plus evidence of their feasibility on an aerial platform. The final report will also include an initial prototype design to be implemented in Phase II.

PHASE II: Work performed in Phase II is expected to mature the Phase I design, implement selected approaches, and develop a prototype system to detect, locate, and potentially mitigate RF sources of GPS jamming and spoofing. Use of GPS simulators and laboratory signal generators to simulate electronic interference will be used in this phase. Phase II deliverables will be a prototype system, as well as a final report describing the prototype design and implemented approaches.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III, the prototype system will be matured and finalized. A technology transition plan will be developed for consideration by US Army program managers. Commercialization applications include other DoD users operating in contested GPS environments, as well as commercial sectors such as aerial transportation, and potentially truck, train, and naval transportation.

REFERENCES:1. Chen, Yu-Hsuan, et al., “Design and Implementation of Real-Time Software Radio for Anti-Interference GPS/WAAS Sensors”, Sensors journal, ISSN 1424-8220

2. (Removed on 5/16/17.)

3. (Removed on 5/16/17.)

4. (Removed on 5/16/17.)

5. Tao, Huiqi, Li, Hong, Zhang, Weinan, Lu, Mingquan, "A Recursive Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (Recursive-RAIM) Technique for GNSS Anti-Spoofing," Proceedings of the 2015 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Dana Point, California, January 2015, pp. 738-744. (Updated on 5/16/17.)

6. (Removed on 5/16/17.)

7. Timothy Pitt, Greg Reynolds, US Army, AMRDEC; Will Barnwell, US Army, PM UAS; Laura McCrain and Jonathan Jones, NTA, "Test and Evaluation of Mitigating Technologies for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in GPS Degraded and Denied Environments", ION PACIFIC PNT Conference, May 2017. (Added on 5/16/17; uploaded in SITIS on 5/16/17.)

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8. Starling, J. and Bevly, D. M. "Error Analysis of Carrier Phase Positioning Using Controlled Reception Pattern Array Antennas," Proceedings of the Institute of Navigation International Technical Meeting, Monterey, California, January 2017. (Added on 5/16/17.)

9. Powell, R., Starling, J., Bevly, D. M., "A Multiple-Antenna Software GPS Signal Simulator for Rapid Testing of Interference Mitigation Techniques," Proceedings of the 2017 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Monterey, California, January 2017. (Added on 5/16/17.)

KEYWORDS: RF, GPS, GPS Threat

A17-120 TITLE: Volumetric Spectral Diagnostics of Particle Laden Plumes

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons


OBJECTIVE: Three-dimensional measurements of the spectral emissions from a particle laden, supersonic plume.

DESCRIPTION: A light field is the complete distribution of light rays in a space which are described by a 5-D function, sometimes termed the plenoptic function, where each ray is parameterized by its position (x, y, z) and angle of propagation (ϴ, φ). 1 Light-field imaging provides a method for three-dimensional imaging of flows. This has been applied to particle image velocimetry 1,2 and more recently to scalar measurements using modified schlieren methods. 3,4 Application to particle-laden, afterburning plumes could provide valuable data for both the solid and gas phase.

PHASE I: This solicitation seeks innovative concepts for collecting non-intrusive imaging of missile plumes and on the volumetric distribution of combustion dynamics. The effect of mass loading of the particulates on the combusting regions in the plume needs to be addressed. During this phase, the focus can be on the qualitative observation of the plume structures.

PHASE II: The concepts formulated in Phase I will be developed and demonstrated both analytically and experimentally in a program defined by the contractor. Quantitative measurements will be required of the spatial distribution of the scalar variances in the missile plume. Briefly describe expectations and minimum required deliverable.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: If successful, the end result of this Phase-I/Phase-II research effort will be an experiment to collect three dimensional measurements of the spatial distributions of the scalar variance in a particle laden, supersonic plume. For military applications, this technology is directly applicable to all missile systems with extended flight times and may aid in signature reductions. For commercial applications, this technology is directly applicable to gas turbines burning waste gases. There is interest by NASA in its new solid rocket booster program. A full volumetric diagnostic of the flow in the base region will help in the understanding of the heating requirement.

REFERENCES:1. K. Lynch, T. Fahringer, and B. Thurow, “Three-dimensional particle image velocimetry using a plenoptic camera,” in 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2012-1056 (AIAA, Nashville, TN, 2012).

2. B. Thurow and T. Fahringer, “Recent development of volumetric piv with a plenoptic camera,” in Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Particle Image Velocimetry (Delft, The Netherlands, 2013).

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3. Johnathan T. Bolton, Brian Thurow, Nishul Arora, and Farrukh S. Alvi, “Volumetric measurement of a shock wave-turbulent boundary layer interaction using plenoptic particle image velocimetry,” in 32nd AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and Ground Testing Conference (2016) p. 4029.

4. Jenna Klemkowsky, Brian Thurow, and Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, “3-d visualization of compressible flow using a plenoptic camera and background oriented schlieren,” in 54th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting (2016) p. 1047.

KEYWORDS: Volumetric spectral diagnostics, Light-field imaging, Three-dimensional imaging, volumetric distribution, Combustion dynamics, Particles, Supersonic plumes

A17-121 TITLE: Low-Order Models for the Evolution of Scalar and Vector Quantities in Supersonic Particle Laden Plumes



OBJECTIVE: The production of data and low-dimensional, empirical-base models that will allow the enhancement and validation of numerical tools to move beyond anecdotal comparisons for particle-laden missile plumes.

DESCRIPTION: There remain key fundamental questions that must be addressed to achieve fully resolved computational modeling of combustion in a supersonic, turbulent flow. “Molecular mixing of scalar quantities, and hence chemical reactions in turbulent flows, occurs essentially on the smallest turbulent scales and is characterized and quantified by the dissipation rate of the scalar variance, which plays a central role in combustion modeling.”1 Key quantities of interest include things like the mixture fraction probability density function and the Farve-filtered rate of strain. In short, the key quantities of turbulence and scalar variance are independently necessary and intrinsically linked.

While advancing the modeling tools is of significance to the Army, the availability of benchmark data that includes both realistic chemistry and a realistic flow field are limited. In recent past, there have been significant advances in spectral measurements and non-intrusive full-field flow measurements. The top-level goal is to leverage one or more of these in a combined measurement to produce correlated sets of data that are used to develop low-dimensional, empirical-based models for the evolution of scalar and vector quantities in particle-laden, afterburning plumes.

The base region is likely to lend itself well to low-order models. Successful approaches in other aerodynamic flows have leveraged orthogonal mode decomposition and stochastic estimation to reduce the number of degrees of freedom in separated flows where strong two-point correlations exist.2–6 One effort applied these methods to cold-gas, base flows.7 Extending this application through data acquisition and analysis in afterburning base flows is likely to provide valuable insight to fundamental questions that involve the links between scalar and vector quantities.

PHASE I: This solicitation seeks innovative concepts for collecting data with two-phase flow using combined fluid dynamic and spectral diagnostics in the near base region of an afterburning, supersonic plume. The concepts will be identified, simulated, and compare with low dimensional empirical base models. The comparisons will include, at minimum, the scalar and vector quantities of the local velocity and turbulence fields.

PHASE II: The concepts formulated in Phase I will be developed and demonstrated both analytically and experimentally in a program defined by the contractor. Empirical based models will be derived base on physics-based analysis of correlations that arise from the data collection. Briefly describe expectations and minimum required deliverable.

