N252-099 TITLE: Indirect Laser Detection and Characterization Device
OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Directed Energy (DE);Integrated Sensing and Cyber;Microelectronics
The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.
OBJECTIVE: Design, develop, and demonstrate critical components and elements for a robust, compact, self-powered (rechargeable batteries), advanced optical sensing system for the detection, classification, and tracking of the HEL in a cluttered environment to provide early cueing of self-defense systems in either a man worn, deployed on a vehicle with tiered fixed/mobile networking, and utilizing both unmanned and manned platform concepts. Due to the rapidly escalating threat that high energy lasers present to Armed Forces of the United States, it is desirable to have reliable early warning system for "tip off" alert to lasers being used for sensing or damaging personnel or platforms. This SBIR topic seeks to augment personnel, either a stationary or mobile, or in a tiered capability with a unique optical sensor capable of sensing, warning, identifying, and potentially enabling the automatic use of countermeasures to address threats. The capability also may offer measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) when mounted on remotely operated or autonomous vehicles.
DESCRIPTION: Due to the rapidly escalating threat that HELs present to the Armed Forces of the United States, it is desirable to have a reliable early warning system for "tip off" alert to lasers being used for sensing or damaging personnel or platforms. This SBIR topic seeks to augment personnel, either stationary or mobile, or in a tiered capability with a unique optical sensor capable of sensing, warning, identifying, and potentially enabling the automatic use of countermeasures to address threats. The capability also may offer measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) when mounted on remotely operated or autonomous vehicles. Dual sensing sensors, both in visible & near infrared (VIS/NIR), and Short-wave infrared (SWIR) are near term potentials that should be realized, however additional sensing capabilities in the mid-wave and long wave infrared (MWIR/LWIR) wavelengths are also of high interest areas for potential innovation, but believed to be beyond threshold requirements for a man-wearable or man portable system and near-term solution for the initial architecture.
HEL weapons represent a new and disruptive threat to Armed Forces worldwide. The operational attributes of this class of weapon present a unique detection and defense problem. There is a need for advanced sensing to support initial detection ("tipoff"), as well as triggering defensive protective action as well as enabling defensive counter-targeting or countermeasures that inhibit laser weapon effectiveness. A unique attribute of laser weapons is the ability to be silent and potentially invisible to the human eye, resulting in an ability to counter forces from many potential directions, vastly complicating entry or mission capabilities. The potential damage to sensing technologies are problems that increase the potential for mission failure. To be useful, a cost-effective, low false-alarm rate, distributed, early-warning sensing architecture that utilizes "off axis" sensing through coherent light atmospheric scattering of visible, near infrared, short wave infrared, mid-wave infrared, and long-wave infrared is required to provide "tipoff" to alert Armed Forces of and characterize (targeting, sensing, damaging, or lethal) incoming laser threats.
The attributes of such an architecture include, but are not limited to:
Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and ONR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
PHASE I: Define sensor requirements in terms of power, volume, weight, noise limitations, motion limitations, and so forth. Identify specific configuration(s) to be included, and develop the strategy and design of integration and scale of the device and attachments. Define a prototype design, operation within a system construct to include the requirements of low detectability, software, and communications to allow the integration of a cooperative, networked sensor array, in either wired or wireless networks. Reach a demonstratable benchtop device with a prototype design and manufacture plan to be implemented under Phase II.
PHASE II: Develop a prototype device that can perceive, identify, and characterize a laser in an off-axis sensing and perform data collection. Further develop a prototype and demonstrate the prototype or unmanned platform. Perform ground- or sea-based trials data collection of individual vehicles in terms of feature identification performance, operational agility, and accuracy. Perform limited field and/or sea trial to collect test data analysis when mounted on ground-based or airborne platforms.
It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see Description section for details).
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Complete final testing and perform necessary integration and transition for use in counter-laser surveillance and monitoring operations with appropriate current platforms and agencies and future combat systems under development.
Commercially, this product could be used to enable remote laboratory safety systems, and enable satellite monitoring or laser-based communications.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: laser, detection electro-optic; surveillance; classification; remote sensing; Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; AI/ML
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoD 25.2 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoD Topic website at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/solicitation-documents/active-solicitations for any updates. The DoD issued its Navy 25.2 SBIR Topics pre-release on April 2, 2025 which opens to receive proposals on April 23, 2025, and closes May 21, 2025 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (April 2, 2025, through April 22, 2025) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. The TPOC contact information is listed in each topic description. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on April 23, 2025 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. DoD On-line Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until May 7, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through the DoD On-line Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login/ by logging in and following instructions. In the Topic Q&A system, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing. DoD Topics Search Tool: Visit the DoD Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoD Components participating in this BAA.
