I2WD posts RFI for MIRAGE program

On July 19, the U.S. Army posted an Air & Ground Survivability (EWAGS) Technology Request for Information (RFI) for Multi-threat IR/RF Advanced Generic Effects (MIRAGE) Millimeter Wave (mmW) Capability (Solicitation Number: W56KGu-18-X-0004). Responses are due by 12:00 p.m. Eastern on July 31.

The Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD) Electronic Warfare – Air & Ground Survivability (EWAGS) division is currently working on a Science and Technology (S&T) program called Multi-threat IR/RF Advanced Generic Effects (MIRAGE). The overall goal of the MIRAGE S&T program is to advance technologies into Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4, 5, and 6. The MIRAGE program will demonstrate the advancement of these electro optical (EO) and radio frequency (RF) component technologies by countering the continually evolving capabilities of threats indiscriminately in order to improve air survivability.

I2WD EWAGS is investigating a distributed digital radio frequency countermeasure (RFCM) architecture across multiple placements on the aircraft to achieve an effective RFCM capability for rotary wing aircraft. This architecture allows for digital active electronically scanned array (AESA), beamforming, advanced techniques, and flexibility for future ECM development. The key attributes of such a system will likely include digital ECM components capable of adaptive polarization techniques with high ERP, rapid response to threat on pulse-to-pulse basis and response across a wide band of the frequency spectrum. Current technology dictates an array to support mmW RFCM capabilities. As part of this effort, it is critical to minimize the number of arrays required on the platform. Therefore, a wider bandwidth per AESA is imperative.

I2WD EWAGS recognizes the technical challenges in developing modular digital hardware that can perform precise measurement of polarization, high ERP, low SWAP, advanced and traditional technique generation support, and Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STaR). I2WD EWAGS is looking for technologies capable of producing both advanced adaptive techniques and more traditional Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) type techniques. RFCM systems will require implementation of antenna modulations in phase and polarization to address these evolving threats. This is currently difficult to achieve with both high ERP and low SWaP.

The focus of this effort is to develop a millimeter wave (mmW) frequency capability for RFCM for air survivability. The desired product of this effort is an assessment report and a TRL 6 survivability solution, to be demonstrated in fiscal year (FY) 2020. The desired end state of this effort is an antenna and processing platform that can be used for a future ECM system, with the characteristics identified above.

EWAGS is conducting this RFI to identify technology options and innovative approaches supporting a RFCM aircraft survivability TRL 6 capability by FY 2020 and a fieldable capability by 2023. The options and approaches provided will consist of countermeasure systems with unconstrained requirements (i.e. without the constraint of user requirements, fielding feasibility, manufacturing capability, or affordability) and currently at TRL 3 and above.

Full information is available here.

Source: FedBizOpps