- SPECIAL NOTICE - Silent Swarm 2023

AMENDMENT 0001:The purpose of this amendment is to publish questions and provide responses to questions received pertaining to this Special Notice. The closing date remains 16 JAN 2023 10:00AM ET.Question 1: Since every threat is different, would SS23 be a place where a company could get some of that threat analysis data to assist in proving effects?Answer 1: As a low TRL experimentation event we intend to provide threat systems which are representative of generic threat types. It is not expected that these systems will be validated models of real threats. As such, this event could be useful in trying general capabilities, but may not be appropriate for validating a specific attack against a specific target. If an initiative has a specific capability they would like to discuss, please email via SIPR or JWICS to reach out via the appropriate classification to the emails listed in the Special Notice. With regard to data analysis, SS23 has a modeling and simulation (M&S) team that can

help evaluate runs of each experiment and provide feedback. Dependent on the classification of an initiative’s technical goals, the SS23 recommends you reach out via SIPR or JWICS for more detailed feedback. Question 2: Can you elaborate on the typical payload SWAP volume available on an UxS-class platform or examples of platforms that were used in Silent Swarm 2022?Answer 2: While exact platforms will differ from last year’s event, platforms used in SS22 varied in size and payload capacity. These included Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) ranging from the Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) UAV (payload of less than two pounds) up to a Heavy Lift Multirotor (HLM) Octacopter (payload of 22 pounds); Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) varied from buoys (with a payload of less than 10 pounds), ADARO (payload of 25 pounds), and Wave Glider (payload of 130 pounds); Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) were not utilized in SS22, but these types of platforms are not excluded from SS23. Additionally, initiatives are encouraged to bring their own Unmanned System (UxS) for maritime, land, or air domains to the experimentation event if they have platforms available. Question 3: Can you provide a better idea of the terrain and environment SS23 will be held within? Will all options (air, ground, surface water, subterranean underground, underwater, etc.) be available?Answer 3: The intent of SS23 is to provide a multi-domain environment with particular focus on maritime surface, air, and land domains. Initiatives may participate in experimentation in multiple domains and not restricted to one only. SS22 did not focus on undersea, but this domain is not necessarily excluded from SS23.Question 4: Is this request for submissions looking at offensive or defense technologies, or both?Answer 4: SS23 focuses on both offensive and defensive technologies, and experimentation may look at an offensive “team” of initiatives operating against another defensive “team” of initiatives with supporting technology (White Cell) designed to evaluate effects. Within the Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) focus, this includes both Electronic Attack (EA) and Electronic Protect (EP), for example.N0016423SNB18 - SPECIAL NOTICE - Silent Swarm 2023 – FSC/PSC AJ13 – NAICS 5417ISSUE DATE: 30 NOV 2022 CLOSING DATE: 16 JAN 2023 10:00AM ETTHIS IS A REQUEST FOR SUBMISSIONS ONLY. THIS REQUEST IS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN INVITATION FOR BIDS, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, A SOLICITATION, A REQUEST FOR QUOTES, OR AN INDICATION THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTRACT FOR THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS NOTICE. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT REIMBURSE RESPONDENTS FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBMISSION OF THE INFORMATION BEING REQUESTED OR REIMBURSE EXPENSES INCURRED TO INTERESTED PARTIES FOR RESPONSES OR PARTICIPATION.Background and Description:This Special Notice is being issued by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), in support of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering [OUSD(R&E)], and other entities within the Department of Defense (DoD). This Special Notice is intended to be a Request for Submissions for participation consideration in the Silent Swarm 2023 Experimentation Event. Silent Swarm is a series of events focused on experimentation with early development Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) capabilities that can be employed on small, multi-domain unmanned systems. The Silent Swarm series provides a challenging and flexible experimentation environment for technology developers within an operationally relevant context alongside DoD subject matter experts. Given the extraordinary reliance of the DoD on commercial vendors and private sector solution providers, NSWC Crane will require a combined effort of industry and government experts to bring innovative initiatives into the experimentation event to achieve definable specific outcomes. Small and large businesses, along with University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) and Government activities are encouraged to submit in response to this request for submissions.Objectives:Responses to this request for submissions should identify initiatives focused on implementation of EMSO related capabilities that could be employed on small multi-domain unmanned systems (UxS). Silent