The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the Technical Support and Operational Analysis (TSOA) in support of its 2025 Defense-in-Depth Experiment (DiDEX 25) event to be held later this year. The C5ISR Center’s Unique Mission Cell (UMC), in partnership with the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System Office (JCO), Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate are organizing DiDEX 25 to help identify innovative solutions that can detect and defeat small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and other types of unmanned systems (UxS) in complex urban environments.
DiDEX 25, scheduled for later this year in Austin TX, is the fifth iteration of this event. Since 2019, it has addressed emerging needs and solutions for operational security, as well as force protection and survivability. According to the RFI, this year’s event will focuse on urgent operational needs related to countering many types of airborne, ground and naval unmanned systems, known as C-UxS, particularly in dense urban environments where traditional detection and defeat mechanisms face limitations. The week-long event will help DEVCOM, operational users and companies evaluate C-UxS detection and defeat technologies in a dense urban setting. Government-provided networks and advanced drone platforms will be used to simulate complex threat scenarios. According to the RFI, the key focus areas for the assessment include:
- Passive and active detection, tracking, and defeat of UxS
- Integration of sensor data into a single Common Operating Picture (COP)
- Bi-directional situational awareness using AI/ML
- Electronic warfare and low-collateral defeat systems
- Data fusion, decision support, and operational intelligence tools
Additionally, technologies that improve mission command, enhance lethality, and reduce Warfighter cognitive load are of high interest, the RFI stated. Interested respondents from industry and academia should submit RFI responses by June 20. The Solicitation Number is W56KGU25RTSOA. The program point of contact can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]. – JED Staff