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PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: If successful, the end result of this Phase-I/Phase-II research effort will be an experimentally validated numerical tool for two-phase flow in the base region of an afterburning supersonic plume. For military applications, this technology is directly applicable to all missile systems with extended flight times. For commercial applications, this technology is directly applicable to gas turbines burning waste gases. While the focus of this SBIR Topic is on the understanding of the fluid dynamics of the base region of missile systems, the topic also has direct application in both the military and commercial arenas. The most likely customer and source of funding for Phase-III will be in the field of turbomachinery that burn reclaimed waste gas that contains particulates. There is possible interest by NASA as it develops its new solid rocket booster.

REFERENCES:1. Heinz Pitsch, “Large-eddy simulation of turbulent combustion,” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 38, 453–482 (2006).

2. Nathan E Murray, E. S ¨allstr ¨om, and L. Ukeiley, “Properties of subsonic open cavity flow fields,” Physics of Fluids 21, 095103 (2009).

3. Nathan E Murray, Richard Raspet, and Lawrence Ukeiley, “Contributions of turbulence to subsonic cavity flow wall pressures,” Physics of Fluids 23, 0151041–13 (2011).

4. C. Tinney, F. Coiffet, J. Delville, A. Mall, P. Jordan, and M. Glauser, “On spectral linear stochastic estimation,” Experiments in Fluids 41, 763–775 (2006).

5. C. E. Tinney, P. Jordan, A. M. Hall, J. Delville, and M. N. Glauser, “A time-resolved estimate of the turbulence and sound source mechanisms in a subsonic jet flow,” Journal of Turbulence 8, 1–20 (2007).

6. Clarence W. Rowley, Tim Colonius, and Richard M. Murray, “Model reduction for compressible flows using pod and galerkin projection,” Physica D 189, 115–129 (2004).

7. R. Humble, F. Scarano, and B. van Oudheusden, “Unsteady planar base flow investigation using particle image velocimetry and proper orthogonal decomposition,” in 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2006-1092 (2006).

KEYWORDS: Empirical-base models, two-phase flow, Particles, Afterburning supersonic plumes

A17-122 TITLE: Accurate Hybrid Flowfield Approaches for High Altitude Maneuverability



OBJECTIVE: Development of hybrid flowfield modeling tools that produce accurate aerodynamic/thrust augmented maneuver forces and vehicle/exhaust plume flowfields as well as associated observable signatures for high altitude maneuvering configurations.

DESCRIPTION: Army missiles launched from the ground towards high altitude targets generally require thrusted augmentation of aerodynamic controls to achieve maneuverability needed to ensure lethal intercept. Current modeling techniques often need significant amounts of computational time to provide accurate representations of the flowfields and the observable signatures associated with such maneuvers. The Army is seeking hybrid continuum/rarefied flowfield modeling approaches that significantly reduce the necessary computational time, increase responsiveness to customers, and produce accurate flowfields and observable signatures for configurations maneuvering at high altitudes.

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PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of developing a physics-based, hybrid continuum/rarefied modeling capability for missile exhaust plume flowfields and observable signatures that fully accounts for 3D effects such as angle-of-attack, multi-nozzle interactions, and plume/body interactions. Develop a plan to mature the selected technique(s) in Phase II.

PHASE II: Integrate the model from the Phase I effort into the current DoD plume flowfield modeling tools. Validate the integrated model against available plume flowfield and signature data. Deliver technical and software user documentation, software, model demonstrations and validation for Army use. Maximum practical use of existing plume flowfield modeling software is desired to reduce development and validation costs.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate applicability of the newly developed capability for multiple configurations of interest to the Army and/or the space launch industry that are undergoing both steady and transient maneuvers at high altitude.

REFERENCES:

1. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

2. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

3. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

4. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

5. Simmons, F. S., Rocket Exhaust Plume Phenomenology, The Aerospace Press, El Segundo, CA, 2000. (Added on 4/27/17.)

6. Boyd, Iain D., Deschenes, Timothy R.; Hybrid Particle-Continuum Numerical Methods for Aerospace Applications; Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 2011 (http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA588168) (Uploaded in SITIS on 4/27/17.)

KEYWORDS: Hybrid flowfield methods, continuum/rarefied techniques, high altitude, maneuvering configurations

A17-123 TITLE: Observable Signatures of Missile Threats to Army Interests in the Field



OBJECTIVE: Development of modeling tools that properly account for flame lifting within the exhaust plumes of missile threats to Army assets.

DESCRIPTION: Army interests in the field can be threatened by both low altitude tactical and theater ballistic missiles adversaries. To defend these interests, it is critical that all observable signatures be exploited to guide defending assets. To do so threat plume flowfields and signatures must be modeled accurately to provide correct and authentic information when designing detection, track, and guidance algorithms. It has been observed that flame lifting occurs frequently enough to substantially alter observed plume signatures; this could cause a defending asset to miss the incoming threat. Consequently, the Army is seeking modeling approaches that properly account for this effect to enhance the development of effective defenses.

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PHASE I: Develop a physics-based modeling techniques that fully accounts for the fluid dynamic and chemical interactions that produce flame lifting in missile exhaust plumes.

PHASE II: Integrate the model from the Phase I effort into the current DoD plume flowfield modeling tools. Demonstrate coupling between radiometric process and local flowfield properties. Validate integrated modeling suite against available observable plume signature data (visible/IR and radar). Deliver the technical and software user documentation, software, model demonstrations and validation for Army use. Maximum practical use of existing plume flowfield modeling software is desired to reduce development and validation costs.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate applicability of the newly developed capability for (1) multiple missile threat configurations of interest to the Army that are undergoing flame lifting at altitudes of interest to the Army, and/or (2) multiple launch vehicle configurations of interest to the space launch industry that are undergoing flame lifting at various altitudes.

REFERENCES:

1. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

2. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

3. Simmons, F. S., Rocket Exhaust Plume Phenomenology, The Aerospace Press, El Segundo, CA, 2000.

4. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

5. Calhoon, W. H., Kenzakowski, D. C.; Flowfield and Radiation Analysis of Missile Exhaust Plumes Using a Turbulent-Chemistry Interaction Model, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL; 2000 (http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA461273) (Uploaded in SITIS on 4/27/17.)

KEYWORDS: Flame lifting, afterburning shutdown

A17-124 TITLE: Significant Chemical Contributors to Observable Signatures of High Altitude Maneuvering Missiles



OBJECTIVE: Identification and physical characterization of significant chemical constituents and reaction mechanisms that alter the observable signatures of maneuvering missiles at high altitudes.

DESCRIPTION: Theater missile threats to Army interests often fly through and maneuver at high altitudes where the significant chemical contributors to observable signatures are substantially different than those at low altitude. This change in contribution is important because it alters the look of the threat to defending assets. Hence, it must be taken into account when designing and training detection, track, and guidance algorithms. As a result, the Army is seeking the identification and physical characterization of significant chemical constituents and reaction mechanisms that alter the observable signatures of maneuvering missiles at high altitudes.

PHASE I: For a missile maneuvering at high altitude, to include low thrust propellant systems, identify the chemical and physical phenomena that is required to model and properly account for the complete process from propellant combustion through plume signature emissions. Once identified, at a minimum, prioritize the importance of each phenomena as a function of altitude, velocity, and spectral band. Finally, select one important complex mechanism

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and demonstrate an experimental innovative methodology to model or characterize the phenomena.

PHASE II: Integrate the model or characterizations from the Phase I effort into the current DoD plume flowfield modeling tools. Identify all phenomenology signature processes that are required to model observable signatures of high altitude maneuvering missile, to include low thrust propellant systems. Demonstrate that the new or updated code/modules can predict the most dominant chemical and physical processes. Deliver the technical and software user documentation, software, model demonstrations and validation for Army use. Maximum practical use of existing plume flowfield modeling software is desired to reduce development and validation costs.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate applicability of the newly developed capability for (1) multiple missile threat configurations of interest to the Army that are undergoing flame lifting at altitudes of interest to the Army, and/or (2) multiple launch configurations of interest to the space launch industry that are undergoing flame lifting at altitudes of interest.

