The Hatch Report (Issue #14)

This week's issue features 13 DoD RFPs/RFIs and 13 industry updates.

Dec 22, 2024

1) Defense Innovation OnRamp Grant Opportunity

DIU grant opportunity with a $40M award ceiling aims to establish a “unified” Defense Innovation OnRamp. Recipient(s) will design, develop, and manage a network of physical and digital offices, hubs, and other collaborative partnerships and projects designed to lower the barriers for entry for commercial and dual-use technology into the DoD. 21 Jan application deadline

2) PEO C3BM RFI for ABMS Integrated Digital Environment (IDE)

The ABMS program office is developing an IDE to:

Enhance workflows for existing and future programs.
Improve data access and collaboration across PEO C3BM.
Align with the DoD Digital Engineering Framework.

The contractor may also provide analysis, maintenance, and technical support as needed.

Responses are due by 16 Jan.

3) SDA Industry Day for the Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated LEO (HALO) Program

When: Feb 10-11, Lexington, MA.
Registration Deadline: 22 Jan.

SDA plans to issue a Prototype Order (PO) for the Europa program, a two-space vehicle demo under the T2DES initiative. The goal is to advance RF communication technology for potential integration into Transport Layer Tranche 3 acquisitions.

Eligibility: Only SDA HALO prime contractors can serve as primes, but SDA encourages industry teaming.
Focus Areas: Mission payload, payload systems engineering, RF signal processing, antenna array design.
Opportunity: Qualified vendors invited to present capabilities during industry day.

4) SWMAC Seeking Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) systems

Actively seeking ATR systems with real-time, all-source intelligence fusion and advanced pattern analysis capabilities. Desired attributes include:

Innovations in machine learning algorithms capable of cross-referencing data from diverse intelligence sources.
Systems that adapt to new information while minimizing the risk of misidentification.
Resilience against adversarial tactics such as electronic jamming or decoy deployment.
Ability to identify a variety of ground assets. • A Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 or higher is requested.

Responses are due by 17 Jan.

5) DRPA SSN for Anticipatory and Adaptive Anti-Money Laundering (A3ML)

The A3ML program seeks to develop algorithms capable of:

Identifying suspicious patterns in financial transaction graphs.
Learning new patterns to anticipate future illicit activities.
Representing patterns in a concise, machine-readable format understandable to human analysts.

Key focus: Algorithms must accurately model illicit financial behavior while preserving sensitive data.

Responses deu by 17 Jan.

6) USAF RFI for Mobile Command and Control Systems (MC2S)

Seeks information from companies capable of designing, integrating, producing, and sustaining mobile C2 systems-of-systems.

Focus Areas:

Mission-specific capabilities: System-of-systems engineering, EMP hardening, mobile power, HVAC, water purification, secure communications, satellite/radio systems.
Sustainment: Maintenance, training, documentation development.
Facility/security requirements: Cleared facilities, secure communications, GOCO facility management experience.

Responses are due by 17 Jan.

7) Air Force Test Center CSO for Finding Agile Solutions for Test (FAST)

Objective: Provide a mechanism for government-industry partnerships to develop innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s test mission.

Scope: This CSO may lead to R&D contracts/agreements across all phases, from basic research to operational systems development.

8) PEO Digital RFI Seeks End-User Remote Access Solutions (EU RAS)

PfM NeS seeks secure commercial solutions to provide remote access to the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN). This follows the removal of a previous VPN-based system due to vulnerabilities.

Desired capabilities include:

Expansion into Secure Service Edge (SSE).
Compatibility with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

Responses Due by Jan 8.

9) DLA Solicitation for Reverse Auction Pricing Tool (RAPT)

The Reverse Auction system allows Government contractors to bid against each other in real-time online auctions, which results in lower prices for the Government.

The Reverse Auction Tool is used as a pricing tool by contracting personnel after a proposal has been submitted to establish the final offered price from contractors.

Responses are due by Jan 20.

10) DARPA Special Notice for Intrinsically Tough and Affordable Ceramics Today (INTACT)

Aims to develop monolithic ceramic materials with metal-like fracture toughness, enabling their use in critical structures such as airframes, turbine disks, vehicle chassis, and submarine hulls.

Ceramics offer exceptional properties—10x the strength, 2x the stiffness, half the density of metals—and can operate at higher temperatures and in corrosive environments. However, their low fracture toughness has limited their structural applications.

Focus: Atomistic-scale toughening mechanisms to produce ceramics with ductile properties, surpassing the performance of advanced metallic alloys, rather than relying on fiber reinforcement used in ceramic matrix composites.

Responses are due by Feb 28.

11) DARPA Solicitation for Higher-Order Composite Resonators for Extra Resilience (HORCREX)

HORCREX aims to advance the development of high-performance inertial sensors by addressing the challenges of achieving excellent sensitivity and resilience to shock and vibration in a single sensing-proof mass.

