Army asks industry for navigation warfare waveforms in counter-PNT technology to disrupt enemy operations
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – U.S. Army electronic warfare (EW) experts are reaching out to industry for new ways to design electronic payloads that counter enemy positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT).
Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., issued a request for information (W56KGURTI-24-R-1001) on Friday for the Counter-PNT Navigation Warfare Defeat project.
Counter-PNT seeks to defeat enemy satellite navigation and timing systems, such as the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), which are essential for navigation, communications, weapons guidance, surveillance, transportation, and financial transactions.
Known counter-PNT approaches include electronic and RF jamming; electronic spoofing; signals intelligence (SIGINT); hardening existing PNT systems; and developing alternatives to satellite navigation, such as inertial, celestial, and terrain-based navigation.
Related: Air Force chooses radiation-hardened atomic clock from Frequency Electronics
Counter-PNT capabilities could help ensure that U.S. and allied forces can operate even if adversaries attempt to block access to satellite navigation signals.
This request for information (RFI) is for planning, and to identify capable technologies and enablers for future development in navigation warfare. The Army Contracting Command is issuing this RFI on behalf of the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The Army's goal to enable maneuver forces to carry out offensive navigation warfare by developing waveforms that limit the enemy’s ability to use PNT systems effectively.
Companies responding should describe their counter-PNT expertise, experience, and past projects; describe what their counter-PNT payload does and how it works; give examples of where the payload would be used; and the host systems on which the counter-PNT payload would be mounted.
Companies also should discuss how several different counter-PNT payloads could be used; list potential enemy targets; if and how machine autonomy would be used; how mature the technology is; and planned future enhancements.
Companies interested should email 15-page unclassified white papers and questions no later than 19 July 2024 to usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.rti- [email protected].
Send classified responses and questions via SIPRNET to usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.rti-industry-engagement@mail.smil.mil. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/049ada69c2344bb58e1fbd1e0dedadba/view.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