REFERENCES:

1. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

2. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

3. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

4. (Removed on 4/27/17.)

5. Simmons, F. S., Rocket Exhaust Plume Phenomenology, The Aerospace Press, El Segundo, CA, 2000. (Added on 4/27/17.)

6. Bruno, Domenico; Internal Energy Excitation and Chemical Reaction Models for Rarefied Gases; ISTITUTO DI METODOLOGIE INORGANICHE E PLASMI DEL CNR BARI (ITALY); 2011 (http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA582770) (Uploaded in SITIS on 4/27/17.)

KEYWORDS: Observable signatures, high altitude, maneuvering missiles

A17-125 TITLE: Nanometallic Matrices for Use in Energetic Formulations



OBJECTIVE: To develop, scale-up and demonstrate nanometallic matrices for use in explosive and propellant energetic formulations translating to enhanced lethality and range effects.

DESCRIPTION: Metals have been added to high energetic formulations for many decades to change the characteristics of their base compositions. Metallized formulations predominantly utilize aluminum and are used in a variety of munitions as theoretical equilibrium calculations predict increases in the formulation density, detonation temperature, gurney output and blast performance. However, these benefits are not always recognized as there are factors that prevent significantly less than 100% of the aluminum from contributing to the reaction. As such, efforts on developing and testing energetic explosive and propellant formulations utilizing conventional metals and improved oxidizers still suffer from incomplete combustion, low burn rates, low specific impulse and low exhaust velocities.

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As with any metallized energetic material, the performance of metallized explosives is intimately linked with the reactivity (i.e., burn rate, extent of combustion, etc.) of the metal particles used in the formulation. Fundamentally, one issue associated with all types of metallized energetic formulations is the incomplete recovery of the energy potential of the fuel. For metals, the two primary causes are incomplete metal combustion during the primary energetic event and/or excessive oxidation prior to combustion. To address the former issue, more rapidly reacting metal particles with higher surface-to-volume ratios (e.g. nanoparticles) have been investigated; however, these types of materials are generally even more vulnerable to oxidation which can significantly reduce their effectiveness.

Therefore, in order to achieve higher lethality and extended range in munition systems, a need exists to develop air-stable, minimally-oxidized nano-metallic matrices with greater energy release capabilities in explosive and propellant formulations. Of particular interest are those metal and semi-metal-based fuel composites which possess relatively high specific energies, such as (but not limited to) aluminum, lithium, or silicon. Further consideration is given to materials possessing the ability to exist as hydrogen carriers in a stable, passivated state. Use of such hydride materials would benefit propellants and explosives by yielding hydrogen and subsequent water as a combustion product. Furthermore, such materials could possibly be used as hydrogen and energy storage devices for mobile power generation applications. In general, the addition of metals is also desired as they are non-explosive ingredients that provide insensitivity benefits while still contributing to the energetic output. If nano-metallized matrices or nanocomposites can be developed to contribute close to 100% to the energy, it would help bridge 3 distinct technical gaps. 1) Insensitive munition (IM) requirements as the metal is an inert material. 2) Enhanced lethality as more metal contributed to energy output. 3) Extended range as metalized propellants have enhanced burn rates and impulse and the payload can be decreased as well reducing the weight while matching lethality.

PHASE I: This phase shall consist of the development and preparation of lab-scale quantities of nano-metallic matrices or nanocomposites with improved properties and small particle size (< 50 nm). Basic studies shall ensure to demonstrate safety in handling (effective passivation technologies), stability with energetic compounds (differential scanning calorimeter tests of compatibilities), minimal oxide layer (not more than 10% oxide content by mass), negligible aging in air, and effective processing techniques that demonstrate control of particle size and repeatable batch characteristics (crystallinity and chemical uniformity). Sample sizes of up to 1 pound shall be formulated in an existing metallized formulation and compared to baseline data. For instance, PAX-3 utilizing the new nanometallic would be compared to traditional PAX-3 and the non-metallized analog composition of PAX-2A utilizing detonation calorimetry and small scale detonation tests. These tests serve as reliable screening tools to assess whether or not the metal reacts early in the detonation to promote gurney enhancement. A propellant formulation will also be used to compare the nanometallic with traditional ingredients, and burn rate and impulse will be measured. Data would be compiled to determine the extent of metal contributing during the detonation. Theoretical studies using thermodynamic equilibrium software will explore the gas phase product formation and estimate the enhancement level of blast products.

At the conclusion of this phase, a data set characterizing lab-scale nano-metallic matrices or nanocomposites is expected, as well as a data set for their inclusion in energetic formulations. This data is expected to show evidence of enhanced lethality and extended range benefits. Additionally, the information required for a smooth scale-up to larger batch sizes is recommended.

PHASE II: The synthesis/preparation of the enhanced nano-metallic matrices or nanocomposites will be scaled up to produce approximately 1 kg of materials for further evaluation. Scale-up procedures and required equipment will be well documented to illustrate the potential for producing within existing infrastructure or up-and-coming methods. Material quantities will be needed to support characterization testing demonstrating the enhanced lethality and extended range benefits from the incorporation of the metallized additives into the formulations. Tests include blast overpressure testing and cylinder expansion tests. Additionally, sensitivity characterization can be conducted to illustrate the benefits the inert metallized materials have on IM properties. These tests include large scale gap testing and other related IM tests.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The synthesis/preparation of the enhanced nano-metallic matrices or nanocomposites will be scaled-up to a level supporting quantities for system level demonstrations. Scale-up demonstrations will be performed in triplicate for verification and validation purposes. Metallized material quantities will be utilized to support system level engineering tests to verify and validate the accomplishments of the

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characterization testing conducted in Phase II.

REFERENCES:1. Klapke, T.M. (2012) Chemistry of High-Energy Materials, 2nd ed., Walter de Gruyter & Co.: Berlin, 2012. 257 pp. ISBN 978-311027358-8.

2. Teipel, U. (2005) “Energetic Materials, Particle Processing and Characterization," Ulrich Teipel, editor; Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, FRG.

3. Akhaven, J. (2011) “The Chemistry of Explosives," 3rd Edition; Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK.

KEYWORDS: Explosives, Propellants, Fuels, Metals, Munitions, Combustion, Impulse, Nano, Hydride

A17-126 TITLE: Platform Agnostic Low SWAP-C Fire Control Radar for Counter-UAS



OBJECTIVE: Develop and demonstrate an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mounted radar system capable of surveillance, detection, identification, and tracking of air born threats. This innovative and cost effective radar must meet the size, weight, and power characteristics to be fitted onto a Group 1 or Group 2 UAS. Track information acquired by the radar should be transmitted to an operator at a weapons system, who can request visual confirmation from the UAV's onboard camera system before engaging the threat.

DESCRIPTION: The rapid proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) may provide many new potential capabilities to the warfighter, especially during forward observation missions. Type 1 and Type 2 UAVs are considered man portable allowing the warfighter to easily transport and bring the asset with them on various missions. This will save the warfighter valuable time from having to call in similar assets from disparate locations while on the mission. The UAV mounted radar and camera system will also allow precise targeting, while keeping the warfighter out of harm's way.

A radar system mounted on a UAV will provide high fidelity radar information to blue forces on forward observation missions. The actionable intelligence gathered from this detailed radar track information will allow for timely decisions on how to react to any potential airborne threats. Operators will be able to request visual confirmation from the UAV's onboard camera system prior to engaging the threat.

