navy 1.2 (february 10, 2015)

The Navys Proposed FY2016 Budget

The Department of the Navy released its

proposed $161.0 billion budget for fiscal year

2016 on February 2.

This budget is part of the $534.3 billion

defense budget President Barack Obama

submitted to Congress on the same day.

Rear Admiral William Lescher, deputy

assistant secretary of the Navy for budget,

briefed media at the Department of Defense

budget press conference about the Navy and

Marine Corps portion of the budget.

Our PB16 budget submission balances

warfighting readiness with our nations fiscal

challenges, said Lescher. Our force employ-

ment approach aligns capability, capacity

and readiness to regional mission demands,

ensuring our most modern and technologically

advanced forces are located where their com-

bat power is needed most, delivering presence

where it matters, when it matters.

This years budget submission was guided

by the chief of naval operations tenets of

warfighting first, operate forward and be ready.

It makes critical investments in people, ships

and innovation so that the Department of the

Navy can execute the defense strategy.

The Department of the Navy requested

$44.4 billion for procurement, focused on pro-

viding stability in the shipbuilding account and

keeping the Navy on track to reach 304 ships

by FY20. In FY16 the Navy will buy nine new

ships, including two Arleigh Burke destroyers,

two Virginia-class submarines, three littoral

combat ships and the first next-generation

logistics fleet resupply ship, the T-AO(X).

Additionally, this budget includes fully

funding the refueling for the aircraft carrier

USS George Washington and the procurement

of a dock landing ship (LPD 28) that Congress

provided partial funds for in the FY15 budget.

The budget includes a $50.4 billion request

for operations and maintenance, reflecting

A PuBlicATioN

Warfighter FirstCombat Readiness, Material Readiness and Personal Readiness

Vice Admiral Thomas S. RowdencommanderNaval Surface Forces/Pacific Fleet

Q: Tell me about your organization at Na-val Surface Forces headquarters and what your deployed footprint looks like. Do you expect your org chart to look the same in 12 to 18 months?

A: Were whats known as a type command, which means were responsible for outfitting the surface combatants, making sure we have the right sailors with the right qualifications and that we are properly maintaining these ships so theyre ready when fleet commanders require them. To that end, my staff provides logistical, training and combat systems sup-port, as well as material inspections to stay ahead of challenges.

Weve seen progress in how we handle the manning, training and equipping of the force over the past few years, and weve laid the foundation for whats coming next. Our organizational chart has grown and evolved, particularly as we bring the Naval Surface Warfighting Development Center online. We will continue to see growth in the first littoral combat ship squadron, DDG 1000 squadron, as well as Destroyer Squadron 7 in Singapore. All of these events move in sync with the purpose of keeping our fleet

in the best material condition to support the CNOs tenet of warfighting first.

Q: Youve been in command about six months. What have you established as your most important goals and what metrics will you use to measure progress?

A: The most important thing is warfighting first. Its the CNOs primary tenet and the one I take as my charge as the type com-mander for the surface force. It guides my vision for the surface force. It is as simple as it is crucial: Providing combatant com-manders with lethal, ready, well-trained and logistically supported surface forces to assure, deter and win. You get there by prioritizing goals, and I have only one real priority: to ensure that everything we do makes us better warfighters.

This goal is built on meeting three enduring pillars which enable warfighting first: combat readiness, material readiness and personal readiness. Each answers a basic ques-tion. Combat readiness asks, Are we training our sailors to fight and win? Material readi-ness asks, Are we providing warships ready for combat? And personal readiness asks, Are we developing our sailors?

Youll notice all of these pillars tie into one word: readiness. Every surface warfare officer (SWO) understands the importance of readiness. As SWO Boss, I have the primary responsibility for readiness, and its paramount to warfightingand everything else we are called to do.

Continued on pAGe 40 Continued on pAGe 31

www.NPeo-kmi.com Feb2015

plus: WhOS WhO

AT PeO(A) NAVY SBIR

INNOVATIONS

10

FeBRUARY 10, 2015WWW.NPeO-kMI.COM

EditorialEditor-in-Chief

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Warfighter First. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Navys Proposed FY2016 Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Airborne Laser Mine Detection System Production Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Comms Systems for DDG 51 and DDG 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Upgrade to Digital Modular RadiosAdding Virtual Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Railgun Solicitation and Industry Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Coast Guard C-27J Simulator Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

AARGM Range Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

NAVSeA Warfare Centers Areas of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Arctic Ocean Ice Retreats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Navy Installations Commands Sailor of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Shipboard Robotic Firefighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Common Data Link Shipboard Radio Terminal Set for Mh-60R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Whos Who at PeO Air ASW, Assault & Special Mission Programs . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CNO Outlines Whats Needed for the Future Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Navy College Program for Afloat College education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

NRL Searching for Signal Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Navy Littoral Combat Ship/Frigate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Coast Guard Cutter Sherman Change of Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Navy Installations Commands Sailor of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Navy Littoral Combat Ship/Frigate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Synthetic Guidance System for Tomahawk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Navys Small Business Innovative Research Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Q&A with Vice Admiral Thomas S. Rowden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Contract Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Table of ConTenTs

Calendar of evenTsFebruary 10-12, 2015

AFCeA West

San Diego, Calif.

www.afcea.org/events/west

March 4-5, 2015

ASne day

Arlington, Va.

www.sname.org

March 17-18, 2015

precision Strike Forum

Springfield, Va.

www.precisionstrike.org

March 18, 2015

Special topics breakfast

Speaker: Sean J. Stackley

Arlington, Va.

www.navyleague.org

March 30-April 1, 2015

Joint undersea Warfare technology

San Diego, Calif.

www.ndia.org/meetings/5260

April 2, 2015

Coast Guard intelligence industry day

Chantilly, Va.

www.afcea.org

WWW.NPeO-kMI.COM2 | FeBRUARY 10, 2015

Airborne laser mine Detection System Production continues

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a contract from

the U.S. Navy for the continued production of the AN/AeS-1 Air-

borne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). The contract includes

the production of five ALMDS pod subsystems, support equipment,

spares and technical support.

The ALMDS is mounted on an Mh-60S helicopter. Flying over

sea lanes, it finds and geo-locates mine-like objects with its pulsed

laser light and streak tube receivers by imaging, in 3-D, day or night,

the near-surface of the ocean.

This program is a win-win. The airborne sensor has the capa-

bility to keep our sailors out of the minefield and we are producing it

while reducing the per-pod price over previous buys in order to help

the Navy to meet their cost targets, said Doug Shaffer, director,

electronic attack/maritime systems integration, Northrop Grumman

Aerospace Systems. We look forward to continuing our long-stand-

ing relationship with the U.S. Navy on the ALMDS program and

supporting initial operating capability in FY16.

The Northrop Grumman ALMDS team is comprised of Aret

Associates, Tucson, Ariz., which manufactures the receiver sensor

assembly; Cutting edge Optronics, a Northrop Grumman subsid-

iary in St. Charles, Mo., which manufactures the high-powered

laser transmitter; CPI Aerostructures, edgewood, manufacturer of

the pod housing; Curtiss Wright Defense Solutions, Santa Clarita,

Calif., manufacturer of the central electronics chassis; and Meggitt

Defence Systems, Irvine, Calif., which produces the environmental

control system.

Northrop Grumman has delivered 12 ALMDS pods to the U.S.

Navy through four low-rate initial production lots, and four pods to

the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force which are currently undergo-

ing integration and test aboard the eh-101 helicopter.

Comms Systems for DDG 51 and DDG 1000

The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a nine-year contract to support radio and communications systems design and integra-tion for 13 surface combatant ships.

The initial award is valued at $28.4 million, with the total value of the nine-year contract estimated at $187.4 million.

Under the DDG VI Radio Communications Systems (RCS) contract, BAE Systems experts will provide systems engineering, production and integration for 12 DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and one DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer. The company has held the RCS contract since 1985. Over time, the technologies have migrated from vacuum tube to software-defined radios; from rotary and plug-in patch panels to high-speed fiber-optic digital switching; and from mid-frame computers to cloud computing.

We have a hard-working and dedicated team of experts that has worked on every DDG 51 class destroyer in the U.S. Navys fleet, including most recently the USS John Finn, said DeEtte Gray, president of BAE Systems intelligence and security sector. Thats 63 new ships over 29 years.

