Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, ASA(ALT), Phase I

Pacific Open Topic

Release Date: 03/09/2023
Solicitation: 23.4
Open Date: 09/20/2023
Topic Number: A234-P010
Application Due Date: 10/11/2023
Duration: Up to 6 Months
Close Date: 10/11/2023
Amount Up To: $250,000

Selectees

Objective

During times of conflict, America is the “away team.” The U.S. often fights wars in areas thousands of miles from U.S. shores. This fact creates a “tyranny of distance,” meaning that distance lessens military strength and increases the cost of conflicts. Long distances can affect the U.S.’s strategy, tactics, and logistics. Even with unrivaled capabilities, the ability to collect and understand intelligence can decay over distance.

Long distances also heavily impact supply chains. As the distance increases, the time to provide supplies rises. This challenge enables rivals to contest supply routes. Even when supplies safely arrive, upkeep and maintenance remain a concern. These are just a few of the impacts distance has on the effectiveness of our military overseas.

The U.S. Army seeks to enable technologies that could help overcome the “tyranny of distance,” including (but not limited to) the following technology domains:

  • Communications: To ensure secured communication in degraded environments over extraordinary distances.
  • Information Advantage: To increase real-time situational awareness through information operations and a common intelligence picture.
  • Internet of Things (IoT) and Sensing: To increase force-control and introduce autonomous capabilities in Theater.
  • Logistics and Supply Chains: To ensure the rapid resupply of materials and aid.
  • Sustainment and Climate: To limit the need for resupply across geographically dispersed troops.

Description

This topic is open for all interested U.S.-based small businesses to submit a Phase I or Direct to Phase II proposal. The U.S. Army would like to invite interested entities to participate in the Pacific Open Topic and submit for a Phase I or Direct to Phase II SBIR award.

Eligible participants can submit novel technology solutions addressing the tyranny of distance challenges directly to the Army via the Pacific Open Topic. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)-Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific (USAPAC), and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) in partnership with the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) (ASA(ALT)), recognizes that the Army must enhance engagements with eligible small businesses by:

  • Understanding the commercial market’s spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies that could benefit the Army.
  • Integrating the sector of commercial innovators into the Army’s Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem.
  • Providing mentorship and expertise to accelerate, mature and transition technologies of interest to the Army.

Phase I

Companies will complete a feasibility study demonstrating the firm’s competitive technical advantage relative to other commercial products (if other products exist) and develop concept plans for how the company’s technology addresses Army modernization priority areas.

Studies should clearly detail and identify a firm’s technology at both the individual component and system levels, provide supporting literature for technical feasibility, highlight existing performance data, showcase the technology’s application opportunities to a broad base of customers outside the defense space, a market strategy for the commercial space, how the technology directly addresses the Army’s modernization area as well as include a technology development roadmap to demonstrate scientific and engineering viability.

At the end of Phase I, the Army will require the company to provide a concept demonstration of their technology to demonstrate a high probability that continued design and development will result in a Phase II mature product.

Phase II

Produce prototype solutions that Soldiers can easily operate. Firms will provide these products to select Army units for further evaluation by the Soldiers. In addition, companies will offer technology transition and commercialization plans for the Department of Defense and commercial markets.

Phase III

Complete the maturation of the company’s technology developed in Phase II to TRL 6/7 and produce prototypes to support further development and commercialization. The Army will evaluate each product in a realistic field environment and provide small solutions to stakeholders for evaluation. Based on Soldier field assessments, companies will update the previously delivered prototypes to meet the final design configuration.

Submission information

For more information, and to submit your full proposal package, visit the DSIP Portal.

Applied SBIR Help Desk: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.army-applied-sbir-program@army.mil

xTechPacific Topic

References:

Selectees

Objective

During times of conflict, America is the “away team.” The U.S. often fights wars in areas thousands of miles from U.S. shores. This fact creates a “tyranny of distance,” meaning that distance lessens military strength and increases the cost of conflicts. Long distances can affect the U.S.’s strategy, tactics, and logistics. Even with unrivaled capabilities, the ability to collect and understand intelligence can decay over distance.

Long distances also heavily impact supply chains. As the distance increases, the time to provide supplies rises. This challenge enables rivals to contest supply routes. Even when supplies safely arrive, upkeep and maintenance remain a concern. These are just a few of the impacts distance has on the effectiveness of our military overseas.

The U.S. Army seeks to enable technologies that could help overcome the “tyranny of distance,” including (but not limited to) the following technology domains:

  • Communications: To ensure secured communication in degraded environments over extraordinary distances.
  • Information Advantage: To increase real-time situational awareness through information operations and a common intelligence picture.
  • Internet of Things (IoT) and Sensing: To increase force-control and introduce autonomous capabilities in Theater.
  • Logistics and Supply Chains: To ensure the rapid resupply of materials and aid.
  • Sustainment and Climate: To limit the need for resupply across geographically dispersed troops.

Description

This topic is open for all interested U.S.-based small businesses to submit a Phase I or Direct to Phase II proposal. The U.S. Army would like to invite interested entities to participate in the Pacific Open Topic and submit for a Phase I or Direct to Phase II SBIR award.

Eligible participants can submit novel technology solutions addressing the tyranny of distance challenges directly to the Army via the Pacific Open Topic. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)-Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific (USAPAC), and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) in partnership with the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) (ASA(ALT)), recognizes that the Army must enhance engagements with eligible small businesses by:

  • Understanding the commercial market’s spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies that could benefit the Army.
  • Integrating the sector of commercial innovators into the Army’s Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem.
  • Providing mentorship and expertise to accelerate, mature and transition technologies of interest to the Army.

Phase I

Companies will complete a feasibility study demonstrating the firm’s competitive technical advantage relative to other commercial products (if other products exist) and develop concept plans for how the company’s technology addresses Army modernization priority areas.

Studies should clearly detail and identify a firm’s technology at both the individual component and system levels, provide supporting literature for technical feasibility, highlight existing performance data, showcase the technology’s application opportunities to a broad base of customers outside the defense space, a market strategy for the commercial space, how the technology directly addresses the Army’s modernization area as well as include a technology development roadmap to demonstrate scientific and engineering viability.

At the end of Phase I, the Army will require the company to provide a concept demonstration of their technology to demonstrate a high probability that continued design and development will result in a Phase II mature product.

Phase II

Produce prototype solutions that Soldiers can easily operate. Firms will provide these products to select Army units for further evaluation by the Soldiers. In addition, companies will offer technology transition and commercialization plans for the Department of Defense and commercial markets.

Phase III

Complete the maturation of the company’s technology developed in Phase II to TRL 6/7 and produce prototypes to support further development and commercialization. The Army will evaluate each product in a realistic field environment and provide small solutions to stakeholders for evaluation. Based on Soldier field assessments, companies will update the previously delivered prototypes to meet the final design configuration.

Submission information

For more information, and to submit your full proposal package, visit the DSIP Portal.

Applied SBIR Help Desk: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.army-applied-sbir-program@army.mil

References:

xTechPacific Topic

Pacific Open Topic

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