Swarm is targeting technologies in the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-5 range. Swarming small, attritable UxS will be the objective employment vehicles for capability employment in the experimentation environment. Lower TRL initiatives that do not currently meet constraints for small platform integration will still benefit from Silent Swarm participation.Silent Swarm provides an experimentation venue and environment for rapid technology exploration and innovation, provides an opportunity for teaming and direct feedback from technical and operational subject matter experts (SME). Focus Areas and Priorities:Silent Swarm 2023 will focus on 1) distributed Electronic Support (ES), 2) distributed Electronic Attack (EA)/ Electronic Protect (EP), and 3) deception. Initiatives participating in this experimentation may fit under one or more of these focus areas. Prioritized factors within each focus area are categorized as either an effect or enabling technology. Effects refer to capabilities that directly impact the operational environment, while enablers refer to capabilities that contribute to the success of the effect.Respondents should address as many as possible of the following components about their capability within their submissions:1) Distributed Electronic Support (ES)What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed passive sensors that receive, process and identify signals in the electromagnetic spectrum in order to support situational awareness and targeting for kinetic and non-kinetic effects.Priorities:Effects:Identification and Classification of Complex SignalsSpectrum Sensing ID Targets / Complex Emitters Enablers:Machine learning algorithms for signal processingSignals LibraryObjectives:Identify sources of signals and characteristics of the emitted waveform Contribute to the electromagnetic order of battleProvide situational awareness of operational emitters Demonstrate effectiveness and scalability of multi-domain swarming algorithms2) Distributed Electronic Attack (EA) and Electronic Protect (EP)What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed apertures that enable delivery of RF energy, high power microwave (HPM) or digital payloads to deny, degrade and deceive adversary capabilities and protect friendly systems from adversary EA.Priorities:Effects:Coordinated / coherent / reactive EA effects Sense and counter adversary EASmall HPM applicationsEnablers:Delivering Digital PayloadsCommand and Control (C2) Resilient Communications Objectives:Deny protected entity trackingTeams work to deliver coordinated effects.EA effects from many small autonomous vehicles carrying small low-cost jammers / smart sensors Utilize distributed reactive EA assets to hinder adversary spectrum sensing Establish EA resilient communications in a contested environment 3) DeceptionWhat it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed capabilities to create chaos and confusion in the spectrum. Specifically targeting adversary situational awareness, Command and Control and decision-making processes in order to enable warfighter maneuver.Priorities:Effects:WiFi/Bluetooth/Tactical Comms/RadarEmulate forces Smart / realistic / responsive decoys Injection of false informationEnablers:Low profile technologies (distributed) Remote / delayed activation / low-cost leave-behind decoyObjectives:Deny adversary ability to maintain an accurate picture of the operational environment.Use distributed, low observable deception devices to obscure, give false targets, and clutter Delay adversary cycleAdditionally, the following areas are priorities for all focus areas:Swarming / Intelligent AlgorithmsInter-swarm communications Low SWaP, attritable systemsAlt-PNT and/or Geolocation to support coordinated effectsDigital Twins Response Submission:How do I submit? If you do NOT have a Vulcan account, you need to first register at https://vulcan-sof.com/. With a Vulcan account you can initiate your submission on the call page titled: Silent Swarm 2023 Submissions https://vulcan-sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=c0ee55a6-dadf-4df8-b273-e7dbf5d2b718. You can also find it by navigating to "Calls” on the navigation bar. Your submission must be made on the Silent Swarm 2023 Submissions, which allows you to access the scout card submission form designed in accordance with the specific requirements of SS23.Submission RequirementsSilent Swarm Submissions in Vulcan must be UNCLASSIFIED. If your capability contains classified information, you must first provide an UNCLASSIFIED submission in Vulcan and separately obtain from the Government (via SIPR or JWICS, as appropriate) the steps/procedures for submitting Classified information.Initiatives shall submit a Scout Card with all required fields completed. Please be ready with all needed information in order to complete your submission. Note that you can edit your submission up until the published deadline (16 January 2023), but you must at least have preliminary answers in required fields in order to save your submission.If the capability you intend to submit already exists in Vulcan, you can "Review & Submit" this Scout Card. If your capability does not yet exist in Vulcan, you will need to first create a new Scout Card and then submit your Scout Card to the Vulcan collection.For more information and Frequently Asked Questions please go to the FAQ Page on Vulcan (https://www.cylitix.com/homepage/about-us/services/innovation-science/vulcan-page/faq-gov202/). For technical questions about the Vulcan platform or 'How to Submit', you