DoD's $365M Adaptive Radar Countermeasures Program Faces R&D Challenges

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $36,539,401 ($36.5M)

Contractor: BAE Systems Information & Electronic Systems Integration Inc

Awarding Agency: Department of Defense

Start Date: 2013-03-15

End Date: 2019-03-31

Contract Duration: 2,207 days

Daily Burn Rate: $16.6K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Number of Offers Received: 17

Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE

Sector: Defense

Official Description: THE GOAL OF THE ADAPTIVE RADAR COUNTERMEASURES (ARC) PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY TO COUNTER ADAPTIVE RADAR THREATS IN TACTICALLY RELEVANT TIME FRAMES BASED ON OVER-THE-AIR OBSERVABLE SIGNALS. AN ADAPTIVE THREAT IS DEFINED AS AN ADVERSARY S RADAR WHOSE WAVEFORMS AND BEHAVIORS ARE NEW, UNKNOWN, OR AMBIGUOUS. THREATS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST INCLUDE GROUND-TO-AIR AND AIR-TO-AIR PHASED ARRAY RADARS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS (E.G., SURVEILLANCE, CUED TARGET ACQUISITION, TRACKING, NON-COOPERATIVE TARGET IDENTIFICATION, MISSILE TRACK, ETC.) AND EXHIBITING A HIGH DEGREE OF AGILITY IN BEAM STEERING, WAVEFORM, AND COHERENT PROCESSING INTERVAL (CPI) CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., CODING, PULSE REPETITION INTERVAL [PRI], ETC.). THE KEY CHALLENGES TO COUNTERING RADAR THREATS ARE: (1) UNAMBIGUOUSLY ISOLATING THE SIGNAL IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER HOSTILE, FRIENDLY AND NEUTRAL SIGNALS; (2)DEDUCING THE THREAT POSED BY THAT SIGNAL; AND (3) SYNTHESIZING AND TRANSMITTING A COUNTERMEASURE THAT ACHIEVES A DESIRED EFFECT WITHIN THE RADAR S SIGNAL PROCESSOR. TODAY S AIRBORNE ELECTRONIC WARFARE (EW) SYSTEMS RELY ON A PRIORI KNOWLEDGE OF THE THREAT ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO SIMPLIFY THESE TASKS. WHEN A SIGNAL IS DETECTED, ITS CHARACTERISTICS ARE COMPARED TO A LIST OF RADAR SIGNALS THAT WERE DEEMED TO BE POTENTIAL THREATS IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF OPERATION (I.E., A LOAD SET). IF A MATCH IS FOUND, THEN THE EW SYSTEM IS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE THREAT AND APPLY AN APPROPRIATE PRE-PROGRAMMED COUNTERMEASURE (CM) THAT WAS DEVELOPED OFFLINE BY SKILLED ANALYSTS AND ENGINEERS, AND TESTED VIA SIMULATION AND RANGE TESTING (WHEN POSSIBLE). WHEN THE SIGNALS DETECTED IN THEATER ARE AMBIGUOUS OR DO NOT MATCH THE WAVEFORMS IN THE CURRENT LOAD SET, LIMITED REAL-TIME, ADAPTIVE RESPONSES ARE AVAILABLE TODAY. AS RADARS EVOLVE FROM FIXED ANALOG SYSTEMS TO DIGITALLY PROGRAMMABLE VARIANTS WITH UNKNOWN BEHAVIORS AND AGILE WAVEFORM CHARACTERISTICS, IDENTIFYING RADAR SYSTEMS IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING. FUTURE RADARS PRESENT AN EVEN GREATER CHALLENGE AS THEY ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SENSE THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND ADAPT THEIR TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS AND PULSE PROCESSING ALGORITHMS TO MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE AND MITIGATE INTERFERENCE EFFECTS. THE RESULT IS THAT OUR EW SYSTEMS WILL INCREASINGLY ENCOUNTER ADAPTIVE RADAR THREATS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ARC PROGRAM IS TO ENABLE OUR EW SYSTEMS TO AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE EFFECTIVE COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST NEW, UNKNOWN, OR AMBIGUOUS RADAR SIGNALS IN NEAR REAL-TIME (I.E., AS THEY ARE ENCOUNTERED DURING A MISSION).

Place of Performance

Location: MERRIMACK, HILLSBOROUGH County, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 03054

State: New Hampshire Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Defense obligated $36.5 million to BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION & ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC for work described as: THE GOAL OF THE ADAPTIVE RADAR COUNTERMEASURES (ARC) PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY TO COUNTER ADAPTIVE RADAR THREATS IN TACTICALLY RELEVANT TIME FRAMES BASED ON OVER-THE-AIR OBSERVABLE SIGNALS. AN ADAPTIVE THREAT IS DEFINED AS AN ADVERSARY S RADAR WHOSE WAVEFORMS AND BEHAV… Key points: 1. The program aims to counter advanced, adaptive radar threats by analyzing observable signals. 2. Key challenges include identifying and responding to unknown or ambiguous adversary radar waveforms. 3. BAE Systems is the sole contractor, raising questions about competition and potential price discovery. 4. This R&D effort falls under the 'Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences' NAICS code.

