Squad X Core Technologies

(SXCT)
MAJ Christopher Orlowski

Proposers Day
February 27, 2015

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Squad X Core Technologies Proposers Day

Time

Topic

Speaker

0800 0900

Registration

0900 0915

Welcoming Remarks (Admin & Security)

MAJ Christopher Orlowski, DARPA/TTO

Ms. Tyna Gohmann, DARPA/SID

0915 0935

TTO Director Remarks

Dr. Brad Tousley, Office Director, DARPA/TTO

0935 0955

Army Operating Concept

COL Bryan Rudacille, DARPA Army Liaison

0955 1015

Squad Foundation of the Decisive Force

(SFDF)

Mr. Pat Berger, Deputy Director TCM-Soldier

1015 - 1035

Break

1035 1055

BAA and Contracting with DARPA

Mr. Peter Donahue, DARPA/CMO

1055 1215

Squad X Core Technologies Program

MAJ Christopher Orlowski, DARPA/TTO

1215 1335

No-host networking lunch

1335 1415

Question and Answer Session

MAJ Christopher Orlowski, DARPA/TTO

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Opening Comments

The Proposers Day briefing is intended to provide an orientation to DARPA

BAA-15-26 (can be found on fbo.gov, released 24 February 2015), and is
solely for information purposes.

The solicitation (BAA-15-26) supersedes anything presented or said by

DARPA at the Proposers Day.

Examples in this briefing (e.g., technologies, use cases) are chosen for ease
of illustration only and do not constitute endorsement of any particular
approach.

Squad X Core Technologies is a DARPA program to develop new concepts

and technologies to make dismounted forces more effective.

Interested performers are expected to be able to articulate a clear and

compelling vision for their technology, proposed course of research, and
transition potential.

We need your help to make this program a success!

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Why Squad X?

WWII Europe

Korea

Vietnam

Desert Storm

Afghanistan

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Iraq
4

Squad X Vision
Extend and enhance the situational awareness of the rifle squad
Provide small unit leaders with increased maneuver time and space
Enable rifle squads to shape and dominate their battlespace
Goals:
Enable echelons platoon and below to maneuver distributed, while maintaining
the ability to fight concentrated and mass effects
Provide small unit leaders increased maneuver time and space, in order to
allow them increased decision time and tactical flexibility

Principles:

Enable squads to adapt to and counter emerging threats in their battlespace

Requires quantification of current and expected performance to effectively

assess progress
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Paradigm Shift for Building Combat Power

Precision Effects and Intelligence
Capabilities Needed Tomorrow1

Precision Effects and Intelligence

Capabilities Today

Strategic
Operational
Tactical
Forces designed for linear,
conventional operations;
challenged to adapt and be
flexible across the range of
military operations

Squad X

Forces designed for linear and

nonlinear, conventional and
nonconventional operations;
adaptable and flexible across
the range of military operations

Build Combat Power from the Rifle Squad Up

1 Adapted from War From the Ground Up, Emile Simpson, Oxford University Press, 2012

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Squad X Infrastructure Study

Planned schedule: 18 Months

Conduct USA, USMC, and SOF Workshops:

Start 3QFY14; End 2QFY16 (through DARPA-SN-14-40)

Concepts of Operations
Capability alignment and maturation
Transition paths and partners

Perform Integration Studies and Define Reference Architecture

Define open, common, commercially extensible Government-owned architecture

Define key interfaces and standards

Conduct Baseline Technology Evaluation

Conduct Experimentation Site Selection and Operational Support

Establish Tactical Edge Standards Board (TESB)

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Squad X Infrastructure Study Baseline

Unmanned Air
Vehicles

Artists
Concept

Squad
Networked
Communications

End-user
Device/
SA applications

Unmanned Ground
Vehicles

Head-up display/
night-vision device

Power
Management

Artists
Concept
Artists
Concept

Common World
Model Management

Ground Sensors

Warfighter Information Interaction

Network Information Management
Unmanned Information Interaction

Warfighter-Worn
Sensors

Artists Concept

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Marine Corps Workshops

Workshop goals:

Interviews conducted with Squad Leaders and Platoon Sergeants

Discuss desired squad system capabilities

Identify emerging ConOps in rural and urban environments
Draft squad system assessment metrics
1-7 Marines at Twentynine Palms on 9 December 2014
1-8, 2-6, and 2-9 Marines at Camp Lejeune on 17 December 2014
Marine Corps Warfighting Lab support and coordination for both events

Key takeaways:

Communications lack of horizontal information flow; improved and increased

communications was number one priority
Response time lack capabilities for rapid identification and response to threats
Agility and flexibility threats readily adapt to our TTPs, we need similar
abilities to adapt
Situational awareness atmospheric changes in the operational environment;
friendly casualty notification
Precision capabilities - kinetic and non-kinetic (left and right of bang)
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What is the Squad X Core Technologies Program?

