Notice

Competition summary: Invisible shield: Countering IEDs by novel technology and techniques

Updated 15 June 2020

1. Background

Electronic countermeasures (ECM) provide a crucial capability for UK Military and Security users, protecting the lives of our service personnel, emergency services and the public using Radio Frequency (RF) techniques to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

An IED is an explosive device fabricated in an improvised manner, but with varying degrees of professionalism. An IED typically comprises of the following component types:

• a power source
• wires
• electronic circuitry
• an explosive initiator
• an explosives charge
• a trigger mechanism

The trigger mechanisms used to initiate the IED are often adapted from commercial products; examples could include modified radio-controlled toys or the use of communication networks. These radio links that use RF, and associated components, are considered the primary objective for this call. Other initiation methods could include command wires, timers and victim-operated mechanisms; if these initiation methods can be mitigated through the use of the RF techniques they will also be considered.

ECM systems need to counter an ever-growing range of electromagnetic technologies operating across the RF spectrum, using an ever growing and diverse range of signalling schemes.

Proposals need to be considerate of the cognitive, physical and, training burden that will be placed on the bearer (vehicle and service person) by any proposed solution.

This call is looking to generate novel technologies and techniques that can rapidly be developed to deliver life-saving protection against IEDs, while being adaptable to evolving technologies and able to operate in an increasingly congested electromagnetic spectrum.

2. The Competition

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is run on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). It aims to develop and demonstrate a number of novel technologies and techniques in the area of Counter-IED ECM. Solutions put forward must consider the fast paced and changing market in RF technologies and provide capabilities that can evolve and keep pace with our adversaries abilities to exploit these changes.

In Phase 1 we expect to fund short term, (no longer than 9 months), investigations into technologies and techniques that have not been exploited in the counter IED context before. We would expect to fund up to 10 of these projects in Phase 1 with a funding amount up to circa £150k per project.

In this phase, we are looking for delivery of proof of concept demonstrations, that show their feasibility for use in Defence (see 2.1 Challenges for more information).

In any future phases we will be looking to further develop the concepts to a higher level of maturity (up to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 or 6). Competitors who run successful projects in this first phase may be encouraged to work with other suppliers in future phases in order to integrate solutions into a testable system. Potential Phase 2 funding will not be confined to those who are successful in Phase 1 and new applicants will be eligible to apply or to collaborate. 

2.1 Challenges

We would like to focus on concepts from the following three key challenge areas.

Challenge 1 – To capture and analyse RF signals using novel spectrum survey techniques, which may include, but is not limited to:

• Signal analysis techniques and classification algorithms, which identify and distinguish between multiple technology standards and protocols, while being able to operate across a wide spectrum in real time.
• Generating methods or data analysis techniques to provide an understanding of the RF environment, which can be used to inform tactical decisions; for instance, the ability to identify abnormal changes in the environment.

Challenge 2 – To neutralise targets in a timely and effective manner, which may include but is not limited to:

• Novel techniques capable of countering devices that are agile across multiple frequency bands and radio access technologies
• Techniques to counter multiple diverse communications links with a variety of modulation schemes and signal types simultaneously across a wide spectrum (in the order of several GHz).

Challenge 3 – New or novel hardware and ancillaries (system components), which may include but is not limited to:

• Novel antenna concepts to improve performance and lower the RF and visual signature of the service person or vehicle with respect to the ECM system and its ancillaries.
• Advancements in hardware design such as tuneable filters, efficient ultra-wide band amplifier designs.
• Optimisations in size, weight, or power, or efficiency optimisations in wideband RF signal generation technologies (in the order of several GHz).
• Novel signal and data processing technologies and techniques, both software and hardware, that offer advancements in efficiency, parallelism or dynamic configurability.

2.2 Applications

Here are some examples of ECM use cases and scenarios:

• ECM that can be carried by service personnel on long patrols to deliver an immediate effect against unknown IEDs.
• ECM that can be attached to a vehicle in a static and/or moving scenario to deliver an immediate effect against unknown IEDs.
• ECM that can be used to provide protection at fixed location while delivering an immediate effect against an unknown IED.
• Globally deployable techniques and systems suitable for use in an urban, suburban and / or rural context with the associated variety of environmental conditions and spectrum conditions.

2.3 What we are not looking for:

• Consultancy and standalone literature reviews.
• Identical resubmission of a previous bid to DASA or MOD without modification.
• Off-the-shelf products with no additional innovation/adaptation to applications mentioned above.

3. Competition Key Information

The total funding is expected to be at least £3m, split over multiple phases.

The total funding for Phase 1 is expected to be at least £1.5m.

This DASA competition is currently planned to open in April 2020 when the full competition document will be released on the DASA website. Proposals must be submitted via the DASA submission service, for which you will need to register.

DASA will be holding a launch event for this competition on 29th April 2020, where there will be the opportunity:

• to hear a presentation on the Counter IED Programme and the competition;
• to network with other companies
• book a 1-to-1 session with members of the competition team, including Dstl and DASA.

You can register for this launch event on Eventbrite.