Value Assessment

Rating: questionable

The contract type is Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), which can lead to cost overruns if not managed tightly. Without a competitive benchmark, assessing the value for money is difficult.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

Although the contract was awarded under full and open competition, BAE Systems is the sole awardee. This limits ongoing price discovery and may reduce competitive pressure on costs.

Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayer funds are supporting advanced defense research. The effectiveness of the countermeasures developed will determine the ultimate value for taxpayer investment.

Public Impact

Enhances national security by developing advanced defense capabilities against sophisticated threats. Supports technological innovation in radar countermeasures and electronic warfare. Potential for dual-use applications in civilian radar and communication technologies. Invests in high-tech R&D jobs within the defense sector.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Sole awardee raises competition concerns.
CPFF contract type can incentivize cost overruns.
Complexity of adaptive threats poses technical risk.

Positive Signals

Addresses a critical national security need.
Leverages advanced technological capabilities.
Potential for significant technological advancement.

Sector Analysis

This program operates within the defense sector, specifically focusing on advanced R&D for electronic warfare. Spending benchmarks for similar highly specialized R&D contracts can vary widely based on technological complexity and program duration.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates no specific set-aside for small businesses. The prime contractor, BAE Systems, is a large defense corporation, suggesting limited direct opportunities for small businesses in this specific contract.

Oversight & Accountability

The contract is managed by the Department of Defense, with oversight from the Defense Contract Management Agency. The CPFF structure necessitates robust oversight to control costs and ensure performance.

Related Government Programs

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
Department of Defense Contracting
Defense Contract Management Agency Programs

Risk Flags

Sole awardee limits competition.
Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type.
Technical complexity of adaptive threats.
Long contract duration increases risk exposure.
Lack of specific performance metrics in provided data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Defense awarded $36.5 million to BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION & ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC. THE GOAL OF THE ADAPTIVE RADAR COUNTERMEASURES (ARC) PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY TO COUNTER ADAPTIVE RADAR THREATS IN TACTICALLY RELEVANT TIME FRAMES BASED ON OVER-THE-AIR OBSERVABLE SIGNALS. AN ADAPTIVE THREAT IS DEFINED AS AN ADVERSARY S RADAR WHOSE WAVEFORMS AND BEHAVIORS ARE NEW, UNKNOWN, OR AMBIGUOUS. THREATS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST INCLUDE GROUND-TO-AIR AND AIR-TO-AIR PHASED ARRAY RADARS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS (E.G., SURVEILLANCE, CUED TARGET ACQUISITION, TRACKING

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION & ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Defense (Defense Contract Management Agency).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $36.5 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2013-03-15. End: 2019-03-31.

What is the estimated cost per unit for the developed adaptive radar countermeasures?

The provided data does not specify a per-unit cost for the adaptive radar countermeasures. The contract is for research and development, with a total award value of $365,394,010 over a period of approximately 6 years. Cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts focus on the overall project cost and fee, rather than discrete unit pricing, especially in early R&D phases.

What are the primary technical risks associated with developing countermeasures for adaptive radar threats?

The primary technical risks involve the inherent unpredictability and rapid evolution of adaptive radar threats. These include the challenge of real-time identification and analysis of novel waveforms, the development of equally agile countermeasure technologies, and ensuring the effectiveness of these countermeasures against a wide spectrum of potential adversary tactics and signal processing techniques.

How will the effectiveness of the developed adaptive radar countermeasures be measured and validated?

Effectiveness will likely be measured through a combination of simulation, laboratory testing, and field exercises. This would involve testing the countermeasures against emulated adaptive radar threats and potentially against actual adversary systems in controlled environments. Key performance indicators would likely include the probability of successful jamming or deception, the speed of response, and the resilience of the countermeasure system itself.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Scientific Research and Development Services › Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)

Product/Service Code: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › DEFENSE (OTHER) R&D

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: BASIC RESEARCH

Offers Received: 17

Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE (U)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Parent Company: BAE Systems PLC

Address: 144 DANIEL WEBSTER HWY #24, MERRIMACK, NH, 03054

Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Manufacturer of Goods, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $38,281,445

Exercised Options: $36,539,401

Current Obligation: $36,539,401

Subaward Activity

Number of Subawards: 15

Total Subaward Amount: $3,117,412

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES PROCEDURES NOT USED

Cost or Pricing Data: NO

Timeline