In order to realize the aforementioned potential benefits a small footprint, lightweight, power conservative, and cost effective radar system must be designed and developed. Said radar system must be able to be integrated onto the UAV, with particular design considerations being given to the UAV's resulting weight and flight time. The radar system must be able to communicate with the weapon system or operator and provide relevant radar information, such as threat detection and tracking data. This information must be easily understood by the warfighter, and therefore a graphical user interface should be considered part of the design.

PHASE I: Design a prototype radar system with Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) characteristics that can be integrated onto a Group 1 or Group 2 UAV. The design should consider UAV characteristics such as overall weight, power consumption, and flight time. An example of a Concept of Operation (CONOP) includes a warfighter transporting said UAV in a hardened backpack or similar. The overall design should also include communication between the UAV mounted radar system and weapons system operator, and a graphical user interface to display threat detection and track information.

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PHASE II: Develop the prototype UAV mounted radar system and associated software, firmware, and communications. Integrate the prototype radar system onto a Group 1 or Group 2 UAV. Design or leverage an existing graphical user interface to display the target track and location information and develop the necessary communications between the UAV and ground station. Finally, demonstrate in an end-to-end scenario that the UAV mounted radar system can detect and track threats, while providing relevant information to the ground station.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Finalize all aspects of the UAV mounted radar system and prepare for distribution. Develop a commercialization plan to transition to industry and relevant users. The final system can be provided to federal, state, and local government organizations such as police and state troopers for radar based speed enforcement. Various industries in the private sector can also make use a UAV mounted radar, such as building security or job site surveys.

REFERENCES:1. UAS Task Force Airspace Integration Integrated Product Team. Unmanned Aircraft System Airspace Integration Plan version, March 2011, http://www.acq.osd.mil/sts/docs/DoD_UAS_Airspace_Integ_Plan_v2_(signed).pdf

2. Small and Short Range Radar Systems, Gregory L. Charval", 2014 (2Radar Handbook, Third Edition, "Merrill Skolnik", McGraw Hill, Feb 2008

3. Radar Range Equations for Modern Radar "David Knox Barton, Arthech House", January 2013

4. Basic Radar Analysis, "Mervin C. Budge Shawn R. German", Arthech House, October 2015.

KEYWORDS: radar, UAS, UAV, unmanned, aerial, system, counter, countermeasure, forward, observation, targeting

A17-127 TITLE: Measurement of Force in Personnel Parachute Risers

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: To design and build a system that measures the strain of or the force transferred through the parachute riser fabric throughout a paratrooper jump.

DESCRIPTION: Currently, a load cell is utilized to measure the forces seen by personnel parachute risers from aircraft exit to ground impact. To install the load cell, the risers of the parachute is specially modified by the manufacture to accept the load cell in line with the riser. This modifying of the riser increases the risk to the paratrooper because of a non-standard design, increases program scheduled due to the time to design/manufacture/install the modified riser, and increases program costs to implement the modified riser.

To address these limitations, a new methodology for recording the forces transferred through the risers, without modifying the personnel static line and free fall parachute systems, is required.

The solution will need to interface with the riser of personnel parachutes (static line and free fall), survive the airdrop environment, have an effective operational range of 300 pound (lb.) to 10,000 lb. of loading, calibrated utilizing standard calibration equipment, supports reduced operational ranges through calibration (typically 300 lb. to 7500 lb.), can support data collection at 14 bit threshold (T) or 16 bit resolution objective (O) in the 300 lb. to 7500 lb. calibration range, withstand forces up to 30,000 lb., and operate with the standard data recorders used with load cells (if required by the solution) (T) or have an onboard self-contained data recorder (objective.) The solution must be compatible with T-11, RA-1, and MC-6 personnel parachute systems; for live jump and cargo airdrop. The solution will be no bigger than 3 inch (in) wide, 3 in tall, and 1 in deep; tall is orientated along the riser and deep through the riser. The solution will weigh no more than 0.5 lb. threshold, 0.2 lb. objective. The solution supports producing data in pounds forces over time at a sample rate of 2000 Hz or greater.

The primary event that the system will collect data on is parachute opening shock. For personnel systems this event

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will occur over one second, with the primary peak of the event occurring over a period of <20ms. For personnel system weighing 400 lb., the sensor will transition from 0 lb. for, to the peak opening shock of 15g’s, to a suspended weight of 350 lb. over the period of one second. The system shall be able to support collection of opening shock data in this dynamic environment.

The airdrop environment for the system to operate will be from a maximum aircraft exit altitude of 35,000 ft. MSL to a minimum 0 ft. MSL. The system shall be operational in the Hot and Basic (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, and C1) climatic design environments listed in MIL-STD-810G. Any equipment placed on the load or parachute will be able to withstand the parachute opening, flight, and ground impact. Additionally, any equipment place on the aircraft, airdrop load, or parachute should not present a safety hazard to personnel on the aircraft or the ground and should be able to be certified for use on U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft. Also, the implementation of the system should not impact the system performance that is under measurement. The measurement system might be susceptible to electrostatic energy induced in the canopy fabric during inflation and descent. Therefore, steps should be taken to mitigate any electrostatic discharge or EMI induced failures in the system.

PHASE I: Perform a feasibility study in support of the development of a system that can be installed in a non-intrusive manner on the risers of static line and free fall personnel parachute and record the forces seen on risers during deployment and flight until ground impact. Conduct an assessment of innovative technologies which may be utilized to build, integrate, and test a system to meet the challenges listed above. Perform a trade-off analysis to determine the best approach for a system and develop a preliminary design.

PHASE II: Develop a prototype system to install on a riser of a static line and free fall personnel parachute without modifying the parachute system and demonstrate ability to record forces seen on riser during parachute deployment and flight. Demonstrate the system technology in a real-world airdrop and characterize its performance.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The system developed under this topic could be developed into a standard set of instrumentation to support airdrop and aviation testing, such as fabric stress during parachute deployment. Expectation is that government and civilian parachute program office, design centers, and manufactures would procure these systems to support their test operations. Outside of the parachute industry, this could be adapted and marketed to government agencies and companies that require/manufacture seatbelts, 5-point harness or any other fabric safety device.

REFERENCES:1. H. G. Heinrich and R. A. Noreen, "Stress measurements on inflated model parachutes", Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Technical Report No. AD 907 4471, Dec 1972, Defense Logistic Agency, Alexandria Virginia 22314.

2. P. M. Wagner, "Experimental measurement of parachute canopy stress during inflation", Wright -Patterson Air Force Base Technical Report No. AFFDL-TR-78-53, May 1978, Ohio 45433

3. M. El-Sherif and C. Lee, "A novel fiber optic system for measuring the dynamic structural behavior of parachutes", Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 325-414, May 2000.

4. Mattman, C., Clemens, F., and Tröster, “Sensor for Measuring Strain in Textile,” Sensors, 2008, ISSN 1424-8220, www.mdpi.org/sensors.

5. Damplo, M.; Agnihotra, S.; Niemi, E.; Niezrecki, C.; Willis, D.; Chen, J.; Desabrais, K.; Charette, C.; Manohar, S. (2013) Proceeding article AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems (ADS) Conference. Investigation of Sensing Textiles for Intelligent Parachute Systems. March 25, 2013; doi: 10.2514/6.2013-1349

6. Favini, E.; Agnihotra, S.; Niemi, E.; Niezrecki, C.; Willis, D.; Chen, J.; Surwade, S.; Desabrais, K.; Charette, C.; Manohar, S. (2012) Sensing Performance of Electrically Conductive Fabrics and Suspension Lines for Parachute Systems. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. August 21, 2012 doi:10.1177/1045389X12453959

7. Favini, E.; Niezrecki, C.; Manohar, S.; Willis, D.; Chen, J.; Niemi, E.; Desabrais, K.; Charette, C. (2011). Proceeding article SPIE 7981, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace

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Systems 2011. Sensing Performance of Electronically Conductive Fabrics and Dielectric Electro-active Polymers for Parachutes. April 14, 2011; doi:10.1117/12.8804502013

KEYWORDS: Airdrop, parachute, measurement, paratrooper, aerodynamic decelerator, instrumentation, textile strain, fabric strain, personnel parachute

A17-128 TITLE: Novel Detection Sensor for Small Arms Projectile Motion


OBJECTIVE: Develop a new sensor to aid in the collection of small arms projectile motion characteristics. Ideally the sensor will be used for iteration counting (projectile leaves weapon) and strike location detection.