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| 5/5/25 | Q. | 1. in the description, k (1), swir sensor format is 256x512 pixels, isnt it mistake? if correct, then is it allowed to use standard formats (i.e. 1024x1024 for swir or it must be 1:2 radio?
2. for sensor formats specified, does that mean that the requirement is to have certain IFOV (1024x124 pixel for 120x110 degrees)? 3. do we need to locate the laser source? 4. do we need to estimate beam propagation direction? |
| A. | 1. These are minimal pixel count requirements.
2. Correct 1024x1024 pixel would cover 120x110 degrees. 3. Yes, the sensor must provide an elevation and azimuth of the laser. For man-wearable device, warning is the priority with location in the general direction. For stationary platform (tripod or fixed-site) and vehicle device, then precise elevation and azimuth location of the laser is a requirement. Range to the laser within 20 meters is highly desirable. 4. Yes. |
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| 4/29/25 | Q. | Is the 1660nm detection wavelength specification correct (e.g. should it read 1550m)?
What are the beam size, pulse energy and repetition rates that must be detectable? |
| A. | The potential for laser testing exists at 1550 and 1660, looking at various SWIR sources, including laser diodes or fibers made from materials like Erbium YAG.
Please consider the offering as a suggestive starting point for the technical discussion. However, a potential sensor offered in response to this topic that detected only 1550nm and not 1660nm - would likely be considered less useful and therefore not score as high against that metric given. Please state what your offered innovative detection methods are capable of. For example, detection capabilities that are at least of a laser beam size of approximately 1 cm, with a PRF range = CW to 10 Hz, P (ave) = 300 mW – are a resulting set of metrics that will probably be seen as attractive by the reviewers. However, that will be gauged against all the other metrics as well, as a total package and set of capabilities. |
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| 4/21/25 | Q. | "Sensing range of 50 meters off-axis (perpendicular) with detection and classification from either a blue, green or red (405, 532 or 880nm) or a NIR/SWIR (1064 or 1660nm) - 50 milliwatt high energy laser source in a clear, unobstructed viewing path with quiescent, non-turbulent atmospheric conditions". Does it mean that the sensor will be able to detect a 50-mW laser beam at a distance of 50 m? Does it need to detect the position of the laser beam? |
| A. | Does it mean that the sensor will be able to detect a 50-mW laser beam at a distance of 50 m?
Yes. Does it need to detect the position of the laser beam? Yes. |
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| 4/18/25 | Q. | 1) What bandwidth around a requested wavelength must the system be sensitive to?
2) Is the intent to detect the reflection of a laser from a surface within a 50m radius of the detector or within 50m lateral separation from the laser path regardless of distance from scattering location to detector? |
| A. | A.1) The SBIR description stated: “Dual sensing sensors, both in visible & near infrared (VIS/NIR), and Short-wave infrared (SWIR) are near term potentials that should be realized, however additional sensing capabilities in the mid-wave and long wave infrared (MWIR/LWIR) wavelengths are also of high interest areas for potential innovation, but believed to be beyond threshold requirements for a man-wearable or man portable system and near-term solution for the initial architecture.” The other desired metrics aimed at maximizing probability of detection (Pd) while minimizing the false alarm rates - are therefore listed in the attributes. Note that some lasers can shift their wavelength; therefore, the spectral bandwidth must be sufficient (or be appropriately tuned) to detect and classify the laser light (see attribute a). The responder therefore should provide a credible explanation with well-specified assumptions and subsequent analysis on the appropriate spectral bandwidth that can be expected to provide a high probability of detection against all the of the attributes listed (a-k).
A.2) The topic’s intent as written (“Sensing range of 50 meters off-axis (perpendicular) with detection and classification…”) was “lateral separation.” Within 50 m lateral (perpendicular) separation from the laser path regardless of distance from scattering location to detector. In the worst case, the HEL is pointed above horizon, so there is no hard scattering location and if below horizon, the scattering location may be > 10 km behind the warfighter or vehicle – but the closest distance the laser photons would travel (un-scattered and un-reflected) would be 50 meters. Again - the intention is to be able to indirectly sense the laser light passage, without direct illumination on the sensor by the laser’s emitted photons, thus enabling a “tip off” early indication to the warfighter before the HEL beam has been fully aligned to them for direct illumination (or by the illumination of a nearby object.) |