MatrixSpace has been awarded a $1.25M Direct-to-Phase II SBIR by AFWERX to develop a prototype low SWaP-C multi-function, multi-band antenna payload, leveraging the MatrixSpace Radar hardware platform.
This project, created to meet the needs of the Replicator initiative and tackle critical challenges within the Department of the Air Force (DAF), aims to develop and test low SWaP payloads for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) based on existing MatrixSpace technology. The project will run for 21 months, commencing immediately.
MatrixSpace Radar, designed and developed in the USA, provides robust situational awareness of airborne and ground-based objects in all lighting and weather conditions. This enhances drone detection and Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) capabilities, enables Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight for uncrewed, autonomous, and tethered aircraft, and ensures comprehensive airspace awareness and security.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have collaborated to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process, speeding up the timeline from proposal to award, expanding opportunities for small businesses, and reducing bureaucratic overhead through ongoing process improvements in contract execution.
Matthew Kling, MatrixSpace VP of Intelligent Systems, said, “We’re honored to provide innovative military capabilities using our core MatrixSpace technology to strengthen the national defense of the United States. Through this award, we have been given a significant opportunity to progress large-scale, all-domain attritable autonomous (ADA2) systems envisioned under the Replicator initiative. MatrixSpace will help address critical requirements for future military systems by providing multi-function, multi-band, agnostic capabilities on-board autonomous vehicles, enabling our warfighters to rapidly adapt to any mission.”
The DAF launched the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 to broaden the range of innovations funded by the DAF.
Post Image Credit- MatrixSpace
