U.S ARMY RELEASES NEW SPARTN OPPORTUNITY FOR STEALTH COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

02.24.2021

Story by Maj. Jose Emperador 

Army Applications Lab

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AUSTIN, Texas (February 24, 2021) - The Army Applications Laboratory (AAL), Network-Cross Functional Team (N-CFT) and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR (Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Center are asking small U.S. companies for proposals to provide more secure communications to Soldiers operating in contested environments. The Low-Cost, Low Probability of Detection (LC/LPD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) opportunity announced today seeks solutions that work seamlessly with existing directional communications systems and that use an undetectable waveform that allows for secure communications when Soldiers operate near adversaries or in areas where high radio traffic creates interference.

"Similar to stealth vehicles of the past, having stealthy communications could be the difference in winning or losing in a future fight,” says Dan Duvak, chief of the Radio Frequency Communications Division in the C5ISR Center’s Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate. “Having the ability to talk and send data and communication on the battlefield without the adversary knowing you are there is critically important to multi-domain operations and future warfare in contested environments."

LC/LPD is a Special Program Awards for Required Technology Needs (SPARTN) SBIR program, with several features specifically intended to make the Army a desirable market for small businesses. AAL created SPARTN to address three key barriers to small businesses interested in Army contracts, by providing faster and greater capital, access to problem owners and end-users, and a transparent pathway for successful solutions from first contract to becoming an official Army budget item. SPARTN eliminates these barriers, and the SBIR platform provides superior intellectual property protections. Small U.S. businesses, including those with no experience in government contracting, are encouraged to apply.

Solutions proposed under this SBIR project must be affordable and consider ways to overcome detection and interference against waveforms by exhibiting reduced signatures or being able to mask or blend into the environment.

Two webinars will give interested businesses a chance to interact directly with Army stakeholders who will outline the LC/LPD requirements and answer related questions. Companies can register for the webinars at https://LC_LPD_webinar.eventbrite.com to be held Wednesday March 10 and Tuesday, March 16, at 1 p.m. ET. Webinar capacity is limited, so interested participants are advised to register early.
Businesses interested in learning more about this topic by speaking directly with a technical point of contact can schedule a call at https://aal.army/spartn.

The N-CFT enables Army formations to reliably communicate anywhere, anytime, in all domains, in all environments, against any adversary. It addresses the most pressing challenges to the tactical network that our soldiers use to gain a tactical advantage.

The DEVCOM C5ISR Center conducts vigorous research and development programs -- in the areas of command, power and integration; intelligence and information warfare; night vision and electronic sensors; and space and terrestrial communications -- linking various technology producers including industry, academia and the foreign sector as well as other government agencies.

AAL’s mission is to accelerate the discovery, evaluation, and transition of dual-use technology and business practices to help the Army Futures Command (AFC) fundamentally reshape how the U.S. Army delivers capabilities in support of Multi-Domain Operations. The Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) is the leading edge of Army transformation from the industrial age to the information age, because we question why and deliver what if. Learn more at https://aal.army/.