DESCRIPTION: Small arms communities need a specialized sensor to detect the presence of a projectile in motion. The two primary uses for this sensor would be round counting and strike detection. Ideally the sensor would detect a signature of the projectile that is consistent between projectile categories and the projectiles velocity spectrum (subsonic to supersonic). However, detection of the corresponding weapons signature or a similar phenomenon would also be considered. Current methodologies include the use of optical, and thermal cameras, lasers, radar, accelerometers, and piezoelectric microphones each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The sensor should be inexpensive so that it can be manufactured in large quantities. Accuracy is also important. In iteration counting, the sensor must not miss any events and in strike location detection the error after calculation must not be more than one half caliber. Due to strike detection arrays of 16 or more sensors per location and wireless data transfer, the sensor must not be data intensive so that it can be used to process multiangulation algorithms quickly.

PHASE I: Research and develop methods utilize current physics and materials knowledge to create a prototype sensor for use in iteration counting and strike location detection. Provide information on the capabilities and limitations of the sensor and specifications of its design. Provide information on how it can be manufactured and any potential limitations. Demonstrate its capabilities through the use of a prototype if possible.

PHASE II: Further develop the sensor for use in validation testing. A working prototype must be delivered at the completion of this phase. An interfacing protocol is also required for use in integrating with instrumentation suites. A final plan for manufacturing and complete design specifications are also required.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: At completion, the sensor will be used for small arms testing to detect a firing event and strike locations of down range targets. This application would then be integrated into Army systems that use similar sensor arrays to provide the soldier battlespace awareness of small arms fire and direction.

REFERENCES:1. The sensor will be used to improve testing techniques described in Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-504A Safety Evaluation of Small Arms and Medium Caliber Weapons, specifically dispersion and accuracy tests. The document can be found here: http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD= ADA587409

KEYWORDS: Sensor, Ballistic, detection, Small Arms, Projectile, motion, accuracy, dispersion, automation, round counting, weapon, cartridge, rate of fire

A17-129 TITLE: Interchangeable Ballistic Dynamic Pressure-Temperature Sensor


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OBJECTIVE: Design, Fabricate and qualify a compact sensor that can be used to acquire either ballistic pressure or ballistic temperature profiles with the same form factor, that can be used in already ported gun tubes being tested.

DESCRIPTION: In an attempt to support increasing customer requests of larger pressure bands and temperature measurements within a gun tube, the research, development and ultimately the fabrication of a wide range sensor, 0-120,000 psi that can deliver real time dynamic pressure and temperature measurements in a ballistic environment would satisfy such requirements. Concurrently, increasingly, real time temperature measurements are required for correlation of simulation data needed for propellant designs. Currently, measurements are acquired with a pyrometer after firing or with a thermocouple embedded within the gun tube. Both methods are not ideal for measuring real time burn characteristics. Likewise, we currently have a multitude of transducer configurations for measurements of low pressure ranges and others to measure high pressure ranges. A wide range transducer will reduce inventory and equipment required to maintain these various dynamic pressure transducers. Therefore, a transducer with specified specifications would allow for acquisition of critical live firing data by allowing for the correlation of temperature and pressure over time while also reducing maintenance and calibration costs by allowing simple interchangeability between temperature data and pressure data.

PHASE I: Perform initial research and feasibility investigation into development of new ballistic sensor. Generate possible solutions and produce a design matrix of such possible solutions that satisfy initial stated requirements and to what degree. Narrow down focus to the most feasible solution.

PHASE II: Fabricate initial prototype sensors and begin investigation of calibration procedures and hardware. Demonstrate sensor performance in lab and during live fire tests. Improve and develop strategies to reduce deficiencies. Correlate performance to existing sensor and gages.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Provide sensor in sufficient quantities to determine life and reliability during usage. Characterize final performance and inspect acquired data.

REFERENCES:1. Ali Sayir Alp Sehirlioglu, Piezoelectric Ceramics for High Temperature Actuators, p.2-4, March 2009.

2. Stephen L. Howard, Lang-Mann Chang, Douglas E. Kooker, Thermocouples for interior Ballistic Temperature measurements, ARL Report (ARL-MR-146) dated August 1994, DTIC #ADA283699.

3. Liu, H T; Mauer, G; Zieve, P, Development of a Pressure Transducer for Usage in High-Temperature and Vibration Environments. Phase I. Feasibility Investigation, Air Force Report (AEDC-TR-84-30), dated November 1984, DTIC #ADA148695.

4. Sathish, Shamachary; Schehl, Norman; Boehnlein, Thomas; Welter, John T; Jata, Kumar V, Development of Nondestructive Non-Contact Acousto-Thermal Evaluation Technique for Damage Detection in Materials (Postprint), September 2012

5. Basis of sensor body hole profile E30MAZ (Uploaded in SITIS on 4/28/17)

KEYWORDS: Ballistic Dynamic Pressure, Dynamic Temperature

A17-130 TITLE: Soil State Integration

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

OBJECTIVE: Development of models for improving the state-of-the-art understanding of soil state characteristics in regions with varying observational input datasets. Input datasets may contain but are not limited to remote sensing data, climate data, and surface measurements. The objective is to develop methods of resolving soil state characteristics that can be integrated into existing Engineer Research and Development Center applied research efforts related to land surface modeling, terrain reasoning, vehicular mobility (on and off road), and dismounted

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mobility. Elements of interest include but are not limited to: scale handling, variable resolution and spatial coverage, etc. The product developed will rapidly map multi-source input data which may include Cosmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS) data, Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) sensor output, earth observation systems, predefined soil state characteristic maps, high resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), and surface biological activity maps among others. The product developed will improve upon existing soil moisture maps and soil moisture products in order to enhance the representation and characterization of surface competence for use in mobility modeling and decision support tools.

DESCRIPTION: Local mesoscale conditions are crucial to building environmental intelligence in a region to assist in mission planning and response preparation. This requires the most robust representation of soil state characteristics possible given available data in a specific region at multiple scales. This need focuses on developing scalable capabilities based on documented research incorporating geospatial principles to understand the land surface. Downscaled soil moisture products exist and additional research efforts in the academic and private sector are underway in this realm. This solicitation seeks products that incorporate additional information into soil state maps and the previously developed (or research studies into) downscaled products in order to generate a better prediction of surface soil competence. The product should contain a confidence assessment and metadata. Inputs of interest in the generation of such maps include climate data, remote sensing observations, aerial observations, vehicular observations, and surface measurements.

The product must provide real time visualization of observations integrated with datasets in an Integrated Sensor Architecture (ISA) compliant format. Data products in this category provide information to determine the effective capacity of the surface for transit operations and the likelihood of surface failure hindering local operations. The product developed will be used to inform and improve mobility modeling efforts and used to help with the development of decision making tools. Commercially, this product can be used to enhance the ability to meet a broad range of soil moisture monitoring needs. Improved soil moisture monitoring in the agricultural sector can enable farmers to perform precision irrigation across large field of crops optimizing the use of precious water resources. Additional commercialization potential for this product range from management of water budgets to golf course maintenance to control of water costs.