Under the DDG VI RCS contract, we provide a number of services for all equipment the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class and DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class ships use for communication from the vessel, explained Kris Busch, C4ISR and electronics systems vice president and general manager for BAE Systems, Intelligence and Security. These services include design and production integra-tion, test verification and validation, training, on-site shipbuilder installation and at-sea trials support. BAE Systems performs the vast majority of the work but utilizes small-business partners to provide specialized logistics and design integration support.

The BAE Systems team is extremely proud to continue its work on the RCS contract, said Busch. We have leaned forward to evolve in order to provide warfighters the tools needed to com-plete their mission.

FeBRUARY 10, 2015 | 3WWW.NPeO-kMI.COM

Upgrade to Digital Modular Radios Adding Virtual Channels

General Dynamics four-channel Digital Modular Radios (DMR) are being upgraded with high-frequency dynamic routing (HFDR) software to turn the radios four channels into eight virtual channels. In addi-tion to HFDR, the new high-frequency vir-tual channel exploitation software expands the DMRs communications capacity to 16 virtual channels when operating in the high-frequen-cy (HF) line-of-sight and ultra-high-frequency satellite communications frequencies.

With the two new software upgrades, the U.S. Navy has four times more capacity for secure HF communications without adding additional hardware or changing the configu-ration in space-constrained shipboard radio

rooms. The Navy began equipping surface and subsurface ships and a number of land-based locations with the DMR in 1998, and there are currently 500 secure, four-channel DMR radios supporting Navy operations worldwide.

Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems, said, As the first software-defined radio to be used by the U.S. military, DMR continues to produce long-term cost-effectiveness for the Navy because these technology advancements use software, avoiding time-consuming and cost-intensive hardware replacements.

General Dynamics engineers are also working to integrate the new Mobile User

Objective Systems (MUOS) waveform into the DMR radios. The waveform is the digital dial tone needed to connect to the U.S. militarys new narrowband MUOS satellite communications system. Once the MUOS network is operational, Navy personnel will experience the global reach, voice clarity and connection speeds similar to the cellphones they use at home.

Built using open architecture standards, the DMR radios will continue to provide improved functionality and interoperabil-ity while accommodating next-generation communications waveforms like MUOS, the integrated waveform and future advanced network communications waveforms.

Railgun Solicitation and Industry DayThe Naval Sea Systems Com-

mand (NAVSEA) is hereby issuing a request for information on behalf of the Directed Energy and Electric Weapons Program Office (PMS 405), the Office of Naval Research and the Office of the Secretary of Defense from all potential sources on fire control sensor options, including architectural innovations and lessons learned, that could be applied to a multimission railgun

weapon system to support, detect, track and engage a broad spectrum of threats.

The Navy will host two railgun program industry days on Febru-ary 25 and 26, 2015 at 17211 Avenue D, Suite 160, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Dahlgren, Va. The Navy will provide a two (2) hour classified briefing at the SECRET level on the first day that will discuss the railgun program

objectives, an overview of the threat, and anticipated sensor performance requirements. After the briefing, one-on-one sessions will be offered to industry partners. One-on-one sessions are intended to facilitate a better understanding of the concept or approach of industry partners and to improve the utility of the responses, but are not required.

Industry partners wishing to participate in the industry days

and a one-on-one session with the government must pre-register with Delpha Nichols at [email protected](202) 741-1400via email no later than February 18, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern. Participants must be U.S. citizens holding a security clearance at least at the SECRET level.

(See article in Navy Air/Sea, February 3, 2015)


AARGm Range improvementProgram executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PeO (U&W))

PMA-242 is conducting market research to support future acquisition planning to in-

crease the range of the AGM-88e advanced anti-radiation guided missile (AARGM).

The purpose is to collect any research, technologies and existing programs that

may assist in determining the feasibility and affordability of providing increased

range to AARGM. Though PMA-242 is interested in solutions that could be applied

to the AGM-88 family of missiles, the primary purpose of the research is to collect

information regarding a range increase for AARGM.

As a result of Naval Air Systems Command studies and other government anal-

ysis, PMA-242 is interested in a solid rocket motor (SRM) with increased delivered

impulse to be incorporated into AARGM missiles for the purpose of increasing

range. however, non-SRM-based solutions that improve range performance

are also of interest.

Recommendations should discuss concepts and designs that leverage

existing AARGM hardware and software to the greatest extent possible.

The Navy is looking for improvements for the AGM-88e missile that

meet a fielding requirement of fiscal year 2022 (threshold/2021 objective)

following funding start in FY16. Production quantity for AARGM is esti-

mated to be between 200 and 1,000 units.

No capability improvements to the AARGM seeker and warhead perfor-

mance are desired at this time, and any modifications to the seeker or warhead

to support range improvement that adversely affect those two subsystems are to

be avoided. Range improvements may require changes to missile subsystems to

include, but not limited to, guidance and control hardware, software, fuzing, radome

and missile battery.

PMA-242 intends to host an industry day tentatively in spring 2015 as a forum

to provide open responses to respondent questions and to receive individual briefs

on AARGM extended range concepts.

Coast Guard C-27J Simulator AccessThrough the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014, the Coast

Guard has acquired 14 C-27J aircraft from the U.S. Air Force. The C-27J is a medium-size military transport aircraft manufactured by Alenia Aermacchi (Italy). CG-9 established the C-27J Asset Project Office (APO) Elizabeth City to make these aircraft ready for Coast Guard use. The C-27J APO will support the oversight of the process from acquisi-tion and missionization of the C-27J to sustainment. The C-27J APO will operate the aircraft to support aircrew and maintenance training and testing and evaluation events. The C-27J APO will also develop C-27J operational and maintenance procedures and Coast Guard-specific C-27J technical publications.

The Coast Guard needs to acquire recurring simulator (operational, full-motion, night vision imaging system-compatible) access for the initial cadre of USCG C-27J pilots for the APO, located in Elizabeth City, N.C., and future proposed air stations until long-term options are determined. The USCG does not own a C-27J simulator to conduct pilot initial and refresher simulator training.

Simulators provide Coast Guard pilots and loadmasters the oppor-tunity to practice aircrew communication skills, which are vital to crew resource management, in addition to aircraft emergency procedures. These emergency procedures cannot be practiced in the aircraft to the same extent as the simulator. Without simulator training, there is an increased

risk of loss to aircraft and crew if emergencies are encountered in the actual aircraft. The Coast Guard is not seeking training for this effort, sim-ply simulator access. The Coast Guard plans to provide a qualified Coast Guard instructor to instruct up to two students in a contractor-provided C-27J simulator.


A. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR coRoNA DiViSioN

topic 1 - Precious metal catalyst development

and quantitative characterization for confined

space air quality

topic 2 - Power calibration for high-energy

laser (heL) weapons

topic 3 - Investigate methods to produce con-

sistent pyrophoric thin wall hollow spheres

topic 4 - Methods for extending non-line-of-

sight ship-to-ship communication

topic 5 - State-space reliability modeling of

networks with Markov ChAINS/PeTRI Nets

B. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR cRANe DiViSioN

topic 1 - Model-Based System engineering

(MBSe) to reduce the total life cycle costs of

developing and sustaining weapon systems

topic 2 - Cooling technologies for high thermal

density applications in high-power MMIC

devices

topic 3 - electro-optics/infrared (eO/IR) coun-

termeasures and counter-electronic warfare

(eW)

topic 4 - Novel pyrotechnic materials and

compositions

topic 5 - Defeat mechanisms for threats sens-

ing non-infrared (IR) wavelengths

topic 6 - Novel applications in artificial intel-

ligence for data analysis

topic 7 - Multispectral electronic warfare (eW)

sensor fusion and signal processing

topic 8 - Dynamic spectrum access and

supporting technologies; the purpose of this

research is to explore novel techniques for ac-

cessing the electromagnetic spectrum

topic 9 - Military applications of cybersecurity

to identify vulnerabilities between software,

hardware and wireless communication

c. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR cARDeRock DiViSioN (BeTheSDA)

