Navy to ask industry for enabling technologies in electromagnetic warfare and laser weapons for ship defense
WASHINGTON – U.S. Navy researchers will ask industry next month to develop enabling technologies in electromagnetic warfare, laser weapons, and electro-optical sensors to defend Navy ships from enemy high-power microwaves, lasers, missiles, and unmanned aircraft.
Officials of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington issued a presolicitation (N0017324RGA01) on Friday for the High Power Electromagnetic Systems Development, Application, and Test project for research in high power electromagnetic and countermeasure technology.
The project seeks to develop prototypes that could lead to production systems for eventual fleet operations in shipboard electronic warfare (EW) systems that involve a broad electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from radio frequency (RF), millimeter waves, infrared technologies.
Researchers specifically are interested in enabling technologies for future directed-energy microwave and laser weapons, as well as electrostatic discharge (ESD) systems for countering swarming small terrorist boats, piracy, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Other potential applications are boat- stopping technologies, sensor blinding, and damage effects.
This ship defense project also involves protecting electronic devices, naval systems, and civilian infrastructure from enemy electromagnetic warfare weapons.
Research will include ultra short pulse (USP) and high energy (HE) laser technologies; as well as RF, millimeter wave, and electro-optical and infrared countermeasures against enemy missiles, improvised explosive devices, UAVs, and swarming small boats.
The contractor shall design high-power microwave systems to counter enemy electronic sensors, detect and defeat UAVs, analyze threats from anti-ship cruise missiles, and evaluate the vulnerabilities of jam-resistant navigation systems.
A formal solicitation for this ship defense project is expected in February 2024. The incumbent contractor is Envisioneering Inc. in Alexandria, Va. Email questions or concerns to the Navy's Brent Robinson at [email protected] or Rick Savelli at [email protected].
More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/0f63c9bdf76c4091b6477f940e48e5c3/view, or by contacting Envisioneering Inc. online at www.envisioneeringinc.com.
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.