PHASE I: Construct a functional concept design capable of integrating and visualization of soil state characteristic maps based upon remote sensing, climate information, in-situ measurements, and additional intelligence information sources. These inputs will be used to produce a real-time soil competence output to be visualized in a government directed GUI (Graphical User Interface) as well as a software agnostic output layer for interoperability and archival purposes. Include documentation of algorithms developed, data generated, and computing resources required. Feasibility will be established by cost analysis, analytical modeling, and testing, as appropriate. Phase I deliverables include (1) a final report, (2) the formatted dataset used to test the developed algorithms, and (3) the source code. The report should supply the information requested above, describe model development including parameterization, and provide preliminary results on model fidelity. The report should also include plans for development of a user interface which will address Phase II expectations and a plan for the incorporation of downscaled soil moisture products into the visualization and analysis. During the Phase I option, if exercised, design metrics for algorithm evaluation in Phase II.

PHASE II: The Phase II will focus on improving the approach developed in Phase I. Efforts will be expanded to include additional datasets and to evaluate forecasting methods and algorithms. The Phase II deliverables are a report detailing (1) description of the approach, including optimization techniques and outcomes, (2) testing and validation data, (3) advantages and disadvantages/limitations of the method, and (4) potential for application to other problem sets; (5) the source code; and (6) a user interface and any associated executables.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Identify and exploit features that would be attractive for commercial or other private sector applications. System architecture and software enabling information collection, analysis, and analysis product dissemination at the appropriate time scales required for application support. If Phase II is successful, the company will be expected to support the Army in transitioning the software for Army use.

REFERENCES:1. Chen, F., Dudhia, J., 2001a. Coupling an advanced land surface-hydrology model with the penn state-ncar mm5 modeling system. Part I: Model implementation and sensitivity. Monthly Weather Review 129 (4), 569-585.

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2. Chen, F., Dudhia, J., 2001b. Coupling an advanced land surface-hydrology model with the penn state-ncar mm5 modeling system. Part II: Preliminary model validation. Monthly Weather Review 129 (4), 587-604.

3. Shi, Y., Baldwin, D.C., Davis, K.J., Yu, X., Duffy, C.J., and Lin, H. 2015. Simulating high-resolution soil moisture patterns in the Shale Hills watershed using a land surface hydrologic model. Hydrological Processes 29: 4624 – 4637.

4. Small, E. E., Kurc, S., 2001. The influence of soil moisture on the surface energy balance in semiarid environments. New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, New Mexico State University.

KEYWORDS: Soil state characteristics, soil moisture, geospatially enabled, geospatial analysis

A17-131 TITLE: Stabilization Product to Preserve and Concentrate Biomolecules in Serum and Urine for Downstream Serological Diagnosis of Infection

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Biomedical

OBJECTIVE: To develop specific stabilization product and its application protocol capable of concentrating and preserving target molecules in serum and urine for downstream serological diagnosis.

DESCRIPTION: Accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases is needed to inform timely treatment and often requires temperature-controlled transportation of clinical specimens from the primary clinic to a diagnostic laboratory, conditions that may be unavailable in resource-limited environments. Failure to stabilize the specimen during transport could lead to false-negative diagnostic results, particularly for assays requiring viral RNA detection, in part due to the ubiquity of ribonucleases.1,2 Recent studies have demonstrated variability in current shipping conditions both in terms of expediency and temperature exposure of the sample.3,4 From these studies, one may conclude that sample stabilization prior to transport may be crucial to ensure accuracy of downstream diagnostic testing. To facilitate sample collection and storage in austere environments, such as those experienced during outbreaks of tropical diseases, a stabilization product ideally needs to be inexpensive as well as easy to use, requiring minimal ancillary equipment. In addition, the disease biomarkers in the specimen can be low in concentration or short in half-life, consequently, it is imperative to preserve and concentrate through the time and conditions to which they will be exposed during transport. Finally, the stabilization product needs to be compatible with various molecular and serological assays necessary for accurate diagnosis of infection. For this topic, the focus is to develop stabilization product(s) suitable to concentrate and preserve biomolecules in serum and urine for downstream serological assays. The biomarkers to which the developed stabilization products are to concentrate and preserve should include antibodies and antigens. The stabilization product should preserve the biomarkers at room temperature for at least 2 weeks without losing the integrity so that the biomarkers can still be detected using standard detection methods. It is expected that the stabilization product and its application protocol is to be incorporated as part of sample processing workflow in order to be used for diagnosis. Consequently, it is likely that final FDA clearance is one of the end deliverables. It is envisioned that the stabilization product to be used in all 4 roles of care in conjunction with various types of serological assays available.

PHASE I: The ideal stabilization product will need to be applicable in serum and urine without affecting the integrity of biofluids. The developed stabilization product should retain the activity and intactness of the biomolecules in downstream diagnostic techniques, namely traditional and modern serological assays (e.g., IFA, ELISA, and rapid test). Selected awardee will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept by developing prototype single (preferred) or multiple stabilization product(s) in various formats that can be applied directly to serum and urine with minimum additional and easy steps before the samples can be used for downstream diagnostic assays. This process is to lead to concentrating and preservation of biomarkers so that the sensitivity of downstream assays can be improved. To evaluate this, the awardee must demonstrate that the application of the stabilization products/protocols is easy to perform. Additionally, the sensitivity and specificity of a given assay will be analyzed using appropriate biofluids before and after process with the stabilization products /protocols to determine the effect of concentrating and preservation. The awardee needs to use serum and urine as the target biofluids to demonstrate the concentrating and preservation of antibodies and antigens for downstream serological assays. If applicable and

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available, the awardee should evaluate the performance of several serological assays, including IFA, ELISA and rapid test, to demonstrate the effect of concentrating and preservation of biomolecules. While the awardee can select the antigens, antibodies and downstream specific serological assays for this topic, it is encouraged that the awardee coordinates with COR of the topic to utilize antigens, antibodies and serological assays of military relevant diseases. At the end of Phase I effort, the selected awardee should provide prototype stabilization product, protocol and reagents (i.e. antibodies/antigens) for downstream serological assays that are sufficient to evaluate 60 samples (30 for serum samples and 30 for urine samples) to COR. The COR will perform the experiment based on provided detail for independent evaluation of the stabilization product. The COR will provide evaluation feedback regarding the ease of operation, effect of concentrating and preservation, compatibility with various downstream applications with or without applying the stabilization product/protocol to the awardee to further improve the stabilization product/protocol.

PHASE II: The selected awardee will improve the performance of the stabilization products/protocols established from Phase I based on feedback provided by the COR. The awardee should repeat the experiments conducted in Phase I to ensure improved performance is achieved. The awardee should use archived human samples when available to evaluate the clinical utility of the stabilization product/protocol. Archived human samples (20 each of serum and urine samples) confirmed with the presence of Phase I tested antigens and antibodies will be used for this evaluation. Archived healthy human samples (10 each of serum and urine samples) will be included as negative controls. The evaluation will be considered complete only when a tested serological assay shows an improved sensitivity for the effect of concentrating (i.e. lower limit of detection or detection of samples collected at earlier time point) and stable sensitivity for the effect of preservation by comparison of samples processed with or without the stabilization products/protocols. Once sensitivity/specificity requirements have been met, the selected awardee will provide a final prototype stabilization product(s)/protocol(s) sufficient for evaluating of 100 samples (50 each of serum and urine samples) to the COR for laboratory confirmation of performance characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy, reliability and limit of detection) in the laboratory. The selected awardee will also conduct stability testing of the stabilization product in Phase II. This is to demonstrate that the stabilization product itself has a long shelf-life without the need for a specific storage condition (i.e. cold-chain). Stability testing will follow both real-time and accelerated (attempt to force the product to fail under a broad range of temperature and humidity conditions and extremes) testing in accordance with FDA requirements.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: During this phase the performance of the developed stabilization product(s) and associated protocol(s) should be evaluated in a variety of field study sites that will conclusively demonstrate that the stabilization product and associated protocol meet the requirements of this topic. The selected awardee shall make this product for sale to military and non-military users throughout the world. The selected awardee is recommended to carry out studies required to obtain FDA clearance for the stabilization product and protocol in conjunction with the related serological assays.