A new program that seeks to develop and deliver new technologies that would:

Give dismounted squads enhanced situational awareness

Enable them to shape and dominate their battlespace

Artists Concept
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10

Technology Development Goals

The Squad X Core Technologies program comprises four Technical Areas:
1

Precision
Engagement

Enable the rifle squad to precisely engage threats out

to 1,000 meters while maintaining compatibility with
infantry weapon systems and human factors limitations

Non-Kinetic
Engagement

Enable the rifle squad to disrupt enemy command and

control, communications, and use of unmanned assets
to ranges greater than 300 meters while maneuvering
at a squad-relevant operational pace

Squad Sensing

Enable the rifle squad to detect line of sight and nonline of sight threats out to 1000 meters while
maneuvering at a squad-relevant operational pace

Squad
Autonomy

Enable the rifle squad to improve their individual and

collective localization accuracy to less than 6 meters in
GPS-denied environments through collaboration with
unmanned systems maneuvering reliably in squad
formations
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11

Army vs. Marine Squad

Army Infantry Squad

Marine Rifle Squad

Squad
Leader

Fire
Team 1

Squad
Leader

Fire
Team 2

Team
Leader

Team
Leader

Grenadier

Fire
Team 1

Fire
Team 2

Fire
Team 3

Team
Leader/
Grenadier

Team
Leader/
Grenadier

Team
Leader/
Grenadier

Grenadier

Automatic
Rifleman

Automatic
Rifleman

Automatic
Rifleman

Automatic
Rifleman

Automatic
Rifleman

Asst. Auto.
Rifleman

Asst. Auto.
Rifleman

Asst. Auto.
Rifleman

Rifleman

Rifleman

Rifleman

Rifleman

Rifleman

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12

Current Army Infantry Squad

GPS

Army Infantry Squad

Marine and Army Rifle Squads do not possess organic capabilities to shape their
battlespace and deliver precision effects; they must rely on higher-echelon assets.
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13

Current Marine Rifle Squad

Marine Rifle Squad

A
A

A
Marine and Army Rifle Squads do not possess organic capabilities to shape their
battlespace and deliver precision effects; they must rely on higher-echelon assets.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

14

Squad X Core Technologies

GPS

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:
Precision Engagement: Guided
Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

15

Squad X Core Technologies

GPS

Squad
Autonomy

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:
Precision Engagement: Guided
Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

UAV

UGV

UAV

UGV

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

16

Squad X Core Technologies

GPS

Squad
Autonomy

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:
Precision Engagement: Guided
Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

Squad
Sensing

UAV

UGV

UAV

UGV

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

17

Squad X Core Technologies

Non-Kinetic
Engagement
Squad
Autonomy

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:
Precision Engagement: Guided
Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

GPS

Squad
Sensing

UAV

UGV

UAV

UGV

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

18

Squad X Core Technologies Army Rifle Squad

Non-Kinetic
Engagement
Squad
Autonomy

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:
Precision Engagement: Guided
Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

GPS

Squad
Sensing
Precision
Engagement

UAV

UGV

UAV

UGV

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

19

Squad X Core Technologies Marine Rifle Squad

Non-Kinetic
Engagement
Squad
Autonomy

Precision
Engagement

UAV

UAV

Demonstrate the efficacy of the

capabilities through
experimentation

Squad
Sensing

UGV

UGV

Precision Engagement: Guided

Effects to Dominate the
Battlespace
Non-Kinetic Engagement:
Environmental Effects to Shape
the Battlespace
Squad Sensing: Fusion and
Exploitation for Red Situational
Awareness
Squad Autonomy: MannedUnmanned Teaming for Blue
Situational Awareness

Adapt, extend, and develop

capabilities in four technical
areas:

GPS

UAV

UAV

SXCT seeks to deliver organic capabilities to the Rifle Squad that would
enable them to shape their battlespace and deliver precision effects.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

20

We are Open to Solutions

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21

TA1 Precision Engagement: Guided Effects

Adapt: Existing systems for dismounted warfighter applications
Extend: Open loop guided projectiles to closed loop guided projectiles
Develop: Launchable sensors for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition
Leverage Existing Platforms

Scale to Squad Applications

Picatinny
Rail
M320
Grenade
Launcher

Navy Spike Missile

Payoffs:

Cost-effective increase in firepower using existing platforms

Organic ability to mass squad firepower without line of sight

Challenges: Maneuverability, accuracy and control with cost and impulse constraints
Efficacy of launchable sensors with commercial off-the-shelf components
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

22

Concept Ideas Precision Engagement

Desired solutions:

