SBIR-STTR Award

Advanced sensor and electronic warfare technologies are being applied to both airborne (manned and Unmanned Air vehicles (UAV)) and space assets. Current research and development methodologies that evolve these technologies are time-consuming and require extensive/costly testing on open air ranges. Open air ranges cannot generate the dense threat emitter environments that would be experienced in actual combat situations. Flight test productivity is low due to the fact that there are so many uncontrolled variables and the inability to make changes during the actual flight test. The current simulation technologies do not have the required fidelity and real-time DoD High Level Architecture (HLA) simulation support environment for rapid prototyping of onboard/offboard sensor and electronic warfare capabilities. These limitations must be overcome if the DoD HLA concepts/requirements being sponsored by the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO) are to become a reality in the defense community. This research addresses the incorporation of HLA standards per the DMSO M&S Master Plan. Defense research Associates (DRA) will develop an innovative integration tool set to support evaluation of onboard/offboard sensor systems in a robust simulation (laboratory) environment. DRA will utilize the real-time simulation capability in the Sensors Directorate Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Laboratory (IDAL) to demonstrate the architecture's feasibility. During Phase II, DRA will implement a prototype capability into the IDAL and demonstrate key performance characteristics. The Phase II effort will provide a building block capability for rapid evolution of advanced RF sensor technology.The Phase I/II SBIR results shall provide a real-time high fidelity dense RF environment simulation base that will address the needs of evolving advanced RF sensor systems. This simulation technology base will be leveraged to provide RF simulation products resulting in Phase III initiatives that address both government and commercial applications

The capability to precisely locate and identify radio frequency (RF) threats in real time is critical for warfighter system of systems environments that utilize multiple sensors. Developmental radar warning sensors such as the Precision Location and Identification (PLAID) and special receiver collection systems determine precise threat location or identify by making extremely accurate parameter measurements of Doppler/phase shifts, angle-of-arrival (AOA), and time difference of arrival (TDOA). Open-air ranges cannot provide dense emitter environments, nor the controlled, repeatable conditions essential for valid and affordable testing. Current DOD laboratory testing facilities and commercial simulations cannot simulate all the detailed, fine grain signal characteristics required to effectively test PLAID technologies. Innovative simulation concepts are required that can generate appropriate RF signal modulations with an accuracy/resolution exceeding the measurement capability of PLAID sensors. This Phase II SBIR will develop and build a creative design concept called the Advanced TDOA, AOA, and Phase (ATAP) threat simulation that addresses the critical technology challenges of testing PLAID sensors. A prototype ATAP system, as designed in the Phase I will be fabricated and demonstrated in the AFRL/SN Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Laboratory (IDAL). Phase II will result in a simulator prototype single channel design, that is readily expandable into a multi-channel system with potential applications as a commercial product. ATAP will have a high payoff by reducing development risk and testing cost by enabling rapdi prototyping of hardware design and softeware algorithms in a controlled environment.

Benefits:
ATAP is adaptable to commercial Automated Test Equipment (ATE) applications to test Air Traffic Control Systems, Microwave Landing Systems (MLS), cellulat telephones, Global Position (GPS), and VHF/UHF communications. It is also useful as a commercial tool for testing ECM/ESM systems in aircraft (B-2, F-15, F-22, etc.) integration laboratories. With high gain amplifiers and antennas, ATAP has applications in open air range testing, and EW combat simulation and training.