Advanced Multifunction Agile RF Sensing Module

To address the Air Force need for an advanced wideband multifunction RF sensing to enhanced the AgilePod capability, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Advanced Multifunction Agile RF Sensing (MARS) Module. The MARS antenna is based on a nonplanar wide-band design and RF front end, digital backend electronic utilizing a novel RF design with state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf components that offer at least an 18-GHz bandwidth and 2 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth. Specifically, the innovative combination of the antenna design, antenna material, and modular RF and digital design will offer an open-architecture approach, enabling a plug-and-play capability. Leveraging the technical data package (TDP), Phase I will focus on the wide-band conceptual design of the multifunction RF system will include the antenna wideband backend/frontend modular electronics and will address the open-architecture approach. POC will conduct a trade study of performance vs size, weight, power, and cost compatibility with AgilePod components, including thermal and mechanical analysis. POC will make a limited-scale benchtop prototype to show proof-of-concept, reaching technology readiness level (TRL)-3. In Phase II, we will leverage the Phase I efforts to develop a field-ready MARS prototype at TRL-5/-6.