Guided weapon technologies that enable the rifle squad to precisely engage
known non-line-of-sight threats in their battlespace
Examples: advanced 40mm grenade, micro-missile

Continuous closed-loop guidance of a projectile to target or initial closed-loop

guidance followed by accurate terminal engagement
Effectively leveraging the networked squad: accurately localized squad members
(manned and unmanned) and shared squad information
Novel, launchable sensors (e.g., small unmanned aerial vehicles)
Compatibility with current squad equipment
Examples: M203/M320 grenade launchers, Picatinny Rail system

Specifically not desired:

Developments in explosive payloads

Evolutionary upgrades to existing rounds
Solutions requiring excessive impulse forces on the Warfighter
Open-loop ballistic guidance
Developments that do not interface with infantry squad equipment
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

23

Expectations Precision Engagement

Phase I demonstrations should clearly illustrate performance against the

program success metrics:

Accuracy:
Mass:
Recoil Energy:

2m CEP
1.0 kg
70 joules

Evaluations should include, at a minimum:

Hardware-in-the-loop simulation with estimation of procurement cost

Degree of interoperability with current rifle squad weapon systems
Human factor impacts

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24

TA2 Non-Kinetic Engagement: Environmental Effects

Adapt: Existing and emerging systems for dismounted rifle squad applications
Extend: Singular capabilities through collaboration for increased performance
Develop: Counters to unmanned systems in the rifle squad battlespace
Reduce Warfighter Burden

Counter Emerging Threats

3d Robotics

The full objectives and scope of Technical Area 2 can be found in the BAAs classified addendum
Payoffs:

Disruption of enemy communications, command, and control

Counters to unmanned threats

Challenges: Coordinated effects from moving, disaggregated platforms

Performance with limitations on size, weight, and power
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25

Expectations Non-Kinetic Engagement

Phase I demonstrations should clearly illustrate performance against the

program success metrics:

Squad Movement Speed

Soldier SWaP Mass
Soldier SWaP Volume

2 m/s
< 900 g
< 500 cm3

Evaluations should include, at a minimum:

Tactical demonstration in open terrain

An estimate of size, weight, and power requirements to achieve program success
metrics at the end of Phase II

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26

TA3 Squad Sensing: Fusion and Exploitation

Adapt: Algorithms and multi-modal sensors for dismounted rifle squad employment
Extend: Single sensors through networked coordination for increased range and accuracy
Develop: Novel techniques for threat detection and identification
Network the Squads Sensing

Raytheon BBN

Payoffs:

Enhance the Squads Sensing

Kitware

JPL

System-level sensing not restricted to line of sight or physical domain

Improved detection range, accuracy, and robustness

Challenges: High accuracy and low false alarms over wide range of conditions
Low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C)
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27

Concept Ideas Squad Sensing

Desired solutions:

Sensing
Low-SWaP systems that can be carried by the manned or unmanned squad member
Novel means to identify and localize threats in the squads operational environment,
especially human threats
Sensor arrays that network the squads sensing
Directed sensors to eliminate the current sensing gap resulting from current rules of
engagement
Minimizing false alarms over realistic operating conditions

Exploitation
Novel exploitation techniques to classify threats in collected sensor data, especially
human threats
Methods that can perform within squad-level sensing and computing limitations

This area is primarily a software development effort

Specifically not desired:

Evolutionary algorithm or sensor developments

Significant hardware or software interface development
Global, multi-scale common world model development
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

28

Expectations Squad Sensing

Phase I demonstrations should clearly illustrate performance against the

program success metrics:

Accuracy
Squad Movement Speed
Soldier SWaP Mass
Soldier SWaP Volume

0.9
2 m/s
< 350 g
< 200 cm3

Demonstrations should include, at a minimum:

Live demonstration of capability with a representative fire team in open terrain

An estimate of size, weight, and power requirements at completion of Phase II

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

29

TA4 Squad Autonomy: Manned-Unmanned Teaming

Adapt: Multi-agent techniques for human and machine collaborative localization
Extend: Current perception techniques for increased speed and robustness
Develop: Unmanned system behaviors (e.g., scouting and formation keeping)
Multiple Techniques and Platforms

Squad-Relevant Behaviors

Thalmic Labs

Payoffs:

Thalmic Labs

Squad-level localization with heterogeneous agents in GPS-denied

environments
Manned/unmanned teaming at increased operational tempo with minimal
interventions

Challenges: Accuracy and drift, over both time and distance, with SWaP-C constraints
Operational tempo in complex and dynamic environments
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30

Concept Ideas Squad Autonomy

Desired solutions:

Localization

Novel techniques to improve localization accuracy using multiple localization techniques

