Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660

A -- ADVANCED MULTIFUNCTION RADIOFREQUENCY SYSTEMS, ANTENNA ISOLATION MODELING AND SIMULATION SOL BAA 98-017 DUE 082198 POC Glynis Fisher ONR 251, FAX (703) 696-3365 The following BAA on Advanced Multifunction Radio Frequency Systems (AMRFS), Antenna Isolation Modeling and Simulation, as it appears below and in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD), cross-references the printed Office of Naval Research (ONR) Guide to Programs which is dated August 1992. ONR has not yet produced an updated paper GUIDE, so FEDIX (fedix.fie.com) and the ONR Home Page (www.onr.navy.mil) are the best sources of current information about ONR. Background: U.S. Navy ships and aircraft have large numbers of antennas and transmitters/receivers, each performing unique functions in the Radar, Electronic Warfare (EW), and Communications domains. The number of autonomous systems will continue to increase since new electronic capabilities to meet increasing functional requirements are presently being identified and developed. It is anticipated that multifunction systems will mitigate the real-estate problems on ships and aircraft while providing the following payoffs: (1) reduced life-cycle cost through equipment commonality, increased diversity of maintenance, and logistics; (2) reduced signature; (3) increased flexibility in hardware resource allocation; (4) enhanced ship topside and avionics-sensor designs with reduced weight, size, volume, and number of antennas; (5) improved survivability; (6) increased electromagnetic compatibility; (7) enhanced growth of combat capability and accommodation of legacy systems; (8) reduced or eliminated electromagnetic blockage while maintaining original RF system performance; and (9) reduced hand-off time between functions with greater ability to integrate functions. In fiscal year 1995 ONR initiated the AMRFS program to explore current and future technologies and attendant system concepts that will enable the development and demonstration of shipboard and airborne multifunction RF systems. The analysis of the AMRFS concept for multifunction systems yielded the need for the development of separate phased array "receive" and phased array "transmit" antennas. Each antenna will perform multiple functions; respectively radiating and receiving beams simultaneously at different frequencies (providing Radar, EW, and Communications functions) from the two apertures. Objective: The Office of Naval Research (ONR 31) with the technical support of multiple Integrated Product Teams (IPT) and with participation of NRL, SPAWAR System Center (formerly NRaD), NSWC, and NAWC is interested in modeling and simulation techniques to analyze RF-Antenna Isolation Relevant to Active Array Antennas. Specifically, ONR is interested in a modeling and simulation effort that will combine all significant and successful (existing) simulation efforts related to antenna RF isolation. In addition, ONR would like to expand this effort to include the development of new models for antenna isolation and control, treating areas and applications that have not yet been addressed. However, ONR is not interested in starting a "from-the-ground-up" antenna isolation modeling effort. Some of the antenna isolationsimulations are already available through the universities, government laboratories, and the private sector. ONR's interest is in a modeling and simulation effort that will combine the existing simulations, modify them to serve the unique needs of the AMRFS system concept, and only in unique cases, when no known modeling and simulation is available, develop new methods. The scenario of separate receive and transmit active phased array antennas and the requirement for these antennas to receive and transmit signals at different frequencies simultaneously presents multiple antenna isolation problems that arising from: transmit/receive simultaneity; multiple-simultaneous-transmit and multiple-simultaneous-receive beam separation effects; phased array element mutual interference through surfacewave coupling effects; and a multitude of effects that that arise from non-linearity and dynamic range limitations in components and subsystems. In undertaking a problem of this large scope, the following must be considered as part of the simulation effort: 1. Modeling own ship transmitter power coupling into the receive antenna array elements as a function of spatial and temporal separation, polarization, frequency, beam angle, and the presence of isolation barriers or dummy elements that may be employed in the design. 2. Modeling alien (friend or foe) transmitter power coupling into receive or transmit antenna elements, including routes to the analysis of condition-mitigating design methods. 3. Modeling of the coupling of power arising from reflections from the structural elements of the ship or aircraft (i.e., antenna carrying) platform. 4. Modeling of the cross-coupling between transmitted beams of different frequencies (directed at different angles, or the same beam angle) within the same transmit array. 5. Modeling of coupling between receiving beams at different frequencies 6. Modeling of coupling between transmitter elements arising from the generation of surface waves in the array, including the coupling of transmitted power into adjacent and distant system elements. 7. Modeling of antenna size, mounting locations and orientations to maximize the contribution that the antenna makes to performance on the carrying platform. 