Compact Magnetic Detection Set (CMDS) for Air Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) and Land-Based Use

Subsequent Phase II Proposal, extension of Phase II contract #N00014-11-C-0309. This SBIR Subsequent Phase II proposal describes a program to improve and enhance the Compact Magnetic Detection Set (CMDS) in its role as the principal detection instrument on a UAV platform for air ASW. The CMDS laser magnetometer is an innovative light-weight, compact, low-power helium metastable magnetometer capable of measuring scalar DC and ELF magnetic fields with high sensitivity in the frequency interval 0.01-100 Hz. A design goal of the CMDS was to reduce the system volume and weight by a factor of two with respect to AN/ASQ-233 system parameters. The CMDS has been successful in realizing this goal. The CMDS is intended for use on UAVs (vertical take-off and fixed wing) employed for ASW and land-based target detection such as buried weapons caches and IEDs. The proposed approach of the Subsequent Phase II effort includes (1) miniaturization of the CMDS electronics, (2) a CMDS helicopter flight test, (3) expansion of MGP algorithms to accommodate non-stationary noises, (4) temperature, shock and vibration testing of the CMDS sensor and electronics, (5) the construction of a test/backup CMDS, and (6) integration of the CMDS system to the platform.