IDEaS launches four new and exciting challenges! A new Call for Proposals is open!
IDEaS’ Competitive Projects has launched four new challenges this spring to address defence and security priorities for the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), that focus on securing DND assets in the Arctic, marine mammal detection during operations, ISR identification of topographical changes, and maintaining connectivity in hostile environments. Each challenge seeks multiple innovative solutions to various essential and desired outcomes.
The first challenge Under the sea: Real-time detection of marine mammals during sonar operations is looking for solutions that can provide situational awareness of marine mammal presence to minimize the risk of harm from naval operations. At the moment, the approaches used have limitations regarding operations, bandwidth and latency. Therefore, the proposed solutions must demonstrate the ability to automate the detection or prediction in a tactically relevant timeline of marine mammal presence in environments with active sonar operations and the ability to estimate the uncertainty of this detection or prediction.
Sub-zero Infrastructure, Security, and Sensors: Safekeeping assets in the arctic seeks to secure and monitor CAF fixed ground-based assets operating remotely in the Arctic. The solutions will need to resolve the significant challenge of supplying power, supplies, and components. While satellite coverage at extreme northern latitudes and the nature of the polar ionosphere creates unique issues and limitations for sensor and communications capabilities, proposed solutions must demonstrate the ability to remotely and autonomously monitor DND and CAF fixed assets in the remote Arctic 24/7 in order to ensure their security.
As for the challenge The needle in the haystack: Space-based Intelligence and Reconnaissance (SB-ISR) imagery for decision, solutions should aim to locate adversaries outside commonly monitored areas of interest in order to enhance military foresight for decision-making. Existing capability does not usually include detecting concealed human activities via topographical changes, particularly outside developed urban environments. The CAF need means by which they can anticipate emerging threats or challenges to improve their ability to provide timely information to decision-makers. This will allow operators to identify and understand crises and emerging events for provision of an appropriate response when requested.
The last challenge Do you copy? Establishing and maintaining broadband connectivity in remote and hostile areas seeks to find innovative solutions that will provide the ability to establish and maintain broadband connectivity in remote and hostile areas in an electromagnetic (EM) degraded or denied environment to support mission-critical communications. The CAF needs to be able to implement a prioritized information exchange, customizable by type of operation, phase of operation, node, and application. In addition, the CAF needs to optimize its processes while using mesh networks when faced with an EM degraded or denied environment, therefore re-establishing connectivity.
If these challenges interest you or your network, visit the IDEaS Website to find out more on the challenges, eligibility and how to apply. Up to $200,000 is initially available for each selected solution, and those solutions showing promise may be eligible to receive up to $1 million for further development. The closing date to this call for proposals is May 31st 2022. Don’t miss your chance to bring innovative solutions to challenges faced by the DND and CAF. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at DND.IDEaS-IDEeS.MDN@forces.gc.ca