The Department of National Defence Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program has issued a new Letter of Interest (LOI)/Request for Information (RFI) for a Classified Stream that includes seven domains under consideration including space sensor payloads.
The Department of National Defence (DND) sent out an email yesterday regarding the new tender which was posted to the Canada Buy and Sell website. The email read in part:
The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) recognize that some of the largest and most challenging defence and security issues are classified in nature, and that defence technologies will increasingly be needed from sectors dealing with information and communication, cyber, and other emerging sensory and data processing technologies and software.
DND/CAF are seeking innovative science and technology (S&T) solutions to Canada’s classified defence and security Challenges through a classified Call for Proposals process. Classified challenges will have a Secret security designation. DND/CAF will support Challenges under the Classified Stream to increase the base of suppliers with classified capabilities to DND, and to address topics specifically linked to the mission of DND/CAF. The Classified Stream will enable the possibility to share secure information about classified Challenges so that tailored solutions may be proposed.
With respect to contracts, the tender states that “multiple contracts may be awarded under each classified CFP, and one or more CFP may be issued each year.” It further states “it is anticipated that for the Classified Stream CFP the individual maximum contract funding for component 1a will be up to $400,000 CAD (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of 8 months and individual maximum contract funding for component 1b will be up to $1.6M CAD (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of 16 months.”
The seven domains currently under consideration are as follows:
- Underwater Warfare – This domain seeks to ensure that friendly forces establish and maintain control of the underwater environment by denying an opposing force the effective use of underwater systems and weapons. A primary focus is underwater situational awareness through the long range detection, classification, localization, tracking, and neutralization of underwater threats (submarines, torpedoes, and naval mines). This ensures the free movement of Royal Canadian Navy and civilian platforms underwater, the protection of sovereign water space, the approaches to Canada, and sea lines of communication.
- Cloud-based Data Fusion and Automation – This is a broad category that involves innovative and modern digital technologies that will support the Defence Team, including: cognitive computing capabilities; cloud computing and mobile technologies; augmented and virtual reality systems; enhanced data analytics; data fusion automation, anomalous activity pattern detection, cybersecurity and Digital Twin technologies.
- Space Sensor Payloads – These space based surveillance assets significantly expand the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capacity. These assets may be used for sensing of the Earth (including ground, air, marine, and sub-marine environments) or Earth’s orbital environment (including the immediate area around the spacecraft and/or areas thousands of km distant). Sensors are needed that can operate in various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, may be passive or active in nature, used for real-time tracking of inbound threats and imaging or non-imaging applications, able to sense broad-band, narrow-band, or spectral signals, and provide data with high or low time resolution. These new platforms will be integrated with existing assets into a networked, joint system-of-systems that will enable the real-time flow of information that is so essential to operational success.
- Counter Explosive Threat (CET) – This domain incorporates the collective efforts at all operational levels to defeat the explosive threat system by attacking the networks, defeating the device, and preparing the force to reduce or eliminate the effects of all forms of explosive threat for use against friendly forces and non- combatants. The intent of capability development in this challenge area is to maintain freedom of maneuver at the operational level in the presence of explosive threats in order to enable mission objectives, while increasing solider safety through improved abilities to predict, detect, neutralize, and exploit explosive threats. While improvements to current capabilities would be welcomed, the vision is to improve mounted and dismounted CET through the exploitation of anticipated future uninhabited ground vehicle (UGV) and uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms, fusing inputs from a heterogeneous suite of stand-off or remote sensors in order to provide high-level decision support to the commander, as well to provide options for subsequent rapid, stand-off or remote neutralization. Classified aspects of this challenge area pertain to current capability deficiencies, and/or the specific design and operational descriptions of extant and emergent threats.
- Defeating Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RC-IED) – Technologies and algorithms that provide transformational enhancements to the ability of Force Protection Electronic Countermeasures (FPECM) to defeat Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIED). This could include methodologies, including autonomous approaches, for rapid development and deployment of countermeasures for new and emerging threats, new technologies enabling practical simultaneous countermeasures and sensing, and other enhancements that would support a new generation of improved and effective FPECM systems.
- Counter-Uninhabited Aerial Systems (C-UAS) – Approaches and systems for countering UAS that are capable of detecting, tracking, identifying, and/or neutralizing the UAS from as far away from the device as possible, and able to perform these functions from either fixed installations or in a moving vehicle. The Canadian Armed Forces needs systems which can deploy easily and readily, and automate these tasks to the extent possible (to minimize training, user input and level of effort in performing these functions).
- Soldier Systems Integration – The Canadian Armed Forces’ dismounted soldiers must be able to operate in a complex and dynamic environment and in the face of an opposing force that is employing state-of-the art technology. They require high performance, lighter weight protection systems to mitigate current and emerging battlefield threats with increased mobility and reduced physiological burden. They must employ signature management solutions that reduce detectability and allow freedom of maneuver in the face of new sensor technologies and platforms. CAF dismounted soldiers also require advanced sensing technologies and network enabled systems that enhance situational awareness, leverage multiple data sources and inform and accelerate decision making while mitigating cognitive workload. And they require advanced weapon systems that deliver lethal and non-lethal effects while increasing speed and accuracy of target engagement at longer ranges and with a lighter system weight. In all cases, soldier borne systems must minimize soldier born cognitive and physical load, be robust and adapted to the realities of the battlefield and operational employment, address current and emerging threats, and be easy to use to minimize training requirements and maximize effectiveness.