Firms from the U.K. and U.S. alike are being asked to develop solutions to detect and counter the threat posed by uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).
The Robotic Exclusion & Engagement Framework (REEF) is a new bilateral solicitation issued by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a U.S. Department of Defense organisation founded in 2015 to accelerate the military’s adoption of commercial technology.
The REEF problem statement reads: “Adversaries and non-state actors are increasingly utilizing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), including Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and semi-submersibles, posing a growing threat to United States Government (USG) critical infrastructure, waterways, ports, harbors, and expeditionary forces.
“Despite interest across the USG, across all Combatant Commands, and U.K. Ministry of Defence in countering these threats, current solutions are fragmented, expensive, and limited in number.”
The DIU is asking for “a suite of systems approach… leveraging commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors, edge processing, sensor fusion, software, and interdiction methods.”
It noted: “This system must cover the entire Detect-Track-Classify-Defeat kill chain and be robust and flexible enough to protect diverse environments requiring subsurface maritime protection.”
The DIU wants firms to come forward with open-source, modular solutions to part or all of the challenge that can work together and which provide “sufficient detection-to-response time for human in-the-loop decision-making.”
Elements required include detection, track estimation, classification, clutter reduction, sensing and deployment, and kinetic and non-kinetic measures to counter detected threats. The DIU noted: “The Government will consider both kinetic and non-kinetic defeat capabilities but preference will be given to non-kinetic solutions.”
Cited potential non-kinetic solutions included netting, bubble curtains, and synthetic barriers. The solicitation also covers data transmission, fusion and common operating picture capabilities.
Successful companies will be in line for funding via an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) award process. The deadline for submissions is just before midnight U.S. Eastern time at the start of April 4.
The DIU stated: “There will be several week long technical development sessions during the course of the project, and technologies will be expected to be ready to conduct in-water testing and able to integrate with other systems within 90 days of Other Transaction award.”
- You can read more details on the DIU website