a. hydrodynamics/hydromechanics Research and Development

topic 1 - Flow measurements for model

maneuvers

topic 2 - Multi-hull propulsion and hull form

design modeling and simulation

topic 3 - effects of surface roughness on

friction drag along plates and hulls

topic 4 - Quantification of extreme ocean

events on naval vessels

b. Structures and materials Research and Development

topic 5 - high-temperature (fire) material

characterization of aluminum

topic 6 - Weld/heat impacts on localized

yield strength of Aluminum 6000 series

topic 7 - Additive manufacturing and

associated printed material qualification

techniques

c. Signatures and Silencing Research and Development

topic 8 - Sound pressure level measure-

ments of a sound source in high back-

ground noise

topic 9 - Turbulence-induced noise propa-

gation

topic 10 - Noise and thermal signature

management of naval systems

d. Ship integration and Design Research and Development

topic 11 - human augmentation technolo-

gies for shipbuilding productivity enhance-

ment

topic 12 - Unmanned power and energy

transfer for unmanned surface and under-

water vehicles

e. Technology office Portfolio Data management and Distribution

topic 13 - Innovative user interfaces for

high-volume data repositories

D. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR cARDeRock DiViSioN (ShiP SYSTemS eNGiNeeRiNG STATioN, PhilADelPhiA)

a. machinery Automation and controls Research and Development

topic 1 - hardware and software secu-

rity for embedded systems and industrial

control systems which provide resilience

and security for shipboard and land-based

cyber-physical systems such as machinery

control systems, propulsion systems, cool-

ing systems and electrical generation and

distribution systems

topic 2 - Condition assessment and prog-

nostics to determine the condition of the

shipboard electrical and mechanical systems

(rotating machinery and power electronics

systems)

topic 3 - Distributed, survivable, resilient

control to enhance survivability of shipboard

systems subject to kinetic and cyber attack

b. energy conversion Research and Development (Superconductivity)

topic 4 - Advanced technologies associated

with cryogenic superconducting systems,

including superconductors, refrigerators,

dielectrics, power electronics, superconduct-

ing transformers and cooling with gaseous or

multi-phase cryogens

c. energy conversion Research and Development (energy Storage)

topic 5 - Design and analysis of intermedi-

ate storage systems to buffer highly transient

loads in MVDC architectures

d. electric Power Research and Development

topic 6 - Power systems integration of en-

ergy generation and storage for intermittent

loads that exceed generator capacity while

minimizing variations in generator output

power

topic 7 - Power system distribution architec-

tures for representative shipboard loads from

a network of generators and sources having

variable frequencies and variable voltages

NAVSeA warfare centers Areas of interestThe Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSeA) warfare centers

are comprised of the Naval Surface Warfare Center and the Naval

Undersea Warfare Center. Together, these warfare centers operate

the Navys full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation,

engineering and fleet support centers for offensive and defensive

systems associated with surface and undersea warfare, joint, home-

land and national defense systems. Performing this work relies on a

capable naval engineering workforce.

Through the Naval engineering educational Consortium (NeeC),

funding is provided via a broad agency announcement to researchers

in academia (professors and students) for hands-on, project-based

research in the technology areas outlined below. It is anticipated that

students who participate in the project-based research have interest

in and potential for joining the NAVSeA Warfare Centers workforce

after graduation. The following identifies areas of research interest for

the NAVSeA Warfare Centers.


e. coatings engineering Research

topic 8 - Assessing solvent entrapment as

a cause of adhesion failures of marine non-

skid coating systems

topic 9 - Modeling and simulation of failure

analysis predictions for naval coating sys-

tems

topic 10 - Characterization and quantifica-

tion techniques of the relationship between

adhesion and coating thickness of marine

non-skid applications

e. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR PANAmA ciTY DiViSioN

topic 1 - Communications-constrained path

planning in littoral environments

topic 2 - Multi-vehicle sensing and collabora-

tion

F. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR DAhlGReN DiViSioN

topic 1 - emerging software development, in-

cluding: Scalable Linux and real-time virtualiza-

tion support for multicore hardware, automated

testing, cybersecurity, model-based devel-

opment, software certification and software

verification

topic 2 - Mission engineering analysis for

emerging weapon systems, systems engineer-

ing techniques and algorithms, platform-level

analysis capabilities, integrated platform analy-

sis capabilities, missions thread visualizations

capabilities, and related research topics

topic 3 - Materials for rail ablation reduction,

energy storage, weight reduction, energy re-

covery, component development, high-energy

systems components, advanced cooling tech-

niques and related research for railgun systems

topic 4 - Laser propagation, energy density,

manufacturing, control and beam forming for

lasers as weapons in a marine environment

topic 5 - Radar development and unitization

in a marine environment to include component

development, power density, advanced signal

processing and track processing for surface

radar applications

topic 6 - human systems interface research

topics, including: human-device interaction,

workload assessment, human performance

modeling, anthropometry and biomechanics,

cognitive engineering, decision-making under

uncertainty, function allocation, wearable com-

puting and work-rest cycles

G. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR PoRT hueNeme DiViSioN

topic 1 - Collection and assessment of atmo-

spheric transmission data during daylight hours

topic 2 - Geostatistical methods for spatio-

temporal outlier and anomaly detection in

sensor networks

topic 3 - Power calibration for high-energy

laser (heL) weapons

topic 4 - Measurements and predictions of

atmospheric turbulence

topic 5 - Time series analysis for electronic

prognostics for predicting remaining useful

life of systems, sub-systems and compo-

nents

topic 6 - Innovative network optimization for

audio, video and image processing

topic 7 - Advanced materials for combining

corrosion control and weight reduction on

naval vessels

h. NAVAl SuRFAce wARFARe ceNTeR iNDiAN heAD exPloSiVe oRDNANce DiSPoSAl TechNoloGY DiViSioN

a. Development of novel stored energy options using energetic materials

topic 1 - Alternate micro power solutions

to harvest, store and provide energy

topic 2 - Advanced expeditionary UUV

power and propulsion systems

topic 3 - Novel methods of using energetic

materials and explosives for energy man-

agement and storage

b. Additive manufacturing optimization for energetic and eoD applications

topic 4 - Development of novel warhead

case designs using additive manufacturing

methods

topic 5 - Development of 3-D printing as

a tool for supporting fleet spare or repairs

parts in naval gun systems

c. enhanced autonomous vehicle maneuver and navigation

topic 6 - Supervised tele-autonomy for agile

mobility and dexterous manipulation

topic 7 - Improved hovering autonomous

underwater vehicle feature-based navigation

via sonar footprint and camera feed

d. chemical Processing and energetic formulation scale up

topic 8 - Replacement of obsolete chemi-

cals used in propellants, explosives and

pyrotechnics

topic 9 - Nitration processing optimization

i. NAVAl uNDeRSeA wARFARe ceNTeR DiViSioN, keYPoRT

topic 1 - Autonomous control for multiple

unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and

autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs)

J. NAVAl uNDeRSeA wARFARe ceNTeR DiViSioN, NewPoRT

topic 1 - high performance control for agile

undersea vehicles

topic 2 - high-energy laser beam propagation

at near marine boundary condition data collec-

tion and modeling

topic 3 - Wave-based analysis of distributed

acoustic sensor networks

topic 4 - Bragg scattering in ensonified peri-

odic structures

topic 5 - Computational and experimental

techniques for shock response of compos-

ite materials subjected to aggressive marine

environments

topic 6 - Bio-inspired broadband sonar

topic 7 - Improved acquire, track and hold

performance on sonar contacts


Arctic ocean ice RetreatsScientists sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)

recently revealed their latest findings from a study on Arctic sea ice,

with one expert noting that summer sea ice levels could potentially

fall to zero before the end of this century. Scientists presented initial

findings from ONRs Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) experiment that took

place last year in the Arctic Oceanthe largest research effort ever

using robotic technologies to investigate ice conditions where the

frozen ocean meets the open ocean.

Theres no question that the Arctic sea ice extent is decreas-

ing, said Dr. Martin Jeffries, program officer for the ONR Arctic and

Global Prediction Program. Multiple sources of dataautonomous

underwater gliders, ice-measuring buoys and satellite images of the

Marginal Ice Zonewere used to help understand why the ice is

retreating.

The implications for the Navy, and the world, are significant. If

there were no sea ice in the Arctic at the end of summer, that would

mean that the Arctic Ocean would, until the winter ice came in, be

completely opensomething unprecedented in living memory, Jef-

fries noted.

Naval leaders have made it clear that understanding a changing

Arctic is essential for the Navy to be prepared to respond effectively

to future needs.

