Electronic Warfare Test (EWT) Prototype Projects Topic: Digital Generation “C” (DGEN-C)

On 21 September 2022, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code § 4022, the Army Contracting Command – Orlando has awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) via the Training and Readiness Accelerator (TReX) for the Electronic Warfare Test (EWT) Topic: Digital Generation “C” (DGEN-C) prototype project.

A Request for White Paper for these efforts was issued through TReX on 17 February 2022, which resulted in the submittal of 3 responses. As a result of the competition, the prototype project was awarded to National Security Technology Accelerator as the managing prime and to Amherst Systems Inc. located in Buffalo, NY as the performing vendor.  The total value of this prototype project, if all milestones and options are exercised, is $3,105,000.00.

: The Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resources Management Center (TRMC) Test and Evaluation (T&E)/Science and Technology (S&T) Program desires to invest in innovative technologies that revolutionize or accelerate testing capabilities and development of T&E. The Digital Generation “C” (DGEN-C) effort is being established to push the technology beyond its current capabilities so that the next generation of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems will be able to operate more effectively through advancements in the technology.

TRMC’s overarching strategy is to create a new translation technology capability through an iterative technology research and demonstration approach, utilizing Other Transactions (OTs) This prototype project is directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of the TRMC community. The Next-generation Electronic Warfare Environment Generation (NEWEG) system utilizes National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) Electronic Warfare Integrated Reprogramming Database (EWIRDB) emitter models and data directly to support signal generation to support both direct injection and free-space testing configurations. EW threat simulators utilize signal generation systems as core processes to synthesize threat signals for testing sensors installed on modern EW platforms. These signal generation systems require different types of inputs depending on the nature of the EW threat simulator; however, these inputs all trace back to common textual file structures commonly called Waveform Descriptor Words (WDWs). The WDWs must be translated into Pulse Descriptor Words (PDWs) thru the NASIC Real-Time Keystone tool and into usable waveforms formatted for efficient use by the real-time signal generation system. Baseband signal generation sampling rates may also be different from EWIRDB data sampling rates. 

The purpose of this effort is to create new translation technology is to optimize usage of the different levels of EWIRDB information and signals to support existing and future signal generators.

Upon successful completion of this prototype effort, the Government anticipates that a follow-on production effort may be awarded via either contract or transaction, without the use of competitive procedures if the participants in this transaction successfully complete the prototype project as awarded. Successful completion will occur when the prototypes have been validated and are accepted by the Government. Further, the government reserves the right to determine part, or all of the prototype project is successfully completed if the vendor shows a particularly favorable or unexpected result justifying the transition to production.

Note: Should the selected vendor fail to demonstrate progress or be unsuccessful in the accomplishment of the goals of this prototyping effort, the Government reserves the right to return to the results of this competition and award additional Other Transaction Agreements to one or more of the vendors that responded to the initial Request for Solutions, as appropriate within the scope and evaluated results of the competition.