Military eyes cold-weather technologies to enhance military operations at 60 below zero

FALLS CHURCH, Va., 11 Sept. 2015. U.S. military researchers are reaching out to industry to find innovative cold-weather technologies that could enhance military operations in the Arctic region.

Officials of the Rapid Reaction Technology Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Falls Church, Va., issued a request for information this week (RRTO-2015-09-09-RFI-SPIRAL-16-2) for the Multi-Service Demonstration for Arctic Challenges project.

This initiative, which is part of the Thunderstorm Spiral 16-2, seeks to find technology-demonstration candidates from private industry, government research and development (R&D) organizations, and academia to demonstrate military technologies for Arctic operations.

Thunderstorm is a series of technology demonstrations sponsored by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Emerging Capability & Prototyping, Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO). This project focuses on systems that address military challenges in the Arctic region. Technology demonstrations will be 1 to 12 Feb 2016 at Fort Wainwright and at other facilities in and around Fairbanks, Alaska.

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For these Arctic technology demonstrations, researchers particularly are interested in technologies for:

-- persistent command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR) for domain awareness and information sharing in the Arctic region;

-- low-acoustic, -thermal, and -visual-signature small-unit mobility platforms for prolonged operations in Arctic conditions that involve temperatures as cold as -60 degrees Fahrenheit with a minimum of maintenance and logistics support;

-- Technologies to enhance visit, boarding, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations in Arctic waters;

-- mobile power and energy supplies for prolonged operations in temperatures as cold as -60 F with a minimum of maintenance and logistics support;

-- surface and airborne navigation in the Arctic region; and

-- sensors that provide surface penetration and Arctic mapping.

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Companies interested should email 5-page proposals no later than 2 Nov. 2015 to [email protected].

For questions or concerns contact the RRTO Thunderstorm office by phone at 814-865-6058, or by email at [email protected]. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=361d38d69c27bf009c0eb9235415e2a2&tab=core&_cview=0.