In the period between 2007 and 2014, satellites recorded the

eight lowest sea ice levels ever. One of the key goals of the MIZ

program, which runs through 2017, is to use new data to make better

predictive computer modelsensuring safer operations for not only

naval vessels, but also anticipated increased sea traffic by shipping

and fishing industries; oil, gas and mining companies; and tourism

operations.

In addition to gaining insights from the atmosphere, ice and

ocean to help understand changing sea ice levels, the MIZ program

has proved the importance of new robotic technologies. Much of the

data coming in to Arctic scientists is now from improved sensors,

with greater ability to survive the harsh weather and ocean condi-

tions.

Some of those technologies include Seaglidersautonomous

underwater vehicles that measure the salinity, temperature and opti-

cal properties of the water, both on and below the ice; buoys that

measure the thickness and temperature of the ice; and Dropsondes

small sensors released from the air to obtain improved atmospheric

measurements.

The data from the MIZ experiments confirm how important it is

to better understand the Arctic atmosphere, ice, ocean and ocean

surface waves, said Jeffries. The newer robotic measuring capabili-

ties being used by ONR-sponsored researchers are proving essential

for us to better understand the region.

By the Office of Naval Research public affairs

Navy Installations Commands Sailor of the YearBY SANDRA L. NIeDzWIeCkI, NAVY INSTALLATIoNS CoMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) recently announced the CNIC 2014 Sailor of the Year (SOY).

Air-Traffic Controlman 1st Class (AW/SW) Darren S. Johnson, from Naval Station (NAVSTA), Norfolk, Va., under Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, was selected from among 70 installation SOYs to earn the prestigious award.

Johnson was among three finalists who went before the SOY board conducted by a

panel of senior enlisted leaders. Each sailors service record was scrutinized, carefully evaluat-ing the sailor on educational accomplishments, physical fitness standards, academic test scores and participation in civic and community activities.

The other two candidates who competed for the award were Electronics Technician 1st Class Tracy Rico (SW), NAVSTA Everett, Wash., and Master-at-Arms 1st Class Christie

Kunkel (SW), Naval Support Activities Naples, Italy.

Having the chance to talk to these three humble individuals, who put their sailors first, who put their jobs first, made me reflect back a little bit on my first days in the Navy, said Vice Admiral Dixon R. Smith, commander, Navy Installations Command. Its our petty officers who get the job done. These three individuals, every one of us can be proud of them.


Shipboard Robotic FirefighterNavy scientists unveiled a firefighting robot prototype, revealing de-

tails about its successful demonstrations last fall aboard the USS Shadwell, a decommissioned Navy vessel.

The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR), sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), walked across uneven floors, used thermal imaging to identify overheated equipment and used a hose to extinguish a small fire in a series of experiments between November 3-5, 2014.

Developed by researchers at Virginia Tech, the two-legged, or bipedal, humanoid robot is helping ONR evaluate the applications of unmanned systems in damage control and inspections aboard naval vessels, support-ing the autonomy and unmanned systems focus area in the Navys Science and Technology Strategy.

We set out to build and demonstrate a humanoid capable of mobil-ity aboard a ship, manipulating doors and fire hoses, and equipped with sensors to see and navigate through smoke, said Dr. Thomas McKenna, ONR program manager for human-robot interaction and cognitive neu-roscience. The long-term goal is to keep sailors from the danger of direct exposure to fire.

SAFFiR stands 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 143 pounds. The unique mechanism design on the robot equips it with super-human range of mo-tion to maneuver in complex spaces.

Balancing on any type of terrain thats unstableespecially for bipedal robotsis very difficult, said Brian Lattimer, associate professor for mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech. Whole-body momentum control allows for the robot to optimize the locations of all of its joints so that it maintains its center of mass on uncertain and unstable surfaces.

Sensors, including infrared stereovision and a rotating laser for light detection and ranging (LiDAR), enable the humanoid to see through dense smoke. It is programmed to take measured steps and handle hoses on its own, but for now, takes its instruction from researchers at a com-puter console.

The robot has the ability to perform autonomous tasks, but we have a human in the loop to allow an operator to intervene in any type of task that the robots doing, Lattimer said.

McKenna plans to sponsor a more advanced design as part of the long-term investigational research program. Blueprints include equipping the robot with enhanced intelligence, communications capabilities, speed, computing power and battery life for extended applications.

common Data link Shipboard Radio Terminal Set for mh-60R

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)

Multi-Mission helicopter Program Office

(PMA-299) is seeking potential sources

capable of providing a common data link

for (CDL) ku-band Shipboard radio terminal

sets (RTS). The CDL RTS is responsible for

exchanging Mh-60R tactical data between

the ship and aircraft.

The AN/SRQ-4(ku) accepts voice from

the voice switchboard and command control

information from the ship data processor unit;

SDPU (AN/UYk-20, AN/UYk-43, AN/UYk-44

or later ship upgrades control and interface

processor), and tactical control station (TCS)

workstation interface; and transmits that

information uplink via microwave radiation to

the uplink receive voice and command control

channel of the radio terminal set AN/ARQ-59.

The AN/SRQ-4(ku) receives microwave radia-

tion from the AN/ARQ-59. The downlink data

consists of airborne sensor data, equipment

status and voice communications. The AN/

SRQ-4(ku) formats and distributes the data

to the appropriate ships equipment. The

equipment shall accept, format and transmit

airborne sensor data, voice and control status

data as radiated microwave signals to the AN/

SRQ-4(ku) for use by the ship.


PEO Air ASW, ASSAult & SPEciAl MiSSiOn PrOgrAMS

2015

Cindy BurkeBusiness/Financial

Management

Cmdr. Laura Schuessler

Chief of Staff

Rear Adm. CJ Jaynes

Program Executive Officer

Bruce DinopoulosAssistant Program Executive Officer

Logistics

Jim McLaughlinRDT&E

Shawn SladeScience &

Technology

David MeiserAssistant Program Executive Officer

RDT&E

Jim SchmidtTest & Evaluation

Steve NickleContracts

Glenn PerrymanDeputy Program Executive Officer

Chuck CobaughLogistics

Mac BrownAssistant Program Executive OfficerTest & Evaluation

NAVAIR SUPPORT

HEADqUARTERS

LOGISTICS RDT&ETEST &

EVALUTATION

PEO Air ASW, ASSAult & SPEciAl MiSSiOn PrOgrAMS

Paul BognerDeputy Program

Manager

Col. Dan RobinsonProgram Manager

Martin AhmadDeputy Program

Manager

Stoney MacAdamsDeputy Program

Manager

Col. Steven GirardProgram Manager

Holli GallettiDeputy Program

Manager

Capt. Matt ToblerProgram Manager

Larry PughDeputy Program

Manager

Capt. Scott DillonProgram Manager

Doug DawsonProgram Manager

Capt. Dave PadulaDeputy Program

Manager

Capt. Kyle KarstensProgram Manager Scott HiteDeputy Program

Manager

Capt. Craig GrubbProgram Manager

Col. Bert PridgenProgram Manager

Jack FultonDeputy Program

Manager

Darnelle FisherDeputy for Acquisition

STAff

AIRbORNE STRATEGIC C3

TACTICAL, AIRLIfT, ADVERSARy & SUPPORT

LIGHT/ATTACK HELICOPTERS

ASW SySTEMSH-53 HEAVy LIfT

HELICOPTERS

MARITIME PATROL & RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAfT

PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTERS V-22 OSPREy

MULTI-MISSION HELICOPTERS

Col. Hank Vanderborght

Program Manager

Jay StratakesDeputy Program

Manager

Joanne CardarelliPlans and Policies

Chris McLellanDeputy for

Management Systems

cNo outlines whats Needed for the Future Force ReDuce GuNPowDeR ReliANce

iNcReASe STAmiNA FoR uuVS

cYBeRSecuRiTY

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admi-

ral Jonathan Greenert outlined his thoughts

on three science and technology objec-

tives for the Navy and Marine Corps of the

future at the Naval Future Force Science

and Technology (S&T) expo in Washington,

D.C.

Speaking before nearly 3,000 attend-

ees from across government, academia

and industry, Greenert charged his audi-

ence to reduce reliance on gunpowder;

increase stamina for underwater unmanned

vehicles power and propulsion systems;

and increase focus on cybersecurity.

