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Radio Frequency over Fiber (RFoF) for the Next Generation Submarine Electronic Warfare (EW) System
Navy SBIR 2016.1 - Topic N161-034 NAVSEA - Mr. Dean Putnam - [email protected] Opens: January 11, 2016 - Closes: February 17, 2016 N161-034 TITLE: Radio Frequency over Fiber (RFoF) for the Next Generation Submarine Electronic Warfare (EW) System TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace, Electronics, Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: SIRFSUP, Scalable Integrated RF Systems for Undersea Platforms; PMS 435, Sub Electromagnetic Systems 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 section 5.4.c.(8) of the solicitation. 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: To develop a modular, low cost, high performance Radio Frequency over Fiber (RFoF) to be utilized by undersea platforms. DESCRIPTION: The benefits of Radio Frequency (RF) over Fiber (RFoF) is well documented (ref. 3) but the performance penalty has always been too great to seriously consider it for primary Electronic Warfare (EW)/Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) applications on submarines. To date, the noise figure, cost, and dynamic range issues have not been resolved. The benefits that RFoF would bring to submarine EW/SIGINT applications would be revolutionary. The current state of the art RFoF is unable to compete with traditional copper runs in cost, sensitivity, dynamic range, reliability, and manufacturability (ref. 3). However, there have been tremendous improvements (driven by the commercial communications sector) in size, weight, and power (SWaP) and in overall manufacturability and reliability. There have been significant improvements to the noise figure problem (in the past, RFoF traditionally had noise figures greater than 31 dB) set and significant improvements to the dynamic range problem (in the past, RFoF traditionally had dynamic range limitations on the order of less than 50 dB). Unfortunately, one benefit usually comes at the expense of the other (ref. 3). The submarine community is looking for new RFoF technologies that solve all the previously discussed problem sets to be utilized in the next generation of non-penetrating modular mast concepts for future submarine masts. By developing tethered modular antenna sections, undersea platforms will be able to more covertly accomplish their missions and allow an ability to communicate back while minimizing surface exposure time (ref. 1). For these tethered payloads to be realized, it is imperative that we solve the RFoF problem. The submarine force is looking for RFoF solutions that exhibit noise figures of less than 10 decibel (dB) across extremely broad band instantaneous bandwidths (greater than 20 Gigahertz (GHz) is the goal), with multi-tone spur free dynamic ranges in excess of 80 dB 4 GHz instantaneous bandwidths. The submarine community believes that if this can be achieved, tremendous benefits will be found in the overall situational awareness of the submarine platform through improved angular resolution will be found (on the order of greater than 6 degrees Root Mean Squared (RMS) improvement). Improved system RF performance (specifically system noise floor flatness, overall system loss improvements over great distances, and n-order spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) improvements greater than 20 dB) against mixed (low power with high power) signal environments(ref. 1 and 2) can be achieved. This will open doors to tethered RF antenna sets greatly improving the overall situational awareness of the submarine community (ref. 2). These capabilities will allow the unmanned platform to stay below the surface (allowing for more covert operations) but still allow for the offloading of critical data elements when required. In a submarine environment, this technology will significantly enhance the performance capabilities of the current and future submarine modular masts. In an ISR role, this allows the platform to stay deep (minimizing surface exposure) but still allows the platform to get the appropriate receive sensors to the surface. RFoF will greatly simplify the RF front ends we currently employ, reducing overall cost and improving system reliability. The submarine community is looking for solutions that will cover the RF frequency range of 10 kilohertz (KHz) to 50 GHz in modular extendable solutions. The Phase II and Phase III effort will require secure access, and NAVSEA will process the DD254 to support the contractor for personnel and facility certification for secure access. The Phase I effort will not require access to classified information. If need be, data of the same level of complexity as secured data will be provided to support Phase I work. PHASE I: The company will define and develop a concept for a modular, reconfigurable RFoF capability as stated in the description section above. The company will demonstrate the feasibility of the concept through modeling and analysis to show that the concept can potentially fit in a submarine antenna set. The Phase I Option, if awarded, should include an initial layout and capabilities description to build the prototype in Phase II. PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I effort and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), the company will develop a prototype to demonstrate the performance of a modular, reconfigurable RFoF capability that can fit in a Submarine antenna through employment of an actual submarine imaging mast or a realistic surrogate. A successful prototype will demonstrate the modularity and reconfigurable nature of the RFoF capability. Phase II will include development and delivery of a hardware prototype. The company will develop a clear, concise transition schedule or plan that will demonstrate how to transition from the prototype stage to the engineering development model for insertion into the SIRFSUP Program of Record (POR) acquisition office. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The company will be expected to support the Navy in transitioning the RFoF antenna system to Navy use in the Undersea Platforms. The company will finalize the design and fabricate a capable undersea platform payload module, in accordance with the Phase III SOW, to evaluate and determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environment. The company will support the Navy for test and validation, in accordance with AN/BLQ-10B (V) POR, to certify and qualify the system for Navy use and for transition into an operational environment. The option of digital EW receiver technology should prove useful in many applications. The more specific digital EW receiver has applicability to homeland defense, law enforcement, and private-security systems. REFERENCES: 1. Wiley, Richard G., ELINT: The Interception and Analysis of Radar Signals, London, U.K.: Artech House Press, 1993; http://www.artechhouse.com/uploads/public/documents/chapters/Wiley_925_CH04.pdf 2. Volakis, John (Editor), "Antenna Engineering Handbook, Fourth Edition," McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 2007 (Chapter 47, Kellog, Robert; Mack, Eldon; Crews, Cathy, Direction finding Antennas & Systems); http://accessengineeringlibrary.com/browse/antenna-engineering-handbook-fourth-edition 3. M. Kono, "Winding and packing of optical fiber for deployment from remotely controlled underwater vehicles", Proceedings of the Winter Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, November 1981. KEYWORDS: Fiber Optics; RF over Fiber (RFoF); spur free dynamic range; Electronic Warfare (EW); Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); submarine imaging masts TPOC-1: Steven Henry Phone: 401-832-7849 Email: [email protected] TPOC-2: Jeffrey Carvalho Phone: 401-832-3527 Email: [email protected] Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.
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