Multi-agent localization across all members of the squad (manned and unmanned)
Techniques must function in a GPS-denied environment
Teams may assume the use of a priori data and that bandwidth is not a constraint

Robotic Behaviors
Technologies that enable heterogeneous (ground and air) unmanned vehicles to perform
squad-level tasks as robotic team members
Execute preparative and reactive actions with equivalent autonomy to junior squad
members
Techniques should support operational speeds up to 4 m/s with sufficient mobility to
traverse cluttered urban and rolling open terrain

Ideally, proposed efforts will address all elements of this technical area

Alternately, teams may propose:

Efforts to only develop human, collaborative localization technology
Efforts to develop human-machine collaborative localization without autonomous
behaviors
Efforts to develop autonomous behaviors without addressing human-machine
collaborative localization
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31

Concept Ideas Squad Autonomy, continued

Specifically not desired:

Unmanned platform development

Evolutionary autonomy system development
Developmental sensors
Individual person or platform localization
Machine-only collaborative localization and mapping
Fully active sensor systems using traditional/fixed wavelengths (e.g., LIDAR at
typical 850-905 nm ranges)

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32

Expectations Squad Autonomy

Phase I demonstrations should clearly illustrate performance against the

program success metrics:

Absolute position
Interventions
Soldier SWaP Mass
Soldier SWaP Volume

6m
0
< 350 g
< 200 cm3

Demonstrations should include, at a minimum:

Live demonstration of capability with a representative fire team in open terrain

An estimate of size, weight, and power requirements at completion of Phase II

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

33

SXCT Program Plan

Q1

Efforts selected by
DARPA-SN-14-40

FY15

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

FY16

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

FY17

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

FY18

Q2

Q3

Q4

Squad X Studies

BAA Release
Concept Development

Efforts to be selected
by this BAA
(DARPA-BAA-15-26)

Phase 1

Technology Maturation
Kickoff

Phase 2

Concept Preliminary Design Review

Concept Critical Design Review
Concept Demonstration
Execute Options
Reviews

Experiments

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34

General Guidance

Squad X Core Technologies is not an integrated, squad system development

program
Proposers may assume (or solutions may leverage):

Use of surrogates is encouraged:

Unmanned system platforms

Communication devices
Interface(s)/display(s)
Were not prescribing the using of a specific radio, waveform, interface/display, or
unmanned system

Demonstrations

Capabilities disaggregated across the rifle squad to include unmanned systems

Networked communications between both human and machine members of the
rifle squad

In Phase I, teams will substantiate technology performance through a concept

demonstration
Modeling and simulation is expected in order to demonstrate projected capability
Live demonstrations are preferred and encouraged

Focus on the technology that is your strength

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35

Multiple Technical Areas

Proposers should not submit proposals that combine multiple Technical

Areas into a single effort

Teams may submit separate technical and cost proposals for each proposed
technical area

The purpose of this approach is to streamline the contracting process, not to

restrict ideas or prevent entities from offering multiple technology solutions

Proposers should strive to provide a clear understanding of the cost, risk,

and organizational expertise to be used within each proposed effort

DARPA will consider proposals that address multiple technical

areas as non-responsive and will not evaluate them

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

36

Classified Addendum & Security Classification Guide

Some aspects of the SXCT program are classified

DARPA anticipates proposals submitted under this BAA will be a mixture of

unclassified and classified efforts.

When the classification of a submission is in question, refer to the SXCT Security

Classification Guide (SCG), to determine the classification.

The SXCT Classified Addendum and Security Classification Guide must be

requested per instructions provided in the BAA.

The BAA, including its SCG, contains all information required to submit a
proposal for Technical Areas 1, 3, and 4.

The BAA, its SCG, and the Classified Addendum contain all information to
submit a proposal for Technical Area 2.

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

37

Squad X Vision
Extend and enhance the situational awareness of the rifle squad
Provide small unit leaders with increased maneuver time and space
Enable rifle squads to shape and dominate their battlespace
Goals:
Enable echelons platoon and below to maneuver distributed, while maintaining
the ability to fight concentrated and mass effects
Provide small unit leaders increased maneuver time and space, in order to
allow them increased decision time and tactical flexibility

Principles:

Enable squads to adapt to and counter emerging threats in their battlespace

Requires quantification of current and expected performance to effectively

assess progress
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

38

Questions

Please submit your written questions via the cards provided

This will allow us to capture the Q&A portion for those not able to attend

Answers to the questions will be provided after lunch and posted to FBO.gov

FAQ

Will a copy of the presentation material be made available?

Yes, once it has cleared public release

How will proposals be ranked against each other?

Proposals will not be compared to one another; each proposal will only be evaluated
against the evaluation criteria provided in the BAA.

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A - Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

39

www.darpa.mil

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40