Project Awarded to Revolutionize Shipboard Antenna Performance

Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) Expeditionary Missions Program Office (PMS) – 408, in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, has awarded Roke USA an Other Transactions (OT) agreement to develop ruggedized, high-gain directional antenna prototypes for shipboard environments.

The agreement was award through NSWC Crane’s Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transactions Authority (OTA), which is managed by National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) and will be a 14-month, two-phase prototype project aiming to deliver optimized antenna solutions that meet stringent government specifications for various operating bands. While Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) options offer either adequate gain or the correct pattern, no single solution currently meets both requirements.

The project will concentrate on creating antennas that not only focus radio waves in a specific direction with the required RF pattern but also amplify the signal sufficiently (high gain) to meet mission demands. These newly developed antennas will be designed for permanent installation on ships and built to withstand the harsh maritime environment.

The S²MARTS OTA facilitated a highly competitive selection process, demonstrating strong interest and engagement from a diverse range of innovators. The Project TALX event saw significant participation with 80 attending and representatives from 71 unique organizations. The resulting teaming list comprised 42 submissions, with an impressive 86% from non-traditional defense contractors, underscoring the OTA’s ability to attract novel solutions. Roke USA, Inc., a non-traditional contractor, emerged as the awardee.

This award signifies the S²MARTS OTA’s commitment to fostering innovation and rapidly delivering critical capabilities to the warfighter. The Ship Antenna Optimization project holds the potential to significantly enhance the communication capabilities of shipboard deployable systems.

About S²MARTS

Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS), managed by NSTXL, is the premier rapid OT agreement for the Department of Defense (DoD) in trusted microelectronics, strategic and spectrum missions, 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.