Number one, youve got to get us off

gunpowder, said Greenert, noting that Of-

fice of Naval Research-supported weapon

programs, such as laser weapon system

(LaWS) and the electromagnetic railgun,

are vital to the future force. We will have

an incredibly deep magazine when we

bring [those weapons] in.

Weapons like LaWS have a virtually

unlimited magazine, only constrained by

power and cooling capabilities onboard the

vessel carrying them. In addition, Greenert

noted the added safety for sailors and Ma-

rines that will come from reducing depen-

dency on gunpowder-based munitions.

Probably the biggest vulnerability of a

ship is its magazine, because thats where

all the explosives are, he said.

he also cited the tremendous cost

savings offered by laser weapons fired at

a dollar per shot or low-cost electromag-

netic railgun projectiles versus needing to

rely on $1 million missiles, in some cases

without the same range, for all threats and

missions.

Greenerts second challenge for the

S&T community is to develop greater

stamina in unmanned underwater vehicle

propulsion systems to maintain naval

dominance in the undersea domain.

I need them compact and reliable in

their power and propulsion, but I also need

them safe, he said.

And, as the Ohio-class submarines

near replacement age, Greenert noted that

increased range and endurance for un-

manned systems will be vital for the future

fleet, with the overall number of subma-

rines projected to decrease.

Greenerts final S&T objective centers

on cybersecurity, which he said keeps him

up at night.

I need you to lock your IT doors,

he told the expo attendees. You do it at

home, and you need to keep that mindset

at work.

Cybersecurity is a key requirement for

all our systems and weapons.

he encouraged scientists and en-

gineers to include security in the initial

design of everything they do, rather than

trying to add security measures later.

The CNO also discussed the history

of game-changing technologies that have

come from the Naval S&T community,

including GPS, advanced radar and quiet

propulsion capabilities. he then said, We

continue to rely on you.

The host of the expo, Chief of Na-

val Research Rear Admiral Mat Winter,

introduced the CNO and spoke about

the importance of Naval S&T research for

the future force, including the essential

partnerships between the Naval Research

enterprise, academia and industry.


Navy College Program for Afloat College educationCollege tuition is a huge

bargain for sailors taking classes through Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE)in fact, its almost free.

NCPACE, one of numerous programs administered by Navy Voluntary Education (VOLED), is offered to officers and enlisted sail-ors assigned to ships and deployable commands (Type 2 and 4 duty) to provide undergraduate and gradu-ate educational opportunities on par with those available to sailors on shore duty. With tuition funded at 100 percent, students are respon-sible only for the cost of textbooks and related materials.

Approximately 7,200 individu-al sailors participated in NCPACE in FY13, accounting for more than 10,700 enrollments.

Commands must have an ac-tive NCPACE program for sailors to participate. One such command is the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, which maintenance control team member and education services of-ficer (ESO) Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class (AW) John Phillips is glad about. Using NCPACE, he completed a Master of Arts in administrative leadership at the University of Oklahoma in December.

I enlisted in the Navy to serve my country and was aware the GI Bill provided an opportunity to complete my education, said Phillips. Once in the Navy, the ad-ditional educational benefits offered such as Tuition Assistance (TA), NCPACE, and college-level exams came as a welcome surprise. Each time I reenlisted, the educational benefitswhich far exceed those offered in most civilian employ-mentbecame a reinforcing factor for staying in.

Most sailors hear voluntary education and tend to think of TA, which pays tuition for courses toward completion of a high school diploma, certificate, or technical

or college degree. While TA is the most popular VOLED program the Navy offers, it has annual caps for each participant to ensure as many sailors as possible have an oppor-tunity to use it. NCPACE courses, however, dont count against a sail-ors annual maximum TA funding cap while still providing the means for sailors to complete coursework toward a diploma or degree.

This, coupled with the low cost, makes NCPACE among the best educational deals the Navy of-fers, according to Lieutenant Com-mander Mark Wadsworth, director of Voluntary Education Support Site Saufley Field in Pensacola, Fla.

Sailors only having to foot the bill for books and course materials is a big savings for them, said Wadsworth.Taking courses through NCPACE is a really good way for sailors to continue their education, especially when theyve maxed out their TA for the year.

Wadsworth pointed out that all NCPACE schools are regionally ac-credited, meaning sailors will have maximum flexibility in transfer-ring credits to their home college. Another benefit of NCPACE is flexible term dates that can be tailored to a units deployment cycle at the unit ESOs request.

While NCPACE doesnt have an annual credit hour cap like TA, we do limit sailors to two NCPACE courses per term regardless of the delivery method being instructor led (IL) or distance led (DL), he said. This, along with the number of terms a command requests, will determine the number of NCPACE courses a sailor can potentially com-plete in a year.

The IL delivery method pro-vides an instructor teaching courses while a ship is underway or pier-side, while the DL program allows the flexibility of independent study. NCPACE can be continued during in-port periods through coordina-tion with the local Navy college office, according to Wadsworth.

The NCPACE program also offers IL academic skills classes in math, reading and writing to help sailors improve their skills in those areas.

Chief Navy Counselor (SW/AW) Travis Cook, command career counselor and ESO for Assault Craft Unit One in Coronado, Calif., has taken NCPACE courses at four commands, which allowed him to earn an Associate of Applied Science through Excelsior College.

I found out about NCPACE early in my career through my com-mand career counselor and career development boards, said Cook. I have no doubt that earning my degree has helped me reach the level Ive obtained in the Navy as a chief petty officer. So now when I talk to junior sailors, I tell them that education will not only benefit you when you decide to leave the service, but it can help you while youre still active.

Cook said finding time to participate in NCPACE is, indeed, possible.

The most challenging part for me was balancing family, work and the education requirements, said Cook. I would recommend that any sailor whos interested to first talk to their command career coun-selor, a mentor or someone in their chain of command for guidance to make sure they meet command requirements and are eligible.

Phillips said sailors participat-ing in NCPACE should choose the right course delivery method and be ready to maintain self-discipline.

The DL program is an outstanding opportunity for those who have the drive and tenacity to complete courses outside of a classroom environment, but it can be challenging for those who ap-preciate continual interaction from an instructor, said Phillips. The IL program brings the instructor to the student, but its still challenging because sailors must dedicate what little free time they may have to-ward attending class and complet-

ing the coursework.Cook said the key to any

sailors success in NCPACE is to effectively prioritize personal responsibilities.

I tell sailors to remember that your job comes first, said Cook. Make sure youre ready to handle the responsibility of work and taking classes. Dont rush into something youre not mentally pre-pared for. When the time is right, take advantage of all the benefits the Navy has to offer.

Our leadership recognizes that off-duty education is voluntary, but they consider it valuable and a direct reflection on a sailors level of motivation for self-improvement, said Phillips. As such, off-duty education has become a stan-dard question during our Sailor of the Year and quarter boards, mid-term counselings, and career development boards. Every sailor is encouraged to take advantage of the various VOLED programs the Navy offers.

Navy VOLED Director Ernest DAntonio, also a retired U.S. Marine, is personally aware of the challenge of taking courses while assigned to a deployed unit. He still hopes more sailors will take advantage of NCPACE. If sailors who want a college degree take advantage of NCPACE when they can, it will cost them less time and money in the long run, he said. This program is an all-around win for sailors who are working toward their degree and trying to save money. Its also a win for partici-pating commands because, just like all VOLED programs, their sailors are learning critical thinking and analytical skills that help them make informed decisions and perform at a higher level, which contributes to overall mission ac-complishment.

By Susan D. Henson, Center for Personal and Professional Develop-ment public affairs officer.


coast Guard cutter Sherman change of command On February 4, Coast Guard

Cutter Sherman held a change

of command ceremony at Coast

Guard Base honolulu.

Captain Aldante Vinciguerra

relieved Captain kevin A. Jones

as commanding officer of Coast

Guard Cutter Sherman. Jones will

assume command of Rush, which

was recently decommissioned.

Vice Admiral Charles W. Ray,

Coast Guard Pacific Area com-

mander, presided over the event.

The Coast Guard Cutter

Sherman, formerly assigned to

San Diego, will replace Rush in

honolulu and assume Rushs

responsibilities. Rush is the

sixth high-endurance cutter to

be decommissioned, with six

remaining in service on the West

Coast. These high-endurance

cutters are being replaced by the

more capable fleet of national

security cutters, which perform

critical homeland security, law

enforcement and national defense

missions around the world.

