The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) is soliciting demonstrations for sensors that enhance the detection of one-way unmanned aerial systems (OWUAS) threatening U.S. and allied forces. These sensors will complement existing coverage and must integrate into a third-party interface for additional analysis and correlation with other sensor data. All sensor types are welcome, including EO/IR, acoustic, and radar, with a preference for low-cost/attritable solutions, though this is not mandatory. Desired solutions should adhere to the following parameters:

RANGE – Sensors must aim to enhance and/or improve the visibility of OWUAS flying closer than 7 km or further than 25 km to force location (<7 km, >25 km).

ALTITUDE – Sensors must specifically aim to enhance and/or improve the visibility of OWUAS flying at low altitudes close to a force location (<300 m altitude within 25 km range). Sensors should aim to enhance and/or improve the visibility of OWUAS flying at all altitudes further from a force location (greater than a 25 km range).

UAS SIZE – Sensors must enhance and/or improve the visibility of Group 2 and 3 UAS size (21-1,320 lbs).

UAS SPEED – Sensors must focus on Group 2 and 3 UAS speed (<250 kts). At a minimum, the ability to also detect higher speeds (250 kts+) is encouraged.

INTEGRATION – Sensors must demonstrate the ability to automatically and repeatedly transport and integrate data into a third-party interface for visual display, analysis, and prosecution.

THIRD PARTY INTERFACE: Sensors must be integrated into a command and control framework using the third-party interface’s remote procedure call (RPC) standard. This framework is programming language agnostic and derived from open-source/well-known standards. Vendors will be expected to use a software development kit (SDK) provided by a third-party interface, which uses a gRPC framework to send protocol buffers to the third-party interface. Sensor participants will be expected to write a thin integration layer using the SDK for data ingestion, while taskable agents will conform to a command and control tasking API. Sensors will be expected to provide health/status reporting as part of data integration, example code for sensor integration will be provided if vendor is selected for Round 2.

This initiative aims to empower DoD warfighters to effectively detect, identify, and neutralize hostile UAS in their vicinity by integrating heterogeneous sensors into a common interface. If successful, this approach will enhance existing sensor systems and improve force protection by warning personnel to take shelter and extending the time for kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures.

Responses to this Commercial Solutions Opening are due July 15th, 2024, at 5:00 PM EDT. For more information, please visit Desert Sentry Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems – cUAS Defense Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) General Solicitation Demonstrations of Innovative Commercial Technologies

Post Image- 3D rendering of a Shahed drone flying above a Ukrainian landscape (Post Image Credit: Adobe Stock by Anelo)