OUSD(R&E) Awards Automated Software Project “FBME”
October 9, 2024
October 7, 2024 – The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics program has awarded the Firmware Bill of Materials Extractor (FBME) project to Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation and GrammaTech, Inc. FBME was awarded through the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division’s Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Systems (S2MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) and will be managed by National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL).
The FBME prototype will consist of automated software tool to aid in firmware assurance assessments of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic systems. COTS systems are widely used in diverse applications across the Department of Defense (DoD), but their use incurs risks for cybersecurity and assurance.
The firmware bill of materials would be a list of the software components and libraries, including the version number of each software component, used to generate a particular firmware. The performers will be responsible for creating a solution that will allow the Department of the Navy (DoN) to identify software components used in their firmware and assess any risks that are present.
The technical development will be broken down into three phrases, with each phase have differing technical objectives. Down-selects are expected at phase 3, in which the selected performer will test and identify potential use cases for the developed software.
In January, the S2MARTS team hosted a Project TALX for FMBE, a virtual event that gives those interested in submitting a proposal a chance to hear directly from the government team on their needs and expectations for the solution. As a result, performers like awardees Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation and GrammaTech were more equipped to submit a holistic solution that aligned with government needs, ultimately protecting DoD systems by providing robust risk assessments.
About S²MARTS
The Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS), managed by NSTXL, is the premier rapid OT contracting vehicle for the Department of Defense (DoD) in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, and other critical mission areas. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division created S²MARTS to grow and engage an elite network of innovators, shorten the path to defense prototype development, and advance national security efforts.