Responses are due by Feb 14.

12) DISA SSN Enterprise Account Tracking and Automation Tool (ATAT) and Acquisition Package Preparation System (DAPPS) Solution

DISA seeks a solution to sustain and enhance ATAT and DAPPS, critical tools supporting Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (JWCC) acquisition and reporting.

Requirements:

Provide tier 1-3 helpdesk support.
Integrate stakeholder feedback to meet evolving needs.
Enhance user experience.

Capabilities:

ATAT: Manages oversight, security, and billing for cloud services.
DAPPS: Streamlines integrated acquisition package preparation.

Objective: Together, these tools improve efficiency for JWCC stakeholders.

Responses are due by Jan 15.

13) USAF RFI for Total Integration Mobilization Execution System (TIMES)

The TIMES program seeks to deliver a single, integrated system linking Air Reserve Component Airmen with deployment and mobilization authorities.

Key Capabilities:

Streamline rapid, accurate information flow from requirement identification to order processing.
Ensure pay and benefits activation in an auditable manner.

Responses Due are due by 6 Jan.

Industry Activity

14) RCCTO to Award BAE Sole-Source Prototype OTAs for MDAC and HVP

MDAC Objective: Defend fixed/semi-fixed forces against diverse threats, including UAS, fixed/rotary-wing aircraft, and cruise missiles. Timeline: Deliver fill MDAC Battery by Q4 2027 with an operational demonstration in FY28.

Key Points:

Market research (July–October 2024) identified BAE as the only source capable of meeting development and delivery timelines.
Competitive procurement is deemed impractical for mission requirements.
Vendors with new, previously unsubmitted information demonstrating their ability to meet MDAC or HVP requirements may submit by 4 Jan for consideration.
Potential subcontracting opportunities with BAE are noted.

THR’s Take/Thoughts:

Gun-based air defense systems, like MDAC, are gaining traction amid concerns over the cost and magazine depth of missile-based systems.
RCCTO’s MDAC effort appears similar to AFRL’s Gladiator concept.
The Army’s XM-30/OMFV program, with its 50mm cannon and airburst munitions, could provide a credible M-SHORAD capability.
Technologies from DARPA's MAD-FIRES program may be leveraged to enhance stowed kills and Pk (probability of kill).
Due to XM-30's SWaP limitations, this may require offloading/integrating radar/sensor systems onto co-located platforms like JLTVs or RCVs.

15) Northrop Grumman wins $4.3M (TCV) DARPA Contract for Perceptually Enabled Task Guidance (PTG)

PTG aims to enable specialists like mechanics and medics to perform tasks beyond their current skill levels through real-time AI-driven feedback. Key capabilities include:

Perceiving the environment, reasoning about tasks, and modeling the user in real-time.
Leveraging commercially available sensors to capture what the user sees and hears.
Delivering contextual guidance through augmented reality (AR) interfaces.

THR’s Take:

Prolonged conflicts may deplete experienced forces, requiring reliance on less-trained personnel. PTG’s potential to bridge skill gaps is significant, but its success on the battlefield will depend on advancements in edge computing for degraded environments.

16) SOCOM to Sole Sorce Marathon Targets for Advanced Sniper Training

The J&A highlights several impressive desired capabilities, including:

Autonomous navigation over challenging terrain without operator input, with collision avoidance during combat scenario simulations.
Functionality in GPS-denied areas and diverse light conditions.
Semi-autonomous AI for dynamic responses and detailed trainee feedback.
Multi-zone hit detection to register lethal hits, grazing wounds, and near-misses.
Simulation of thermal signatures and muzzle flash, making them indistinguishable from human targets in thermal imaging.
Ability to rapidly reposition and present varied target zones to enhance realism.
Ease of deployment, requiring no pre-installed infrastructure.

17) Viasat Selected by DIU to Deliver Resilient Network Orchestration Software for Replicator Autonomous Systems

Under the DIU Opportunistic, Resilient & Innovative Expeditionary Network Topology (ORIENT) project award, Viasat will provide a Multi-Domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) architecture with software-defined networking as the network component. This architecture will enable the seamless and resilient connectivity of autonomous systems using multi-transport pathways.

Specifically, MUSIC is an optimized configuration of Viasat's NetAgility software-defined networking (SDN) capability that is designed to respond to uncrewed swarm communications operational needs by enabling secure, seamless transport and network orchestration to optimize connectivity for the mission. The MUSIC mesh network overlay also enables secure information sharing and C2 among disparate autonomous systems.