Military applications: The topic is aimed to resolve the need for cold-chain to preserve sample integrity and concentrate the target biomolecules through shipment and storage. A successful development of the versatile stabilization product that can be incorporated into a routine sample collection scheme with ease will greatly improve the efficiency of all downstream applications. The stabilization product and protocol can also shorten needed time to pack and get ready to ship samples to other medical facilities. Consequently, this will effectively decrease the cost as cold-chain is no longer needed. We expect that a National Stock Number (NSN) could be assigned, so that they can be used by deployed medical forces. It is possible that USAMMDA may be the potential sponsor for obtaining the NSN.

Civilian applications: The stabilization product(s)/protocol(s) will be extremely helpful and beneficial to those resources-limited areas, during humanitarian missions or disaster relief efforts. As the need for sample processing, storage and diagnosis is great during these times, the ability to concentrate, preserve and store of various biofluids will relief the overwhelming requests to process the collected samples, decrease the shipping cost and increase sensitivity of downstream assays.

REFERENCES:1. Thorp HH. The importance of being r: greater oxidative stability of RNA compared with DNA. Chem Biol. 2000; 7:R33–R36. [PubMed]

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2. CLSI. Quantitative Molecular Methods for Infectious Diseases; Approved Guideline—Second Edition. Wayne, PA: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2010. MM06-A2.

3. Olson WC, Smolkin ME, Farris EM, Fink RJ, Czarkowski AR, Fink JH, Chianese-Bullock KA, Slingluff CL., Jr Shipping blood to a central laboratory in multicenter clinical trials: effect of ambient temperature on specimen temperature, and effects of temperature on mononuclear cell yield, viability and immunologic function. J Transl Med. 2011:9:26 [PMC free article] [PubMed].

4. Catton M., Druce J., Papadakis G., Tran T., Birch C. Reality check of laboratory service effectiveness during pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Victoria, Australia. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011; 17:963–968. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

KEYWORDS: stability, concentrating, preservation, storage, sample matrices, sample collection volume.

A17-132 TITLE: Military Working Dog Hearing Protection/Active Communication System

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Biomedical

OBJECTIVE: Provide DOD approved working dog functional hearing protection and handler communication system. Ideally, this would be a TCAPS/Tactical Communication and Protective System type device. Such an application to the military working dog is not presently commercially available.

DESCRIPTION: Hearing loss is the number one service connected VA/Department of Veteran’s Affairs disability. This injury remains one of the primary problems in active duty service members during the present military conflicts requiring U.S. Forces participation beginning in 2003. Military working dogs have been an integral part of this sustained combat. Military working dogs are subjected to the same combat exposures as their military handlers. Military working dogs are estimated to experience similar levels of noise exposed hearing loss. They are an expensive and time intensively trained combat asset. A Military Working Dog’s mission capability and working capabilities can be shortened significantly from unprotected health exposures. As with their human counterparts, dogs can sustain degraded function and required evacuation from theatre with respect to noise and blast exposure. A functional active Military Working Dog hearing protective/handler communication device will greatly extend canine health and long term mission performance. In an effort to protect this valuable trained asset and prevent hearing loss acquisition, USAMRMC seeks to develop a functional canine hearing protection system with an active communication component for use in the military environment. Currently a system of this capability is not available for DOD use. The purpose of this SBIR is to develop such a system, with dual-use applications.

PHASE I: Design/develop an innovative active hearing protection and communication system to protect hearing dog and handler communication. This effort should clearly provide a proof of concept with respect to the scientific, technical, and commercial merit, as well as feasibility of using a low-cost hearing protection/active communication system for deployment in all levels of Army combat operations. The offer should identify new technologies that do not include an existing product integration. This project should investigate the technical risks of the approach selected; costs, benefits, and schedule associated with the development and demonstration of the prototype. A proof of concept in Phase I would include design and expected performance goals. References can be made to previously demonstrated desired performance features that would be individually included, but not represented in an existing system. This would include the hearing protection aspects considering unique canine ear anatomy as well as the communication system between the dog and handler. A simulation demonstration would be desirable with respect to the new technology to be developed in Phase II.

PHASE II: Based on Phase I design and development feasibility report, the SBIR award shall produce a prototype demonstrating appropriate hearing protection in accordance with success criteria developed in Phase I. Current OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) hearing protection standards with respect to humans will be extrapolated with respect to circumaural devices. Known or available canine standards will also be utilized. This would reflect developed NRR/Noise Reduction Ratings for user fitted hearing protection. Similar standards for communication portion of the system would reflect acceptable standards for active devices. The SBIR awardee will then deliver the prototype for DoD evaluation. The intent of this phase is to deliver a well-defined prototype meeting

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the requirements of the original solicitation topic and which can be made commercially viable. The prototype shall effectively provide functional hearing protection to the working dog in a combat environment. Additionally, it will provide effective auditory communication between the working dog and the handler. Previous human studies have demonstrated efficacy and the functional benefit of a combined hearing protection and communication system. Phase II will demonstrate a similar benefit when utilized with military working dogs.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Follow on activities shall include a demonstration of the application of this system in deployed and non-deployed environments. The SBIR awardee shall demonstrate effectiveness and generate a safety profile for the hearing protection system/active communication system for the military working dog. Safety and hearing protection function of the system will be assessed in periodic combat deployment hearing evaluations and post deployment assessment. Fit, REATT/Real Ear Attenuation and canine hearing testing will be utilized to quantify possible threshold shifts and overall system hearing protection function. The SBIR awardee shall focus on transitioning the technology from a research to an operational capability. The end product active protective and communication system will provide health safety to all Military Working Dogs. Through TTA or direct licensing with the SBIR Developer, research development funds will be repaid and acquisition costs recouped over system life. They shall further demonstrate that the hearing protection/communication prototype can be use in a broad range of military and civilian law enforcement applications. The acquisition life cycle process will provide a technology and manufacturing readiness level of a minimum of 5 which should allow initial low rate production. As referenced above, the SBIR developer and U.S. government would likely be involved in a TTA/licensing and production cycle. An approved system may be procured through a NSN utilizing a developer TTA and licensing arrangement for procurement. Sales to non-government and allied military and law enforcement sources offer unique additional use opportunities.

REFERENCES:1. American Journal of Veterinary Research April 2012, Vol. 73, No. 4, Pages 482-489 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.73.4.482 Retrieved from http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/ajvr.73.4.482

2. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. Volume 20, Issue 2, Pages 127–136, ISSN (Online) 1896-494X, ISSN (Print) 1232-1087, DOI: 10.2478/v10001-007-0016-2, July 2007. Retrieved from https://4hearingtest.com/Resources/NoiseInducedHearingLoss.pdf

3. Spectrum of Care Provided at an Echelon II Medical Unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom Murray, Clinton K.; Reynolds, Joel C.; Schroeder, Jodelle M.; Harrison, Matthew B.; et al. Military Medicine 170.6 (Jun 2005): 516-20. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/7741957

4. Venn, Rebecca Elisabeth (2013) Effects of acute and chronic noise exposure on cochlear function and hearing in dogs. MSc(R) thesis. Retrieved from http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4722/1/2013VennMSc.pdf

KEYWORDS: military hearing dog, noise induced hearing loss, hearing protection device, active communication system.