The Coast Guard is work-

ing with the State Department to

transfer Rush to the Bangladesh

Navy as part of a foreign military

sale through the Foreign Assis-

tance Act.

NRL Searching for Signal GeneratorThe Naval Research Laboratory has several computer systems and soft-

ware that can provide arbitrary waveform analog signals to drive individual elements of an acoustic source cluster. NRLs software performs analog signal generation for each element of the source cluster.

NRLs existing computer systems have been previously used with the Engineering Acoustics, Inc. model PS300, PS500 and PS800 transduc-ers. The 2-7 kHz vertical source array is intended to be used only during ship-tethered operations so that matching network and power amplifier components are not needed.

NRL wants to acquire multiple hardware components necessary to com-plete the development if an autonomous multi-channel broadband sonar system that can be deployed in either moored or low-speed towing (less than three knots) configurations at water depths up to 300 meters. The system is to be capable of operating as a broadband, coherent source cluster at source levels higher than 180 dB re 1Pa@1m at low frequencies (less than 1 kHz) and at source levels higher than 200 dB re 1Pa@1m at mid-frequencies (between2 kHz and 7 kHz). It is intended to support a variety of investigations relevant to active and passive Navy sonar performance in littoral waters.

The Navys goal is to purchase a cost-effective system that minimizes new engineering design and development.

Alternative approaches and technical specifications may be proposed by potential vendors if they result in a more cost-effective design. A cluster of low-frequency transducers having 10% bandwidth at center frequencies around 100, 200, 300, 500 and 800 Hz are needed. However, to balance technical capability and cost, potential vendors, can propose a system having a minimum source level of 200 dB re 1Pa@1m at frequencies below 3 kHz.

The system will be deployed from oceanographic vessels such as those operated by the University of National Oceanographic Laboratory System, NATO and the U.S. Navy.


Synthetic Guidance System for TomahawkA synthetically guided Toma-

hawk cruise missile successfully

hit its first moving maritime target

January 27 after being launched

from the USS kidd (DDG 100)

near San Nicolas Island in Cali-

fornia.

The Tomahawk Block IV

flight test demonstrated guid-

ance capability when the missile

in flight altered its course toward

the moving target after receiving

position updates from surveillance

aircraft.

This is a significant ac-

complishment, said Captain Joe

Mauser, Tomahawk Weapons

System (PMA-280) program man-

ager. It demonstrates the viability

of long-range communications

for position updates of moving

targets. This success further dem-

onstrates the existing capability of

Tomahawk as a netted weapon,

and in doing so, extends its reach

beyond fixed and re-locatable

points to moving targets.

The Naval Air Warfare Center

Weapons Division (NAWCWD)

team leveraged existing Toma-

hawk strike communications

frameworks to develop this cost-

saving solution. This joint venture

between NAWCWD at China

Lake, PMA-280 and Raytheon

Missile Systems received major

contributions from the Office of

Naval Research Advanced Sen-

sors Technology Program and

the surface warfare centers at

Dahlgren, Va., and Port hueneme,

Calif.

We have worked with teams

across the country to be success-

ful today, said Scott ONeil, NAW-

CWD executive director. This is a

project that increases warfighting

capability, reduces cost and can

be added to other existing tech-

nologies out in the field.

Navy Littoral Combat Ship/FrigateProgram: Background and Issues for CongressBY RoNALD oRoURke, SPeCIALIST IN NAVAL AFFAIRS, CoNGReSSIoNAL ReSeARCh SeRVICe

The Navys Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate program is planned to procure 52 LCSs and frigates. The first LCS was funded in fiscal year 2005, and a total of 23 have been funded through FY15. The Navys proposed FY16 budget is expected to request funding for the procurement of three more LCSs.

From 2001 to 2014, the program was known simply as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, and all 52 planned ships were referred to as LCSs. In 2014, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the program was restructured. As a result of the restructuring, the Navy now wants to build the final 20 ships in the program (ships 33 through 52) to a revised version of the baseline LCS design. The Navy intends to refer to these 20 ships, which the Navy wants to procure in FY29 and subsequent fiscal years, as frigates rather than LCSs.

The Navy has indicated that it may also want to build ships 25 through 32 with at least some of the design changes now intended for the final 20 ships. The Navy wants to procure ships 25 through 32 in FY16-18.

Two very different baseline LCS designs are being built. One was developed by an industry team led by Lockheed; the other was developed by an industry team that was led by General Dynamics. The Lockheed design is built at the Marinette Marine shipyard at Marinette, Wis.; the General Dynamics design is built at the Austal USA shipyard at Mobile, Ala. Ships 5 through 24 in the program are being procured under a pair of 10-ship block buy contracts that were awarded to the two LCS builders in December 2010. The 24th LCSthe first of the three LCSs expected to be requested for procurement in FY16is the final ship to be procured under these block buy contracts.

The LCS program has been controversial due to past cost growth, design and construction issues with the lead ships built to each design, con-cerns over the ships survivability (i.e., ability to withstand battle damage), concerns over whether the ships are sufficiently armed and would be able to perform their stated missions effectively, and concerns over the development and testing of the ships modular mission packages. The Navys execution of the program has been a matter of congressional oversight attention for several years. The programs restructuring in 2014 raises additional oversight issues for Congress.

Click here to read the entire Congressional Research Service report.


AVIATION

Air-droppable At-Sea in-Water Lifting System

oBJecTiVe

Develop an air-droppable at-sea in-water

lifting system which can be air deployed from

aircraft, land in the open ocean, self-erect and

lift floating containers (international standard

[ISO] shipping containers of 20 and 40 foot

length) to the deck of vessels of varying free-

board.

U.S. national and global security interests

are protected by maintaining a (1) global forward presence and (2)

the ability to rapidly deploy and sustain forces in any region of the

world. Geo-political vicissitudes, budgetary realities, proliferation of

technologies (offensive, defensive and detection), and expanding DoD

distributed/disaggregated operations militate the development of

alternatives/complements to traditional land-based options to support

U.S. short-term, longer-term and crisis response activity. Foremost

among alternatives is maritime Advanced Force Sea-Basing (AFSB)

temporary at-sea forward-operating bases. AFSBs vary immensely

depending on operational requirements and environments; few will be

sufficiently equipped to undertake at-sea recovery of containers. In

order to maximize the efficacy of AFSBs and other vessels of oppor-

tunity, DoD requires the ability to lift ISO shipping containers floating

in the open ocean to the decks of vessels of varying freeboard and

configuration; the lifting system must be platform-agnostic. Neither

current nor state-of-the-art maritime heavy-lift systems provide the

capability to support this requirement. Beyond land-based heavy-lift

considerations, at-sea heavy-lift is faced with unique environmental

factors, including: wave force, height and action; current; simultane-

ous dual platform roll, pitch and yaw; sea water corrosiveness; and the

impact of these dynamics on lift.

The objective is to develop an in-water heavy-lift prototype ca-

pable of fulfilling the following parameters:

Air deployable from C-130, C-5 and C-17 aircraft (to include meeting all U.S. heavy-lift aircraft transport and airdrop parameters)

Configurable to fit within and be air-dropped in an ISO [or smaller] container

Self-erecting (i.e., once in the ocean, the lift system can be assembled and made ready to operate (1) without assistance from

the supported platform [except final maneuvering into position

adjacent to and/or mooring to the supported platform], (2) with a

minimum number of personnel [not to exceed four] and (3) with

support from no more than two small craft, each equipped with a

maximum 1 x 35 horsepower outboard motor [or equivalent]).

Lift capacity weight: up to 20 tons height: up to 10 meters freeboard Operating conditions: operational up to Beaufort Scale 4 [winds 13

- 17 mph; wave height 3.5 - 6 ft; small waves with breaking crests;

fairly frequent whitecaps]

Recoverable and reusable Deployable from surface vessels

This leap-ahead technology would also have tremendous utility to

other public sector, non-governmental organizations and commercial

applications.

Navys Small Business innovative Research Program

The Navys Small Business Innovative Research Program is a mission-oriented program that integrates the needs and requirements of the

Navys fleet through R&D topics that have dual use potential, but primarily address the needs of the Navy.