8. Modeling the application of FFS (Frequency Selective Surfaces) when such approaches are applied. The output of this modeling and simulation effort must ultimately provide quality-of-service criteria for each RF function (Communications, Radar, IFF, EW, etc.) while other multiple-functions are being performed. In addition, means to determine the advantageous location of the transmit and receive antennas to optimize isolation must be available, and finally the approach must be sufficiently flexible to include new simulation models and attendant model growth. Proposals must anticipate the future existence of large-multifunctional arrays that handle a wide and increasingly-more-encompassing range of RF capabilities. This effort is expected to contribute to the specification and the design of such arrays as this work proceeds. ONR strongly encourages proposals that address isolation analysis approaches that arise from collaborating teams rather than attempts to encompass the entire territory from an individual company or university. Proposed Timing: Potential offerors are encouraged to submit white papers by 10 July 1998. White paper responses should include at a minimum but not be limited to: (1) a definition of modeling and simulation effort being proposed along with its associated cost and an estimation of cost and performance uncertainty/risk; (2) a description of the effort objectives; (3) a discussion and assessment of critical issues that must be overcome to achieve the effort's objectives; (4) a description of how the effort will be used to solve antenna isolation issues in the context of system or subsystem design; (5) a cost-associated time-line of key program events/achievements. The technical part of the white paper should not exceed 10 pages. The white papers should focus on proposed technical concept and approach. Interested offerors should submit an electronic version of white papers to Mr. Richard Reading via E-mail (readinr@onr.navy.mil) by the above due date. The government anticipates providing feedback to the offerors based on the evaluation of the white papers by 24 July 1998. Full technical proposals should be submitted by 21 August 1998. The technical proposals should follow the following format: 1) List of Project Manager(s) and a description of Programmatic Structure; 2) Technical Objective/Expected Payoff; 3) Navy and Marine Corps Problem/Deficiency; 4) Proposed Technical Approach; 5) Schedule/Milestones; 6) Summary of Technical Accomplishments of Incorporated Models and a Description of Anticipated Capabilities of the Proposed New Model Elements; 7) Flow-Chart-Like Overview of How Models are Used in the Design and Performance Evaluation Process; 8) Brief Summary of Proposed Funding Profile; 9) Collaboration Planning; 10) Relationship to Other DoD Projects; and 11) Summary of Qualifications/Experience of Key Personnel (inclusion of formal resumes). The Technical portion (excluding the resumes) of the proposal should not exceed 40 pages in length. Font should be Times New Roman, 12 point, single-spaced. The page limitation is based on 8.5 x 11 "paper" with 1" margins. Classified proposals are permitted. A transmittal letter may be used to forward proposals. This letter will be used administratively, will not be read by evaluators, and will not affect page count. Classified markings will follow procedures in the Defense Industrial Security Manual. The offerors should submit the proposal electronically to Mr. Richard Reading via E-mail (readinr@onr.navy.mil) by the above due date. Classified proposals must be submitted via appropriate channels and will be subject to the same due-date requirements as the unclassified ones. Proposals must be submitted by 21 August 1998 to be considered for funding. Proposals received after this date will not be considered for support under this BAA. Awards to successful offerors may be made at any time throughout the year based on funding availability. Offerors should state in their proposal that it is submitted in response to this BAA. The evaluation of proposals will be performed by a panel of government technical experts from ONR, NAVSEA, NAVAIR, SPAWAR and the Navy laboratories using the following criteria: 1) overall scientific or technical merits of the proposal; 2) offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; 3) qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator or team leader, and the key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objectives; 4) realism of the proposed cost and 5) extent to which the cost effectiveness of the proposed research is diminished by expenditures for unproductive administrative and overhead expenses. Based on the evaluation of the proposals, selected offerors will be invited to participate in an oral presentation of the proposed approach(es) to a panel of government evaluators. The evaluators will rank and select the awardees based on the written and oral presentations of the proposals. The exact time and location of the oral presentations will be provided at the time of the notification of White Paper selection. The final awardees will be notified approximately 2 weeks after the oral presentations. Proposals are desired in the cost and period of performance range set forth below: Approximate Period of Total Award Dollar Award Performance Amount AMRF Isolation: $ 250,000 -- $ 500,000 Three to five years $ 0.75 M -- $2.5 M Range This notice constitutes ONR's Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6.102 (d)(2). No Request for Proposal (RFP), solicitation or other announcement of this opportunity will be made. Awards may take the form of contracts, grants or cooperative agreements. For awards made as contracts the socio-economic merits of each proposal will be evaluated based on the commitment to provide meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned business concerns, historically black colleges and universities, and minority institutions. The standard industrial classification code is 8731 with the small business size standard of 500. Large businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations submitting proposals of $500,000.00 or more shall also submit its Small, Small Disadvantaged and Women-Owned Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9. RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE AND USE OF DATA Offerors will apply the restrictive notice prescription of FAR 52.215-12, Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, to trade secrets or privileged commercial and financial information contained in their proposals. It is the Navy's intention to procure data rights in connection with contracts awarded under this BAA. (0154)

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