A -- WOLFPACK TECHNOLOGIES

Notice Date

February 9, 2001

Contracting Office

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contract Management Office (CMO), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

ZIP Code

22203-1714

Solicitation Number

BAA01-19

Response Due

March 14, 2001

Point of Contact

Dr. Paul Kolodzy, DARPA/ATO, FAX (703) 696-9781; Email: BAA01-19@darpa.mil

Description

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicits proposals to develop and demonstrate a range of innovative RF Spectrum Dominance technologies in both the communications and radar bands for Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Electronic Attack (EA) and Counter ESM. The WolfPack Program concept emphasizes a ground-based, close proximity, distributed, and networked architecture to obtain tactical RF Spectrum Dominance. Developed technologies are intended to enable WolfPack systems to supplement, replace, support, or enhance the effectiveness of existing EW systems. Offerors should emphasize capabilities in the areas of advanced detection, characterization and spectrum dominance of wireless, military radio networks and radars with the potential for revolutionary techniques, while achieving, as a hard constraint, no impact on friendly or neutral communications and/or tactical operations. WolfPack is a $40M+ program to enable RF Spectrum Dominance in the tactical battlespace (20 MHz -- 15+ GHz). Future tactical communication systems are expected to migrate to frequency agile, low-powered, packet networked systems, which will challenge traditional standoff EW platforms. The WolfPack concept leverages the technical attributes of a close-approach, distributed, networked architecture to counter the operational characteristics of these future and current systems. The WolfPack architecture provides similar opportunities against advances in radar technologies (PRI-agility, Sidelobe Cancellation and Spoofing). The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA), Advanced Technology Office (ATO) is soliciting proposals for advanced research and design of high-risk/high-payoff technologies critical to the WolfPack program. The emphasis of this effort is technology innovation and not extensions of legacy techniques. Technical challenge areas include, but are not limited to: distributed broadband spectrum monitoring; high efficiency sub-resonant antenna design; low power wide-band signal collection and processing techniques; emitter/network characterization algorithms; precision multi-source emitter/network mapping and dynamic position tracking techniques; LPD/LPI network communications; minimum latency routing algorithms; and system-wide power conservation techniques. PROGRAM SCOPE AND FUNDING. WolfPack is a four phased effort to identify and validate key technologies for Spectrum Dominance. Phase I of the Program assessed the validity of the WolfPack concept and alternative technologies and system architectures, and was used to define the program scope and areas of technical emphasis. This BAA initiates Phase II -- the development of unique high risk/high payoff technologies. As much as $5.5M may be available to fund multiple research and development awards under this BAA. A second solicitation (Phase III) is planned in the second quarter of FY01 to select System Definition and Technology Development teams to refine the WolfPack architecture. Phase IV (beginning 1Q FY03) will demonstrate Prototype WolfPack units in a field environment. The competitive field for Phase IV will be limited to the Phase III contractors. Phase II technology developers will be encouraged to team with Phase III participants for Phase IV. GENERAL INFORMATION. Proposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled "BAA 01-19 WolfPack Phase II High Risk/High Payoff Technology Development, Proposer Information Pamphlet" (PIP) which provides further information on the above areas of interest, the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained from the World Wide Web (WWW), fax, or mail. Send requests for mail to the administrative contact address given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. Proposers must submit an original and five copies of the proposal along with an electronic copy of the proposal to DARPA/ATO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 01-19) on or before, 12:00 PM, ET, 14 March 2001, in order to be considered. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 01-19 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No other formal solicitation regarding this announcement will be issued and requests for such items will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. All responsible non-foreign NONFORN sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in WolfPack Technologies. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail, WWW and/or fax for correspondence regarding BAA 01-19. Proposals may not be submitted by fax or electronically; any so sent will be disregarded. EVALUATION CRITERIA. Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria: (l) scientific and technological merit of the proposed program (2) soundness of the management plan, (3) ability of the proposer to implement the program, and (4) overall value to the Department of Defense to include cost realism. The PIP and other related information can be obtained at http://www.darpa.mil/ato/solicit.htm. Fax: (703) 696-9781 (Addressed to: DARPA/ATO, BAA 01-19), Email: BAA01-19@darpa.mil; Mail: DARPA/ATO, ATTN: BAA 01-19, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010213/ASOL001.HTM (W-040 SN50D2Y5)