Navy Air/SeA has collected a selection of the current solicitations recently released by the Navy. Responsibility for the implementation,

administration and management of the Department of the Navy SBIR Program is with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The acting director of

the DoN SBIR Program is Robert Smith, [email protected].

Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy


Vertical takeoff and Landing tactical unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VtuAV) passive Acoustic Sensing and Magnetic Anomaly detection for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

oBJecTiVe

Develop an effective, flexible and affordable submarine detection

system consisting of acoustic sensing and a magnetic anomaly detector

(MAD) capability for a vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned

aerial vehicle (VTUAV) to be used by any ship capable of launching and

recovering a VTUAV (e.g., Fire Scout or equivalent capabilities).

The current approach to air platform submarine detection is deploy-

ment of dipping sonars from Mh-60 helicopters, full-size sonobuoys de-

ployed from Mh-60 helicopters and land-based P-3 aircraft, and MAD

on fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. While effective, these approaches

are labor-intensive, consume large amounts of fuel and are costly. In ad-

dition, platforms such as the littoral combat ships (LCS) that carry only

one ASW-equipped helicopter have a less than optimal ASW capability.

The Navy has identified a need for an ultra-lightweight airborne deploy-

ment/retrieval sensor acoustic sensor capability in a podded system.

This system can then be installed and removed rapidly on an MQ-8C

Fire Scout VTUAV to provide an adjunct ASW capability for the Mh-60R.

The proposed system will provide a low-cost, lightweight, unmanned

capability to complement current helicopter ASW operations.

This topic seeks a compact, affordable, energy-efficient, acous-

tic sensing capability for a Fire Scout, or similar VTUAV. In addition,

the VTUAV will use a magnetic anomaly detector to complement the

acoustic search for submarines. The desired system will increase the

affordability of anti-submarine searches by lowering overall cost that

currently requires a helicopter such as the Mh-60. In addition, an un-

manned aerial vehicle does not require an on-board crew. The proposed

system should be usable by any ship capable of launching and recover-

ing a VTUAV. The system would employ the VTUAV to perform acoustic

sensing ahead of the host ship. The sensing could be standalone or as

part of a bi-static system, with the active source on the host ship or on

a different platform. The system could employ a tethered approach for

sensor deployment and retrieval or a traditional air launch deployment

or combination. Littoral combat ships have particular platforms of inter-

est, though the VTUAV capability would not be restricted to a LCS.

The technologies for ASW acoustic sensing and magnetic anomaly

detection are mature. Offerors are encouraged to consider using or

adapting existing sensing and deployment technologies as much as

possible. The innovation described in this topic requires several consid-

erations. One is the design, development and integration into the VTUAV

of a compact, reliable, affordable system. A second includes launch

and/or retrieval of acoustic capability. A third is designing to the size,

weight and power (SWaP) limitations of a VTAUV (SWaP requirements

will be provided in a SITIS document). A fourth is minimizing the effects

of noise from the VTAUV. A fifth is the fusion of acoustic and magnetic

field data. In addition, the fused data must interface with the VTAUVs

data communication and vehicle control system on the host ship.

Small non-Cooperative Collision Avoidance Systems Suited to Small tactical unmanned Systems

oBJecTiVe

Develop a non-cooperative compact collision avoidance system with

space, weight and power (SWaP) characteristics suited for a small tactical

Group 2/3 unmanned aerial system (UAS).

New Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules for next-generation

(NextGen) national airspace surveillance strategy, which are set to be

implemented by 2020, will strengthen the requirements for most aircraft,

in most airspace, to determine their position via satellite navigation and

periodically broadcast it out for receipt by air traffic control ground sta-

tions as well as other aircraft. Aircraft will be required to have at least

one of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) out

standards, either 1090 or 978 megahertz (Mhz), to broadcast their posi-

tion and velocity data. The data is broadcast every second, providing

real-time position information that will, in most cases, be more accurate

than the information provided by the primary and secondary radar-based

systems currently in use. Aircraft-to-aircraft ADS-B transmission will

also permit highly reliable self-separation and collision avoidance for any

aircraft outfitted with dual frequency ADS-B in, enabling the aircraft to

avoid other aircraft that are co-operating in the environment. however,

there will remain in all airspace aircraft that are not transmitting ADS-B

out. These may be aircraft that either do not have a transmitter, or

have a transmitter that is turned off or has failed. These non-cooperating

aircraft will continue to pose a collision hazard for UAS.

A collision avoidance system that does not rely solely on cooperat-

ing aircraft that are ADS-B equipped is needed to ensure safe integration

of UAS into the airspace. This system should ideally utilize ADS-B and

in all aspects provide information for pilot oversight, self-separation and

collision avoidance. It should additionally provide a fully autonomous self-

separation and collision avoidance capability as an option of last resort.

Non-cooperative approaches have included visible and infrared cam-

era systems, acoustic systems, radar systems and other radio frequency

distance measuring technologies. The advent of software-definable

radios could potentially lead to an effective RF non-cooperative collision

avoidance system with a small SWaP suitable for use with even small

UAS.

The solution will be required to fit on a Group 2/3 UAS (such as

the Aerosonde, Scan eagle, RQ-21A Blackjack or RQ-7B Shadow air

vehicles and systems). An additional project goal would be compatibility

with smaller Group 1 Small Unit Remote Scouting Systems such as the

RQ-20A Puma, RQ-11B Raven and RQ-12A Wasp family of systems.

For a non-cooperative collision avoidance system to be accepted as

a component technology of a Group 2 or Group 3 UAS, the SWaP

consumption is a critical parameter. To be compatible with Small Tacti-

cal UAS, the solution needs to have a small SWaP allowing for mission

payloads and a low cost for baseline UAS system incorporation. Given

the payload capacity of Scan eagle (a Group 2 UAS) is on the order of

7.5 pounds at 60 watts, it is expected the SWaP for a non-cooperative

collision avoidance system be a fraction of this capacity. All airborne

hardware should weigh less than 12 ounces and consume less than 27

cubic inches of total space, with an average power draw of less than 25

watts. The collision avoidance system hardware can be distributed to

various locations on the air vehicle but cannot significantly affect weight


and balance or aerodynamic performance. A range of 2 to 5 miles for

small RF cross-section targets is needed. All UAS flyable weather per-

formance is desired.

Successful laboratory demonstration by simulation of software-in-

the-loop and/or hardware-in-the-loop would be the first step towards a

successful product. Desired next-level testing would include air demon-

strations in a restricted airspace environment, ideally in conjunction with a

fully instrumented test range. These range demonstrations would be used

to document the mission readiness and expected mission effectiveness

of the system prior to testing in operational environments. Good results

from restricted range testing would provide the leverage to help with the

safety case for the use of UAS for emergency course of action response.

The results would also be applicable for improvements in the integrated

UAS mission capability for all military applications.

Command and Control of Multiple unmanned Air Vehicles in Anti-Access Area-denial or Highly Limited Communication bandwidth environment

oBJecTiVe

Design and develop software that provides the capability to autono-

mously and dynamically adapt to varying anti-access area-denial (A2AD)

bandwidth-limited environments to ensure the transmission of critical

information content for command and control (C2) decisions, as well

as other mission-critical data, in a multiple unmanned vehicle mission

environment.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations require bandwidth that can

vary for a variety of reasons, including different mission phases, differ-

ent geographic locations and attenuation of signals (both intentional and

unintentional).

To maximize the use of finite resources for C2 and make the systems

more resilient, a software-defined tool that monitors behavior and dy-

namically allocates bandwidth utilization to optimize critical messages in

a multiple UAV mission environment is needed. The software tool should

be designed to interface with program of record systems, like Automated

Digital Network System, that can handle the actual routing of digitized C2

information.

It is prudent before proceeding to examine current technology regard-

ing this bandwidth-limited operational capability. Many technical refer-

ences are available that focus on the A2AD bandwidth limitation topic,

but a software tool in support of C2 for multiple UAV missions within

A2AD or bandwidth-limited environment does not currently exist. Current

technology often builds upon basic concepts like quality of service, and

solutions are desired that provide more robustness flexibility and higher

performance.

