The Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Department of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), teamed with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, and other Navy labs will conduct final design reviews for prototypes of a submarine satellite-communications multifunction mast system and an electronic warfare/information operations-communications (EWIOC) system in August and September respectively.
The prototypes are components of an Integrated Topside Innovative Naval Prototype (INTOP INP), an initiative to develop integrated multifunctional, multibeam topside apertures capable of handling radio-frequency signals for radar, electronic warfare, and communications for surface ships (including aircraft carriers) and submarines.
The ONR INP program identifies particularly promising technological-development efforts that offer decisive, game-changing payoffs for Fleet operations. Among other current INPs are ONR’s electromagnetic railgun, free-electron laser, and persistent littoral undersea-surveillance initiatives.
ONR says that the INTOP INP will “develop a scalable family of electronic warfare, radar, and communications capability to support multiple classes of ships and other Navy platforms.” The goal is to “provide more capability per ship through optimized aperture placement and space, weight, and power improvements.”
According to ONR, the INP also will create new concepts of operation for using the available radio-frequency spectrum through mitigation of electromagnetic interference and increasing spectrum availability, while encouraging innovation in industry and expanding the business base for shipboard aperture technologies.
The effort is derived from earlier ONR and NRL proof-of-concept work on an advanced multifunction radio-frequency concept (AMRFC) in the late 1990s. The AMRFC attacked the problem of the proliferation of antenna apertures on board surface ships for radar, communications, electronic warfare, and navigation—all operating at different frequencies.
The resulting shipboard “antenna farms” cause electromagnetic interference, increasing ship signature and thus vulnerability to detection, while degrading the performance of individual radio-frequency systems, requiring critical operating restrictions. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing provided technology to support the AMRFC development.
In the INTOP concept, radio-frequency systems—radar, electronic warfare, and communications, among others—will share apertures by means of a central resource-allocation manager, which prioritizes requests and assigns apertures for missions, continuously monitoring aperture availability. New software and hardware will comply with the Navy’s Open Architecture requirement that mandates maximum use of commercially developed, easily upgradable and “scalable” components (i.e., easily transferrable across ship classes).
ONR has awarded task orders for development of EWIOC prototypes/advanced development models to two industry teams: Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems partnered with ITT’s Radar, Reconnaissance, and Acoustic Systems; and Raytheon and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (GDAIS). Argon ST is participating in the work for both teams. A number of other companies, including Boeing, BAE Systems, DRS, Colorado Engineering, Hypres Inc., and Southwest Research Institute, were awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts but would have to compete for specific INTOP task orders.
The EWIOC development is being pursued in conjunction with ONR’s Aperstructures initiative, which seeks to integrate ship apertures with the deckhouse structure to function as a single integrated mechanical and electromagnetic system.
The INTOP work also supports the Navy’s surface electronic-warfare improvement system (SEWIP), a long-term program to introduce new technology through incremental spiral development for surface-ship electronic warfare. GDAIS acts as the prime for a Block 1A/B SEWIP development, and Lockheed Martin is under contract for the Block 2 system.
Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, is teaming with Cobham Defence Systems for development of the submarine-communications prototype.
ONR and its Navy-lab partners are studying requirements for three additional INTOP prototypes that would encompass radar and communications capabilities.
Current Navy planning for INTOP transition isn’t aimed at a specific ship class, but will be based on requirements for ship programs as they arise, primarily for CVNs and Arleigh Burke–class Aegis destroyers. The Flight III Burke class, expected to start with DDG-120 or -121, is a candidate for INTOP insertion, and the capability could be backfit to Burkes already in service.