Weapons Pitch Day

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Sensors, WeaponsOBJECTIVE: This topic seeks technologies supporting development of novel weapons capabilities for the United States Air Force.Following the completion of a Phase 1 effort, vendors may be invited to participate in a Phase 2 Pitch Day, hosted by AFLCMC/EB, tentatively scheduled for March 2021 in the Fort Walton Beach, FL area.DESCRIPTION: The Armament Directorate is in search of technologies that support the Air Force's priorities of Reach, Affordable Mass, Autonomous Collaboration, Sensing and Communications, Non-Kinetic Effects, and Digital Engineering.The Armament Directorate is seeking solutions that do not exceed the procurement cost of current weapons to allow inventories to be created and maintained within current projected anticipated budgets.As such, cost reducing/minimizing technologies across the board are of interest.Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and associated additional enabling technologies are also a critical aspect.It is anticipated that TTPs in conjunction with innovative technologies will be needed to meet the Air Force's goals. Reach - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts that are focused on allowing Blue aircraft to effectively prosecute targets (either both air and ground) with increased standoff range.Targets of interest include fighters, soft stationary ground targets, hardened targets, moving ground targets, and maritime targets.Affordable Mass - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts that are focused concepts under exploration on allowing blue forces to utilize large numbers of relatively low cost weapons systems.Technologies of interest include low cost materials and manufacturing processes, low cost propulsion systems and technologies, modular open-system payload architectures and technologies, disposable or re-usable dispenser vehicles, miniaturized, reliable electronics, and electronic warfare concepts and capabilities.Autonomous Collaboration - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts that are focused on allowing blue forces to utilize numbers of collaborative weapons systems to employ coordinated tactics to ensure mission success, employ automated, adaptive and collaborative tactics in a fluid battlespace, support blue forces multi-domain command and control strategies. Specific technologies under analysis include: Artificial intelligence algorithms with "dialable" human influence; Target identification schema; Target prioritization algorithms; Collaborative weapons playbook scripts; Datalink technologies/concepts; Miniaturized, reliable electronics to include flight controls, mission computers, seekers, etc).Sensing and Communications - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts focused on enabling blue forces to utilize weapons as major contributors to multi-domain command and control (MDC2) space.Specific technologies of interest include: Low-cost, multi spectral seekers; Datalinks technologies/concepts; Data transmission and evaluation software/algorithms; Air deliverable ground communications/sensing packages.Non-Kinetic Effects - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts focused on either/both increasing Blue forces' magazine depth and/or presenting new armament delivered capabilities to the battlefield.Many non-kinetic weapons are electric power derived and therefore afford the potential of multiple "shots" per weapon engagement v. a traditional kinetic weapon with one "bang."Other non-kinetic effects provide different effects than kinetic weapons that may be as effective on the battle space as a kinetic weapon with lower cost and/or in a smaller package.Digital Engineering - The Armament Directorate is in search of concepts focused on digital/digital engineering to employ new technologies faster.The Armament Directorate looking for digital solutions to utilize Weapons Open Systems Architecture (WOSA) to the maximum extent possible.Specific areas of interest include: Model Base Systems Engineering; Weapon Open Systems Architectures; Databases; Data mining/optimization tools; Armament unique modeling and simulation; Multi-security level solutions.PHASE I: Phase I efforts will focus on technical feasibility.This may include but is not limited to: analysis of existing technologies, conceptualization of new technologies, prototyping activities, user needs identification, and systems integration requirements.PHASE II: Phase II efforts will focus on prototyping, demonstration, integration, and analysis of innovative technologies.PHASE III: Phase III efforts will focus on transitioning the developed technology to a working commercial or warfighter solution.KEYWORDS: armament, munitions, weaponsReferences:Lorell, M. (2000). Cheaper, faster, better? Commercial approaches to weapons acquisition (No. RAND/MR-1147-AF). RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CA.