Development should be focused on enabling applications to utilize

existing and evolving standards, like Naval Interoperability Profile Stan-

dards (NIOPS), for both multiple unmanned vehicle control and mission

management. The desired software tool should be able to automati-

cally react to changes in bandwidth by both prioritizing and optimiz-

ing the data being transmitted within the operational context of the

supported unmanned vehicles. The software should also automatically

transmit previously established prioritized information in varying levels

of bandwidth-restricted environments. Methods could involve reduced

frequency of transmission, reducing the type and/or fields of data

transmitted, or other techniques that would allow the tool to react to the

variability of the limitations and thus maximize available bandwidth.

Additionally, the tool should allow the operator the option to override

the autonomous dynamic functionality and manually control settings

related to throughput or rate of transmission. All user interfaces should be

simple and intuitive to reduce operator workload.

The software tool is expected to be integrated into the Common Con-

trol System, which is developed and managed by PMA-281, a NAVAIR

Program Office responsible for strike planning and mission execution

systems.

Note that due to the distribution restriction, the NIOPS standards

document, titled Vehicle Management Advanced Command and Control

(VM-ADV-C2) Navy Interoperability Profile (NIOP), will be provided to

companies awarded a Phase I contract.

Automated test program Set Analysis for Maintenance data Metrics Generation

oBJecTiVe

Develop a novel method for extracting usage metrics from test pro-

gram set (TPS) source code and automated test equipment (ATE) logs.

The Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) family of tes-

ters currently hosts more than 1,500 TPSs in support of the testing and

repair of avionics and weapon system units under test, spanning numer-

ous aircraft platforms. Several hundred additional TPSs are also slated for

development. This has resulted in a large pool of TPS code and associ-

ated data, stored in the Navys Automatic Test System (ATS) Source Data

Repository.

This data is viewed as an untapped resource to aid in ATS plan-

ning and support. The ability to relate test instrument capabilities to TPS

source data and ATS usage data would provide a comprehensive look at

how avionics maintenance is performed. Data mining on this comprehen-

sive data set could serve to expose run-time inefficiencies or under- and

over-utilized test equipment (or specific capability ranges within a piece

of equipment), providing significant benefit to the selection of new ATS

components during replacements and upgrades. Broad questions could

be answered about ATS component capabilities, including not only the

frequency of their use but also the manner. Additionally, such an analysis

could identify economic targets of opportunity for the deployment of new

and innovative test techniques.

Complexities in the execution of TPSs present frequent challenges

to the analysis of the data sets. TPS instrument settings can be variable,

not hard-coded. These variables are often set procedurally, but other

times are set via manual input from the ATS user. This product should

be capable of assigning TPS variables regardless of their dependencies.

Development of such a capability poses a technical challenge that is part

test simulation and part data mining/analysis. Once every TPS can be

simulated and their results archived, a total envelope of all ATS instrument

usage can be generated.


innovative, Low-Cost, Highly durable Fuel bladder for naval Applications

oBJecTiVe

Develop an innovative, low-cost, lightweight, highly durable fuel

bladder for naval applications through a quicker, more repeatable manu-

facturing process.

A fuel bladder is a flexible internal aircraft structure containing fuel

to be provided to the engine(s). The fuel bladder must be foldable so

that it can be installed through small cavity openings on the aircraft.

Metal fittings are incorporated into the fuel bladder to allow interface to

the aircraft fuel system. The bladder must also be durable enough to

prevent a rupture of the bladder and fuel leakage from flight or main-

tenance induced stresses. Quality fuel bladders are imperative for the

safety of warfighters. Any fuel leaks during operational flight lead to a

risk of fire, which could result in the loss of aircraft and crew. On many

platforms, the Navys demand for fuel bladders is higher than the rate

that the current fuel bladder manufacturer is able to supply. Additionally,

the state of the art in fuel bladder manufacturing is a handmade artisan-

dependent process that can take up to 60 days to complete. This

process is subject to human error, often requiring significant rework of

the finished product, which results in expensive end products and long

build times. This rework can include, but is not limited to, repairs such

as patches, buffing and fitting replacement.

An innovative, lightweight fuel bladder material and/or process that

will decrease fuel bladder costs and improve product quality is needed.

The result should be a quicker, more repeatable manufacturing process,

and should increase fuel bladder durability by allowing for high puncture

resistance, abrasion resistance and tensile strength while maintaining

the required flexibility. Proposed designs must be compatible with any

fuel used by the Navy, including JP-5, commercial Jet A (with military

additives) and a 50/50 blend of current jet fuel and bio-derived fuel.

Proposed designs must also have self-sealing capability. A production

representative fuel bladder must be constructed from the proposed

materials. A more consistent material and process will yield higher-qual-

ity fuel bladders, which will help reduce the downtime of aircraft, thus

improving the capability of the warfighter.

Sensory System for the transition from Aided to unaided Vision during Flight to Mitigate Spatial discordance

oBJecTiVe

Develop a system to seamlessly transition from aided to unaided

vision while performing night operations.

When pilots transition from aided to unaided vision during flight, the

number of visual cues that can be used as reference for aircraft attitude

is greatly reduced. If this occurs during nights with very low ambient light,

spatial discordance can occur. Rapid transition from aided to unaided

sight reduces the number of peripheral visual cues from many to few,

which can lead to spatial disorientation and unsafe flight. Dark adaptation,

or the ability to perceive low-level light, can take as long as half an hour.

Other cues that indicate the attitude of the aircraft must be made present

to mitigate the effects of night vision aides on the visual system, where a

light-adapted eye must quickly transition to extremely dark conditions.

A lack of sufficient peripheral visual orientation cues may lead to a

number of spatial discordance issues (e.g., black-hole effect). Peripheral

visual cues are reduced during night or white-out (atmospheric or blowing

snow) conditions. In either case, the lack of peripheral visual cues leads

to disorientation. Another situation in which pilots require peripheral visual

cues is when approaching and closing in on another aircraft (e.g., in-flight

refueling). Pilots use peripheral cues to estimate their relative position

to the earth and the aircraft to which they are approaching. Without this

peripheral information, as it occurs in extremely dark conditions, closing

in on another aircraft becomes significantly more challenging and poten-

tially dangerous. Currently, pilots rely on the planes attitude indicator, a

visual representation of the planes position relative to the horizon, when

experiencing spatial discordance. This visual cue provides information to

the foveal visual field and does not take advantage of the benefits of cu-

ing peripheral sensory receptors. Although this information is quite salient

in the foveal visual field, pilots report dismissing this information since

the vestibular cues they experience provide more compelling evidence of

their (incorrect) spatial orientation.

As previously mentioned, peripheral visual cues are a major contribu-

tor to maintaining straight and level flight and avoiding spatial discor-

dance. More recent research, however, has demonstrated that spatial

information can be improved with multimodal (i.e., vision, hearing, tactile)

stimulus presentation. With the appropriate combination of more than

one stimulus modality, humans can orient themselves more quickly and

accurately than with the activation of one sensory modality alone.

Technology with the ability to provide a pilot transitioning from aided

to unaided flight with additional stimuli to maintain a straight, level and

safe flight is needed. This technology should be able to be activated at

the pilots discretion and suitable for different platforms that have differ-

ent requirements and constraints. At a minimum, however, this project

should be applicable to Navy fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Since the

only fifth-generation fighter in the current inventory is the F-35 Lightning

II, this technology should be compatible with the current cockpit design

and successfully integrate with the baseline pilot-vehicle interface. If

possible, the technology should extend to previous generation fighters

and other aircraft (e.g., helicopters). Collaboration with original equip-

ment manufacturers in all phases is highly encouraged to assist in defin-

ing aircraft integration, commercialization requirements, and providing

test platforms. The stimulation of more than one sensory system (e.g.,

vision, hearing) is not required, but only illustrated as an example.

Low-power, Low-Cost, Lightweight, Multichannel optical Fiber interrogation unit for Structural Health Management of Rotor blades

oBJecTiVe

The main rotor blades and associated rotating hardware are some of

the highest dynamically loaded parts found on rotorcraft. These dynamic

parts have historically been hard to instrument without a significant

weight penalty and are often inspected at intervals. A system capable


of monitoring true strains, as well as damaging impacts during rotor-

craft operation, without the usually associated wei

navy 1.2 (february 10, 2015)

Documents

fy15 budget

years budget submission

material readiness

littoral combat ships

new ships

littoral combat ship

surface combatants

material inspections