A17-133 TITLE: Enhanced Fire Control Radar (FCR) Stationary Target Detection



OBJECTIVE: Develop new algorithms to enhance detection and classification of stationary ground targets for rotary wing aircraft based radar.

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DESCRIPTION: The Apache Attack Helicopter mission requires detection and classification of stationary ground targets both in hover and moving conditions. While this capability currently exists, it is limited due to inherently large clutter backgrounds, low probability of intercept (LPI) requirements, operating frequencies, and limitations to aperture size. The primary objective of this topic is the development of advanced algorithms to improve stationary target detection and classification with the existing Apache fire control radar (FCR). Successful responses will represent a novel algorithm approach rather than data collection concepts to improve detection (such as Doppler beam sharpening or synthetic aperture radar) using current or similar algorithms. While modifications to FCR operations may be considered they must fall within current Apache FCR CONOPS (i.e. cannot fly an orbit around a target to enable SAR).

PHASE I: Demonstrate, through modeling, the fundamental properties of the algorithm(s) using simulated data and unclassified properties of the Apache FCR (frequency, aperture size, etc.). The LPI requirement (and corresponding short dwell times) for the FCR tends to result in lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than what is typically required for adequate detection and classification performance. This requirement is classified and its corresponding effect on typical SNR cannot be provided to offerors for proposal preparation or during execution of the Phase I effort. Consequently, the anticipated performance of the algorithm should be given as a function of SNR.

PHASE II: Mature the candidate algorithm(s) and develop a simulation framework that can accept recorded raw FCR data. Demonstrate and characterize the algorithm performance against FCR data. Refine the performance characterization via a series of simulations using simulated data. The scenarios should extend the mission space beyond that in the provided FCR data. Identify computing power required to process the data in real-time. Deliver a working prototype of the algorithm, and electronics test bed, to facilitate independent testing by USG.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Work with PM Apache and prime contractors to integrate the algorithm into the FCR, or future Apache radar, and perform a flight demonstration. The technology developed within this SBIR may also be applicable to other rotary wing aircraft such as the Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL), Navy OSPREY, and the Fire Scout UAS. In addition, this technology could be applicable to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically the Coast Guard and Border Patrol.

REFERENCES:1. Charles Hsu, Howard Mendelson, Albert Burgstahler, Dan Hibbard, Jim Faist, “Polarimetric Detection for Slowly Moving/Stationary Targets in Inhomogeneous Environments”, Proc. SPIE vol. 8058, Orlando, FL, April 2011.

2. Martin Hurtado and Arye Nehorai, “Polarization Diversity for Detecting Targets in Inhomogeneous Clutter”.

3. William A. Holm and David C. Lai, "Fully Adaptive Radar Detection of Stationary Targets in Ground Clutter", Proc. SPIE 3068, Signal Processing, Sensor Fusion, and Target Recognition VI, 532 (July 28, 1997).

4. Martin Hurtado and Arye Nehorai, “Polarimetric Detection of Targets in Heavy Inhomogeneous Clutter”, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SIGNAL PROCESSING, VOL. 56, NO. 4, APRIL 2008.

KEYWORDS: Radar, Fire control, Ku band, Ka band, stationary target indicator, Doppler beam sharpening, radar cross section (RCS) pattern matching.

A17-134 TITLE: UGV Electromagnetic Environment Interrogation and Exploitation

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground/Sea Vehicles


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OBJECTIVE: Develop a system to allow an unmanned ground vehicle to: 1) intercept radio transmissions and classify them as Friendly, Coalition or Adversary; 2) provide direction of transmissions; 3) disrupt adversary transmissions.

DESCRIPTION: Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) purpose is to provide standoff capabilities to provide the Warfighter intelligence of unsecured areas and would be the first to encounter radio transmissions being in front of the company. A Software Defined Radio (SDR), or similar device, placed on a UGV would scan the RF environment and provide the operator with information of other RF transmissions. The SDR is able to scan a wide frequency spectrum such as 2 MHz to 6 GHz and then categorize the waveform type, i.e. Electronic Warfare (EW) or communications and identify the signals as friendly, coalition or adversarial.

The target UGV system is a small battery-powered ground robot weighing 15 - 20 lbs. Since the robot is expected to support missions up to 4 hours, the power draw for the developed system must be kept to a minimum.

Most development is expected to be in the packaging of the Radio Frequency Direction Finder (RFDF) and integration with a COTS SDR. It is envisioned that the SDR would essentially act as a sensor to scan the RF band and engage the RFDF to report the direction of the signal to the operator. It is further envisioned that the SDR would also be modified to emit RF noise signals (effectively acting as an EW device) to disrupt targeted/ unfriendly communications as directed by the operator.

The UGV with an SDR and RF direction finder would be a significant game changer for a unit to alert them of adversary transmissions and disrupt those transmissions. A possible scenario would be to configure the SDR, coupled with radio direction finding system, to hone in on the direction of transmissions and move either autonomously or by teleoperation toward the source to disrupt communications or EW operation.

Another scenario would be to employ multiple UGVs, feeding information back to a controller or command center, to triangulate the location of the transmission. This information would allow the mapping of RF transmissions with the classifications as friendly, coalition or adversary and the type of transmission.

PHASE I: The first phase consists of investigating an SDR’s capability to scan the 2 MHz to 6 GHz spectrum and classify RF transmissions as either communications, EW, radar, or beacons, etc. and whether they are friendly, coalition or adversary. In addition, Phase I will study RF directional finding capabilities of various waveforms for use by the UGV to maneuver towards and disrupt. Documentation of design tradeoffs and projected system performance shall be required in the final report.

PHASE II: The second phase consists of a final design and full implementation of the system, including SDRs, antennas and UGV software. At the end of the contract, extraction of actionable information and autonomous local maneuvering shall be demonstrated in an operational environment. Deliverables shall include the prototype system and a final report, which shall contain documentation of all activities in the project and a user's guide and technical specifications for the prototype system.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The end-state of this research is to further develop the prototype system and potentially transition the system to the field. Potential military applications include radio reconnaissance and exploitation/ disruptions of RF transmissions. Potential commercial applications include remote surveillance, classification and tracking of radio transmissions and interference sources.

REFERENCES:1. https://wireless.vt.edu/symposiumarchives/2015_slides/document.pdf; (Introduction to Radio Direction Finding Methodologies)

2. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a212747.pdf; (Tactical Radio Direction Finding Systems)

3. http://www.rtl-sdr.com/signal-direction-finding-with-an-rtl-sdr-raspberry-pi-and-redhawk/; (Signal Direction Finding with an RTL-SDR, Raspberry Pi and REDHAWK)

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4. https://www.reddit.com/r/RTLSDR/comments/2i5qrp/hardware_and_softwaredefined_pseudodoppler_radio/; (Hardware and software-defined pseudo-doppler radio direction finding)

5. http://www.spectrumsignal.com/publications/SDR_in_Direction_Finding_RFDesign_0105.pdf; (SDR platform enables reconfigurable direction finding system)

6. https://www.army.mil/article/149817/Scientists_Develop_Novel__Spintronic__Sensors_for_the_Army; Spintronic Radar Detection System (TARDEC- Drs. Thomas Meitzler and Elena Bankowski)

7. http://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide; Signal Identification Guide

8. https://greatscottgadgets.com/hackrf/; SDR Hack RF One

9. http://www.rtl-sdr.com/roundup-software-defined-radios/; Roundup of Software Defined Radios

KEYWORDS: robotics, surveillance, autonomy, direction finding, ground vehicle, software defined radio; radio signal analysis

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