The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is soliciting proposals on a series of algorithms, a virtual laboratory testbed and a senor network through a program aimed at coordinating airspace operations to reduce collision among friendly forces across a congested battlefield.
DARPA said Tuesday it will host a webinar for potential proposers on the Air Space Total Awareness for Rapid Tactical Execution program on April 21.
The agency partnered with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army to carry out the initiative that seeks to provide allied troops a four-dimensional view of the battlespace; increase situational awareness within adversary anti-access/area denial environments; and apply sensors to locate enemies.
“Current airspace planning and control is a largely manual process with fairly static air corridors, lanes and zones established for de-confliction that don’t allow for rapid re-tasking of air assets in a fast-paced environment,” said Paul Zablocky, program manager in DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office.
“We want to provide a more accurate and timely picture of the airspace that will allow for long-range fire missions as well as manned and unmanned aircraft operations to occur simultaneously and more safely in the same airspace.”
DARPA envisions an ASTARTE “engine” operating with military command-and-control systems and delivering airspace data across joint forces via native C2 platforms.
Responses to the broad agency announcement posted on SAM are due June 23.