USD R&E UAS Radios
Challenge ended
Description
The Department of Defense's (DoD) current UAS radios are increasingly vulnerable to threats by a range of adversaries, particularly reactive jamming capabilities. This vulnerability, coupled with existing limitations in manufacturing and high costs due to stringent requirements, hinders the deployment and efficacy of UAS systems for both OWA (one way attack) and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions. To address this, a new approach is needed that emphasizes secure, LPD, resilient, and cost-effective UAS radio solutions capable of avoiding detection and, failing that, withstanding advanced jamming tactics. The Secure, Survivable, Resilient Radio (S2R2) program offers the next generation of UAS radios to ensure connectivity in EW-contested environments.
Overall Objective
The S2R2 program’s objectives are: Deliver cost-effective, EW-resilient radio solutions for UAS command and control systems. Initial focus is to identify and evaluate communications systems suitable for group 2 and 3 platforms suited to both OWA and ISR missions. Identify opportunities to further improve and iterate the anti-jam capabilities of these systems
Problem Statement
The DoD and allies point to the needed capability of enabling UAS wireless links with continued operations under reactive jamming contested and denied environments. This capability will be tested and evaluated on UAS platforms selected by the OUSD (R&E) Prototyping and Experimentation (P&E) Assessments Office. An evaluation report will provide DoD stakeholders and acquisition program offices with the validation needed to make decisions about secure, resilient, and cost-effective UAS radios.