For the past 18 months, Viasat has worked to mature the MUSIC solution in alignment with OUSD R&E as part of its Technology Readiness and Experimentation (T-REX) effort. This past October, Viasat's team worked with OUSD R&E to demonstrate MUSIC's application in connecting autonomous maritime systems during the Autonomous Warrior 24 exercise, which took place in Australia and supported the AUKUS partnership.

18) PureTech Systems Unveils Rapid Deploy Autonomous Perimeter Surveillance System (RDAPSS) with Counter-Drone Capabilities

The all-in-one self-powered system features PureTech's patented AI-boosted video analytics, which allows for nearly 100% autonomous detection of humans, drones, animals, and vehicles, with a near-zero nuisance alarm rate. The RDAPSS adapts to diverse mission profiles, including critical infrastructure protection, border control, special events, and temporary facility monitoring.

19) XTEND Defense Wins $8.8M DoD Contract for Tactical Drones

The company will deliver its Scorpio Precision Strike Indoor and Outdoor (PSIO) sUAS to the DoD’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) after two years of joint development.

Scorpio, the first DoD/NDAA-approved loitering munition for indoor and outdoor use, has proven effective in global conflicts and is widely deployed by the IDF. XTEND manufactures its drones in Florida and North Carolina, with deliveries starting in Q1 2025.

For context, IWTSD develops capabilities for DoD and Interagency customers to conduct Irregular Warfare against adversaries, including Great Power competitors and non-state actors. They’re an interesting group worth exploring for defense innovation insights.

20) CoVar Awarded DARPA Contract to Define Ethical Standards for Future Autonomous Systems

The goal of the Autonomy Standards and Ideals with Military Operational Values (ASIMOV) program is to establish a framework that quantitatively measures the ethical readiness of autonomous systems. CoVar will be responsible for developing an ethical testing infrastructure for autonomous systems called GEARS or Gauging Ethical Autonomous Reliable Systems.

21) K2 Space Awarded $60M STRATFI Contract for Groundbreaking Proliferated MEO Mission

The February 2026 mission will demonstrate the ability of the Mega Class satellite bus to proliferate across all orbits, focusing on LEO and MEO.

K2 Space manufactures 75% of its satellite components in-house, including reaction wheels, flight computers, and solar arrays. The company is also developing a 20kW electric propulsion system—four times more powerful than any currently flown—enabling rapid orbit-raising and maneuvering for MEO, GEO, and Cislunar constellations.

22) BlueHalo Selected by NGA to Provide Analytic Assessments for Commercially Acquired GEOINT Data

BlueHalo is one of 10 vendors selected for the five-year, $290M “Luno A” IDIQ, a follow-on to the Economic Indicator Monitoring contract.

Under Luno A, vendors will acquire and analyze commercial geospatial imagery and data from the marketplace, enabling the NGA to access a broader range of unclassified GEOINT sources beyond those procured by the U.S. Government. This data will support monitoring infrastructure on global and regional scales, surveying specific activities and facilities, detecting changes in city infrastructure, and providing regular updates on equipment and objects at installations.

23) Forge Institute Launches Arkansas-Based Phoenix Xcelerator to Scale Growth of Defense Tech Startups

Funding & Background: Partially funded by a grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). Arkansas hosts 178+ aerospace and defense companies employing over 10,900 people.

Program Overview: A 12-week intensive program focused on:

Business Development: Validation, go-to-market strategies, and creating MVPs or prototypes.
Funding Opportunities: Guidance on non-dilutive funding (e.g., SBIR/STTR) and grant programs.
Capital Access: Connections to networks for sustained growth.

Support for Established Companies: Assistance with intellectual property optimization and dual-use market evaluation.

24) DoS and SBA Approve Rochefort as a Manager in the Critical Technologies Initiative

Rochefort Management, a joint venture between Kyle Bass' Hayman Capital Management and Serengeti Asset Management, has been approved as a manager under the Critical Technology Initiative (CTI). This program, a partnership between the SBA and the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), aims to enhance U.S. economic and national security by providing capital to fast-growing small businesses.

CTI is expected to invest over $4 billion into 1,000+ small businesses critical to America's security.

25) BAE Systems awarded $68M in U.S. Army contracts for additional CATV production

BAE will produce an additional 44 Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles (CATV) for the U.S. Army. The order includes a $48 million add-on to the existing full-rate production contract, awarded in August 2022, and a $20 million award for 2025 funding. Beowulf is a dual-body amphibious vehicle with the greatest tactical mobility of any vehicle of its class.

26) MDA Awards $3.8M CPFF Contract to Advanced Silicon Carbide Materials, LLC for Directed Energy Advancements

The contract focuses on:

Enhancing manufacturing processes for directed-energy optical components.
Advancing the design, assembly, and testing of Fast-Steering Mirrors.

The 18-month period of performance (PoP) includes a 12-month base period with an optional six-month extension.