DARPA wants new software architecture that integrates space command and control tools
ARLINGTON, Va., 21 June 2016. U.S. military researchers are asking industry to develop an enterprise software architecture test bed that can integrate several different tools and capabilities for spacecommand and control.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., issued a broad agency announcement on Friday (DARPA-BAA-16-40) for the Hallmark Software Testbed (Hallmark-ST) project.
This testbed must be flexible, scalable, secure, and able to support software tools and data sources that are classified at several different levels of security.
This project seeks to counter enemy efforts to exploit potential vulnerabilities and threaten U.S. freedom of action in space, DARPA officials say. To do this DARPA wants industry to develop a testbed for measuring, understanding, and integrating systems and capabilities to ensure stability, security, and operational dominance in space.
Related: Flexible & integrated unmanned command & control
While existing technology can provide elements of situational awareness, indications and warnings, command, control and communications, today there is no way to evaluate new technologies for space command and control.
The Hallmark-ST project seeks to develop a set of space command and control (C2) technologies that can spiral into the Joint Space Operations Center and the Joint Inter-Agency Combined Space Operations Center.
Hallmark-ST will have three phases using one or two contractors. The first phase, to last 18 months, will develop the initial enterprise software architecture, and integrated a set of existing, forthcoming, or selectively developed tools.
The second 15-month phase will integrated more tools, especially ones that address gaps in space enterprise C2 capabilities. The yearlong third phase will provide additional functionality and ready the software for deployment.
DARPA officials say they plan to spend as much as $16 million for the first phase, as much as $4 million for the second phase, and as much as and $1.5 million for the third phase.
The architecture needs to operate using several levels of data classification, from unclassified to top secret/special compartmented information/special access program with the possibility of evaluations and exercises operating at different security levels, and have scalable data to support hundreds of thousands of space objects.
Companies interested should submit proposals no later than 15 Aug. 2016 to the DARPA BAA Website at https://baa.darpa.mil. DARPA will sponsor a two-hour Webcast to outline the program at 1:30 p.m. eastern time. Email DARPA at [email protected] to join the Webcast.
Email other questions or concerns to DARPA [email protected]. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-BAA-16-40/listing.html.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
