Navy needs help in developing ship-defense electromagnetic weapons and anti-electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Navy researchers are asking for industry's help in developing electromagnetic weapons for use against anti-ship threats, small-boat terrorists, military swarm attacks, high-seas pirates, and aircraft.
Officials of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington issued a solicitation last week (N0017324RGA01) for the High Power Electromagnetic Systems Development, Application, and Test project.
NRL needs contractor support for designing prototype electromagnetic weapons systems and to evaluate RF and millimeter wave effects and technologies. Of primary interest are ship-defense directed-energy technologies like high power radio frequency (HPRF), high energy and high power lasers, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) systems.
Related: The new era of high-power electromagnetic weapons
Needed are large- and small-vessel stopping technologies and sensor-blinding and damage effects; protection for electronic devices in naval and civilian infrastructure; and defenses against high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons.
Efforts involve countermeasures in the RF, millimeter wave, electro-optic, and infrared bands that address missile threats, hidden explosives, UAVs, and small boat swarm attacks.
The contractor chosen will provide research, systems engineering, test and evaluation, and contractor management for projects in high-power microwaves to counter electronic sensors; UAV detection and defeat; anti-ship cruise missiles threat analysis and evaluating the use of electromagnet weapons against those threats.
The contractor will provide research personnel in directed-energy development and test; electronic attack; high-power microwaves; directed-energy sources; high-power microwaves; directed energy; and ultra-short-pulse lasers.
Companies interested should email proposals no later than 17 March 2024 to the NRL's Brent Robinson at [email protected] and Rick Savelli at [email protected].
Email questions or concerns to Brent Robinson at [email protected] and Rick Savelli at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/69018c95b14f4ce3a01c4f56ea260fa6/view.
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.
