Army posts next-gen AISR RFI

By Loren Blinde August 9, 2018

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On August 8, the U.S. Army posted a Request for Information (RFI) for Next Generation Airborne Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) Sensors and Platforms (Solicitation Number: W56KGY-18-R-AISR). Responses are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on August 24.

The United States Army, Project Director Sensors Aerial Intelligence (PM SAI) is seeking information on potential concepts and ideas that will enable us to assess potential investments in the Next Generation AISR systems and technologies for both manned and unmanned platforms. The intent is to gather information on airborne ISR platforms, sensors, and or other technologies to assist in future planning.

The United States Army Intelligence Community of Interest faces a major challenge to remain relevant against current threats while simultaneously modernizing our equipment and systems to meet future threats. The current Aerial ISR (AISR) fleet is predominantly optimized for Counterterrorism (CT) operations and may face challenges against future threats. The intent of this Request for Information is to receive ideas and concepts to improve the Army’s ability to sense from all ranges in a contested environment supporting maneuver and deep targeting operations. We are looking for input from industry to drive potential future investment in new technologies and/or systems that can offer assured AISR in the future fight.
This Request for Information is to provide Army decision makers a better understanding of alternatives or concepts that will allow for our Aerial ISR systems to operate more effectively in a peer to peer environment. There are three key assumptions driving this request:

1) The proliferation of advanced threat systems will continue to affect aerial systems. The Army is interested in sensors and sensor platforms with increased survivability and/or that are designed for one time use (expendable).

2) Army intelligence will continue to see a significant increase in requirements to support the ground commander. These requirements may include the ability to “sense deep”, provide reliable data transport back to the intelligence enterprise that
are low bandwidth, secure, resilient to jamming and intercept, and interoperable with existing networks and databases.

3) We will be expected to fight and win in the fight against Counter Terrorism/COIN as well in peer to peer battlefield.

In answering this RFI we envision concepts that provide the following but are open to
others:

Improved survivability of current AISR platforms.
Next generation AISR platforms that can effectively and safely operate manned and/or unmanned in a CT/COIN and peer to peer environment.
Improved sensor capabilities that allow for operations at longer ranges to enhance standoff and survivability. Sensors that can collect modern signals, sense deep, and offer flexible platform options. This includes integrated Intelligence / EW / Cyber sensors.
Non-conventional platforms such as High Altitude Balloons, Swarming UAS systems or other concepts that allow operations beyond the forward line of troops (FLOT). This can also include concepts for light weight, effective sensing in all operational conditions including adverse weather.
Estimated schedule and cost associated to deliver a flyable system prototype for testing.
Maturity levels for the technology.
Size, Weight, Power, and Cooling (SWaP-C) constraints.
Concept of operations at a system view level and details of specific flight profiles, tactics, techniques and procedures.