Runway Independent Maritime & Expeditionary Strike (RIMES)

Problem Statement  

Long range, anti-ship weapons present a growing threat to US Navy ships and degrade their ability to accomplish a mission. While access to long range strike methods can mitigate this threat, Naval surface combatants are constrained in their ability to support long-range strikes over extended combat operations due to reliance on single-use missile systems, with limited magazine depth and limited at-sea munition replenishment capability. The long-range strike methods able to persistently support Naval surface combatants require infrastructure and assets which are vulnerable, limited or in high demand; including runways, and ships with large flight decks. 

Desired Solution Attributes 

To address this problem, the Department of the Navy desires an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) capable of supporting Naval surface combatants through executing long range strikes with standard munition payloads while providing tactical flexibility by operating from expeditionary locations with minimal infrastructure, or from ships without large flight decks. 

A solution brief’s Relevance and Technical Merit will be based on the ability of the system to achieve the Primary Attributes, and any Secondary Attributes. 

Primary Attributes 

• ​​​Expeditionary Operation – Interested in solutions that minimize infrastructure needs for launch, recovery, rearm, and refuel operations of the UAS. 
• Range with Payload - One-way, no-reserve range of at least 1400 nautical miles (NM) in ​​order to allow an approximate 600 NM radius. Interested in solutions that provide greater range while still allowing for expeditionary operation. 
• Payload – Deliver 1000-pound class munitions employed by existing naval aircraft, such as F/A-18 and F-35B/C, and/or palletized munitions. 
• Combat System Integration - Integrate with existing combat systems and with operator responsibilities typical for existing combat systems.  
• System Safety - Minimize operational and technical risk to infrastructure and personnel.  
• Personnel - Operate with minimal dedicated personnel for launch, flight, recovery, maintenance, navigation or communication. 
• Contested Operation - Operate, launch and recover in a spectrum of contested environments. 
• Open Systems - Utilize modular open systems approach (MOSA) in system design and development. Designed for modification and continual improvement. 
• Mission Autonomy – Incorporate mission autonomy to execute all mission phases in a highly contested environment. Autonomy should include dynamic route re-planning and re-tasking. 
• Cost-Effective & Risk Worthy- Optimize cost per effect; through balancing expectation of mission success in a contested environment, with the costs of procurement, certification and development. Demonstrate viability to operate in airspace with adversary threats, such as through survivability or attritability. 
• Maintainability and Repairability - Minimize the time and cost to maintain and repair the vehicle system. 
• Development Time - Minimize expected time and schedule risk to a validated mass production-ready capability. Solutions should demonstrate readiness for significant physical prototyping within 12 months of agreement award.  

Secondary Attributes 

• ​​​Maritime Operation – Refuel, rearm, and sortie from one or more surface combatant classes without a large flight deck (e.g. DDG-51, LCS-1, LCS-2, FF(X)/Legend Cutter). 
• Maritime Environmental Conditions - Capable of operating in most sea states, relative winds, pitch, roll, heave, environmental conditions and wave characteristics encountered during oceanic shipboard operation.  
• Qualification Scope - Reduce the qualification scope as much as practical, such as through identifying and eliminating potential operational hazards in the design phase.  
• Launch & Firing Latency - Reduce the latency from mission receipt to vehicle launch, and from mission receipt to the vehicle expending munitions at a firing point. 
• Vehicle Recovery Latency - Reduce the latency from vehicle recovery to a storage configuration, and from vehicle recovery to a launch configuration. 
• Vehicle Speed - Cruise at a speed comparable to existing long range strike methods. 

Solution Brief Submission Requirements 

Companies will submit a solution brief outlining their solution and addressing the Primary Attributes and Secondary Attributes. Solution characteristics which greatly differ from existing methods will benefit from greater substantiation and detail. Solution briefs should describe any government furnished equipment necessary for development and production. Submissions should meet the following format requirements and include necessary content outlined in CSO HQ0845-20-S-C001, available on SAM.gov and DIU.mil: 

• Solution Briefs should not exceed five (5) written pages using 12-point font, or
• Solution Briefs should not exceed fifteen (15) briefing slides 

Process 

Submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the procedures outlined in CSO HQ0845-20-S-C001 available on SAM.gov and DIU.mil. The CSO provides the framework for the phased process.  

The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the solutions received under this solicitation. Multiple solutions may be selected for early-stage prototyping and technology maturation activities that may include, but not limited to, risk identification and risk reduction sprints, initial development of minimally viable systems suitable for technical analysis, limited technical demonstration, and limited operational evaluation. The scope and duration of these activities may be tailored to address the technical, tactical, and programmatic risks associated with each solution. However, the Government also reserves the right to proceed directly to the development of a single prototype solution based on the merits of the solution and the assessed risks. 

The Government may conduct a further down-select process to identify a prototype(s) that offers the most advantageous technical merit, business value, and/or cost-effectiveness to support continued prototype development. Finally, spiral development efforts may be pursued for selected solution(s) to maximize capabilities.  

DoW requires companies without a CAGE code to register in SAM (https://sam.gov/SAM/) if selected for agreement award. The Government recommends that prospective companies begin this process as early as possible.