Commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) providers prioritize high-resolution imagery for applications demanding detailed ground sampling, primarily done in the X-band. This focus caters to markets like agriculture, urban planning, and disaster response. The Navy has a unique need for wide-area maritime surveillance, particularly in the open ocean, for tasks like search and rescue, tracking surface vessels, and monitoring illegal activities. The Navy also has urgent operational requirements for improved maritime domain awareness and more efficient resource allocation. Currently other methods are being used to perform these tasks; however, utilizing SAR would increase capabilities at a lower cost while providing better services for accomplishing the desired tracking methods. The Navy seeks a solution to utilize advancements in commercial space technology by utilizing dual-band SAR. Currently there is not a way for the Navy to utilize these services. Dual-band approaches offer substantial benefits across various sectors. Dual-band routers and mobile devices can operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, providing greater bandwidth and network capacity within telecommunications. This technology allows devices to switch to less congested frequencies, improving network performance and reliability in areas with high Wi-Fi density. Dual-band approaches can be used to monitor various environmental parameters, such as soil moisture, snow cover, and water quality, allowing for more accurate land cover classification and identification of specific features like vegetation types or mineral deposits. Within the medical field, dual-band imaging techniques can provide more detailed information about tissue composition and bone density, improving diagnostic capabilities for conditions like osteoporosis. Additionally, this approach can be used to enhance target detection and identification by combining data from different frequencies. The solution sought will add to the current capabilities of searching, tracking, and monitoring to include dual-band SAR systems. The system will incorporate a secondary band like S-band or C-band alongside the existing X-band capabilities. The system will increase area coverage and use lower frequency bands (S-band or C-band) that have wider beamwidths, enabling larger swaths of ocean to be imaged in a single pass. The increase in area coverage provided by a multi-band approach is not directly quantifiable with a single number as it is highly dependent on the specific bands used, the sensor technology, the platform, and the application. Rather than a percentage increase, it is more accurate to discuss the types of coverage improvements that multi-band approaches offer, such as wider swath width, increased temporal coverage, and coverage in different domains. The benefits will be realized through the synergistic combination of different bands, each contributing unique information and capabilities. The system must also have improved target detection through utilizing multiple frequencies that will allow for comprehensive target characterization. Different bands interact differently with various materials and sea states, enabling better discrimination among vessels, ice, and ocean features. The dual-band SAR will provide enhanced environmental monitoring by providing valuable data for oceanographic applications, such as wave height and direction estimation, current monitoring, oil spill detection, flood monitoring, land cover classification, and sea ice monitoring. Dual-Band performance validation will be accomplished through: 1. Frequency Band Coverage: Verification of operation within the specified frequency bands. Data will include spectral analysis in each band. 2. Simultaneous Operation: Demonstration of concurrent and independent operation in both frequency bands. Data will include recordings of simultaneous signal reception and processing in each band. Interference Mitigation: Assessment of the system's ability to mitigate interference between the two bands and from external sources. Data will include measurements under various interference conditions in each band. Area Coverage Enhancement will be shown through: 1. Field of View (FOV) Measurement: Quantification of the increased FOV achieved by the dual-band approach compared to a single-band baseline system. Data will include geometric measurements and visualizations of the detectable area. 2. Detection Range: Determination of the maximum detection range in each band and in dual-band mode. Data will include plots of detection probability versus range for various target types and environmental conditions. 3. Target Tracking Accuracy: Evaluation of the system's ability to accurately track targets within the expanded FOV. Data will include measurements of target position error and tracking stability. 4. Open Ocean Search and Tracking Performance will be shown through: Simulated Search Scenarios: Testing of the prototype in simulated open ocean environments with representative targets and clutter. Data will include detection and tracking performance metrics for various scenarios. 5. Environmental Impact Assessment: Evaluation of the system's performance under varying environmental conditions. Data will include performance metrics under different environmental parameters. Prototype Robustness and Reliability will be shown through: 1. System Stability: Assessment of the system's stability and reliability during extended operation. Data will include continuous operation logs and failure rate analysis. 2. Power Consumption: Measurement of the system's power consumption under various operating conditions. Navy Requirements Compliance will be shown through: 1. Specific Performance Metrics: Testing against specific Navy-defined performance metrics. Data will include direct measurements and comparisons to the required values. Performance specifications will be provided during Phase I. Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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