Farseer: Quantum Sensing for ISR

Problem Statement

The Department of War (DoW) relies on robust Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to guarantee situational awareness and maintain operational superiority. Currently, critical Joint Force missions are driven by classical sensors that detect fluctuations in electromagnetic and gravitational fields. Additionally, the invisible backbone of modern ISR is absolute precision timing and synchronization, which enables seamless sensor fusion, secure communications, and coordinated multi-domain effects. However, legacy sensors and timing systems often constrain mission profiles due to limited sensitivity or excessive Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP). This inherent sensitivity-SWaP trade-off fundamentally bottlenecks classical platforms, restricting their operational reach and potential in contested environments.

Quantum sensors and clocks are not beholden to the same fundamental limitations of classical systems, providing a path to simultaneously achieving both high sensitivity and low SWaP. Mature atomic and solid-state platforms are now ready for operational demonstrations across multiple DoW domains, specifically functioning as high-fidelity quantum magnetometers, gravimeters, and precision clocks. The rapid development and integration of these quantum technologies has the potential to unlock critical next-generation ISR capabilities essential for tactical intelligence systems, multi-domain collection & electronic protection, precision targeting, and surface air-and-missile defense. By cutting through extreme noise, clutter, and active electromagnetic contestation, quantum sensors and clocks offer the prospect of enhanced situational awareness, thereby facilitating dominance in highly complex, multi-domain battlefields. 

Desired Solution Attributes

The Farseer program is a multi-phase DoW initiative designed to rapidly transition mature quantum sensor and clock technologies into operational ISR capabilities. The DoW seeks innovative commercial solutions to prototype and demonstrate these advanced, quantum-enabled sensing and timing platforms to address warfighter needs. The program will have mid-course functional demonstrations and conclude with full-scale operational demonstrations tailored to relevant military mission sets. Furthermore, Farseer embraces an agile development approach, integrating iterative design spirals to facilitate seamless, component-level technology insertions throughout the program's lifecycle.

The Farseer program is structured across four (4) primary Lines of Effort (LoE), each focused on critical mission use cases: (i) magnetometers, (ii) gravimeters, (iii) portable clocks, and (iv) component technologies for spiral enhancements to quantum sensing and timing solutions. Each vendor is restricted to one brief per LoE, but may submit separate solution briefs for multiple LoEs. Please ensure any submission brief clearly indicates the specific LoE being applied to.

Compelling sensor and clock solutions should have the following properties:

• Sensitivity & SWaP: Potential to reach sensitivity & SWaP metrics that unlock capabilities beyond current state-of-the-art for concrete DoW ISR applications.
• Prototype Readiness: Existing prototypes mature enough for initial testing in operational conditions at a U.S. government facility within three to nine months after contract award.
• Transition Readiness: Clear path to achieving the above-mentioned sensitivity and SWaP goals within two to three years, as well as ruggedness and hardening requirements appropriate to the targeted DoW application.
• Open Systems Architecture: Sensor systems and component technologies adhering to sensor open system architecture (SOSA) principles and best practices.

Informative submissions should contain the following information if applicable and available:

• Dual-use viability in specific commercial markets (see Table 1 for example magnetometer applications).
• Total operational bandwidth and instantaneous bandwidth of the sensor.
• Previous lab test or field test results.
• Previous or ongoing integration efforts on defense or commercial platforms.
• Proprietary control and tuning software and how it would interface with existing DoW hardware.

LoE 1: Magnetometers

The DoW seeks commercial solutions to prototype magnetometers for strategic ISR needs. Magnetometers detecting signals above 100 Hz are of potential interest, with solutions expected to operate in specific frequency ranges that are relevant to targeted DoW and commercial applications (see Table 1 for example commercial applications).

Table 1 – Dual-Use (Commercial) Applications

LoE 2: Gravimeters

The DoW seeks commercial solutions to prototype scalar absolute gravimeters and single-component gravity gradiometers for warfighter needs suitable for static, low-dynamics (e.g., maritime), or high-dynamics (e.g., airborne) contexts. Representative operational metrics are provided in Tables 2-4 based on potential applications in each context. Submissions should specify expected sensor performance in targeted DoW and commercial applications. Example commercial applications include mineral surveying, oil & gas field monitoring, and detection of sink holes or underground voids.

Table 2 - Static Gravimeter Metrics

⁽¹⁾ 1 µGal = 1 x 10^-8 m s^-2

⁽²⁾ 1 E = 1 x 10^-9 s^-2



Table 3 - Low-Dynamics Gravimeter Metrics

Table 4 - High-Dynamics Gravimeter Metrics

LoE 3: Portable Clocks

The DoW seeks commercial solutions that progress prototyping, manufacturing, integration, and field testing of portable clocks for warfighter needs that achieve the operational metrics given in Table 3. Submissions may propose solutions focused on (a) scaling clock manufacturing, or (b) integration of existing prototypes into new and legacy platforms. Platforms of relevance include Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities, resilient communications, as well as coherent sensor network applications. For the latter category of submissions, solutions may optionally focus on ruggedization of existing prototypes to military specifications and hardware/software interfaces that enable fusion of portable clock outputs with existing timing infrastructure on DoW platforms. System integration submitters can assume tactical clock RF outputs of 10 MHz, 100 MHz and 1 PPS, with the SWaP metrics indicated in Table 5.

Table 5 - Portable Clock Metrics

LoE 4: Component Technologies

The DoW seeks commercial solutions to reduce the SWaP and improve the manufacturability of the current generation of quantum platforms described in LoEs 1-3 or less mature but relevant quantum sensors for ISR applications such as Rydberg electric field sensors. Maturation of components such as chip-scale lasers, micro-optics, photonic integrated circuits, cryogenics, and vapor cells that are necessary to enable operational utility of quantum sensors and clocks.

Compelling solutions will have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Clear insertion pathway to quantum sensor or clock technical solutions, which may occur in mid-course development spirals. 
• Modular and broad applicability to multiple types of quantum platforms.
• Production that can scale to mature manufacturing/microfabrication processes involving trusted manufacturers/foundries, if they are not already mature.
• Contributes to quantum supply chain robustness.

Proposal Format and Content

In addition to content detailed in the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process document, vendors are requested to submit proposals in the form of a solution brief (PDF file format preferred) that summarizes the following primary information:

• The LoE being applied to.
• Compliance to the characteristics/requirements related to the LoE, as stated above.
• Applicability, but not necessarily exclusivity, to specific domains, as stated above.
• Current and target TRLs/MRLs of existing and planned product architectures, including details of existing prototypes indicating prototype and transition readiness.
• Level of ruggedness in terms of vibration, shock, environmental, and ingress resistance.
• Differentiable innovation(s) and IP vs. the current industry state-of-the-art.

As applicable, vendors may include an addendum (not counted towards the recommended page/slide limit) to their solution briefs summarizing only the following secondary information:? List of any active contracts with the U.S. and foreign governments/organizations.

• Business relationships with any quantum system integration partners or OEMs.
• Identification of any critical subcomponents or commodities that are foreign-sourced, and the supplier and place of origin.
• Identification of any individual or institutional investors in their company with heritage from, or investments in, adversarial nations listed in 15 CFR 791.4.