may email: support@vulcan-sof.comRequired submission documentation, in addition to a Scout Card on Vulcan and responses to questions listed below, includes a white paper (no required format) no more than three (3) pages in length, not to include the cover page. The white paper should address how your submitted initiative meets the Focus Area(s) and related priorities identified above.Within the Vulcan submission, responses to the following questions will be required:What focus area(s) from above does this initiative most closely align to, and how so?What priorities (as effects and/or enabling technology) does this initiative address?What unique or novel capability does this initiative provide?Is this initiative able to readily integrate with unmanned vehicle(s)? If so, what vehicle(s) and would you be able to provide that vehicle at an experimentation event?Is your system capable of implementing swarming concepts (i.e. intelligent behavior, responsive systems, dynamic C2 nodes, etc.)Is this initiative capable of distributed (coordinated) operations? If so, how?How are position, navigation, and timing handled for this initiative?What is the current technical readiness level (TRL) for this initiative?What is the projected TRL for this initiative by 2023?Has this initiative participated in Silent Swarm before?All inquiries (technical and administrative) or clarifications of any kind must be submitted via email to the POCs listed below with the appropriate classification markings.All contracting related responses should be unclassified and for general access by the Government, other evaluators, and other respondents. All material provided (responses, discussions, questions/answers, and other data) that is not related to competition sensitive or marked contractor proprietary material may be provided to other respondents. Any material provided may be used in development of future requirement documents.Any proprietary information submitted must be clearly and separately identified and marked and will be appropriately protected. The Government will NOT be responsible for any proprietary information not clearly marked. Responders may include information that is not within the scope of this request for submissions, but must be relevant to the overall goals.In addition, if responses include technical requirements that have been identified as CUI in accordance with NIST SP 800-171, the documents shall be identified with the appropriate category markings. See https://www.archives.gov/cui/registry/category-marking-list for guidance.Classified responses shall NOT be mailed. Classified responses shall be marked and delivered in accordance with DoD Manual 5200.01. Classified responses must include identification of their source of classification guidance. All submissions via Vulcan must be UNCLASSIFIED.This Special Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a program or contractual solicitation. NSWC Crane is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of submissions or of the information received, or to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this request for submissions.In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this request for submissions. The Government intends to use the information received in response to this request for submissions for planning purposes. The Government will not award a contract directly on the basis of this request for submissions or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.Participants reviewing submissions to this request for submissions may include: The US Government; Federally Funded R&D Centers; Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) government support contractors; all are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirement and bound by all proprietary laws. Regarding this request for submissions, no contact is allowed with these organizations. Respondents must submit program/idea/concept white paper(s) and associated briefing(s) for review and consideration to NSWC Crane no later than 10:00AM ET 16 January 2023. No additional forms or other materials are needed.As a result of EMS domain complexities, there may be future updates to this announcement, additional request, inquiries, and/or potential demonstrations opportunities in a shared experimentation environment. Any changes or updates to this announcement can be found at the Government Point of Entry SAM.gov. Individual notifications will not be sent to respondents. It is the respondents’ responsibility to monitor and respond accordingly to Government announcements.Future opportunities may become available at shared experimentation venue that will focus on representative scenarios and an environment that is conducive to evaluating the state of technology as it relates to employment and CONOPS development.Points of Contacts (POCs);Primary Point of Contact:Address any questions, comments and areas/ideas for the government to consider relative to this request for submissions to:Robert GambergNSWC Crane, Spectrum Warfare S&T DivisionMichelle KitleyNSWC Crane, Intelligence Systems BranchClassification Level Communication Method Submission POCsUnclassified NIPR robert.d.gamberg.civ@us.navy.mil michelle.k.kitley.civ@us.navy.mil Secret SIPR robert.d.gamberg1@navy.smil.mil michelle.kitley@navy.smil.milTop Secret JWICS gamberr@nmic.ic.gov michelle.k.stanforth@coe.ic.govAll submissions should be submitted at the UNCLASSIFIED level via the Vulcan posting at https://vulcan-sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=c0ee55a6-dadf-4df8-b273-e7dbf5d2b718