ARETE ASSOCIATES — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A19-131
ARETE ASSOCIATES — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.
- Amount
- $111,484
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Army
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- A19-131
- Solicitation
- 19.2
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- 2019-10-30 → 2020-09-18
Description
Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) presents difficult challenges because of the very large threat envelope that systems must be address. Areté proposes to demonstrate and extend a TRL 5, passive (zero emission) sensor capable of detecting and tracking many SHORAD. Areté designed the sensor to be compact, lightweight, rugged, and low cost yet provide a wide field of regard and significant threat-approach warning times. Single sensor operation provides weapons cueing while the use of multiple sensors with overlapping fields of regard provides a targeting solution. Areté’s Phase I plan demonstrates the sensor against swarms of sUAS and drones of various sizes flown in smaller numbers. In addition, sensor enhancements proposed for study in Phase I and incorporation in Phase II will extend operational capabilities to perform identification and nighttime operation. The high TRL of Areté’s platform significantly reduces program risk while proving the feasibility of a low emission signature sensor to meet SHORAD mission challenges.