2 November 2001. Thanks to DS.
This announcement may be sincere but it reads like a psychological warfare listing of a host of desirable defenses against pandemic terrorism -- some of which are already available, some of which appear to be wishful thinking, some for assurance to rattled citizens that urgent if expensive long-term research is underway, and in any case all aimed at buffaloing what must be amazingly credulous enemies, while panicking legislators and taxpayers to finance pandemic anti-terrorist terrorism. This kind of shenanigan was standard during the Cold War and afterwards, squandering billions for secret research still not disclosed, or leaked for maximum propaganda. And with Bush's recent order to conceal secrets forever, we'll continue to know less than promulgators of terrifying secrets leaked like this.
USD (AT&L)/TSWG 02-Q-4655 BAA PACKAGE
UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR ACQUISITION,
TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS (USD (AT&L))
AND
COMBATING TERRORISM TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT OFFICE
TECHNICAL SUPPORT WORKING GROUP (TSWG)
BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT
02-Q-4655
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Due Date for Receipt of Phase I Submittals:
No Later Than 23 December 2001
All submittals are due by 1600 - 4:00 p.m. EST on the above date
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23 October 2001
[Excerpts]
[Contract procedures and provisions omitted; see full announcement at www.bids.tswg.gov.]
5. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES.
USD (AT&L) and CTTSO are interested in soliciting proposals in the following areas combating terrorism, location and defeat of hard or difficult targets, protracted operations in remote areas, and countermeasures to weapons of mass destruction. The intent of this BAA is to identify technologies and approaches that provide near-term solutions (12-18 months). The level of detail provided for each specific mission area requirement or the order in which requirements appear is not intended to convey any information regarding relative priority. As a reminder, the subgroup designator, requirement number and document identifier must be included on every submittal (i.e., Quad Chart, White Paper, Proposal).
There are four general requirements (R-100, 200, 300, and 400) in this BAA and each proceeds to related and more defined requirements. Please note the requirement number that best describes your submission in the submission title. Do not include more than one requirement number per submission. If none of the specific requirements describe your submittal then select the most appropriate general requirement.
It should not be assumed that the specific requirements are higher priority than a general requirement nor should the number of specific requirements be interpreted to indicate the relative priority between general requirement areas.
R-100 Combating Terrorism
This topic area includes but is not limited to finding suspected terrorists, predicting the future behavior of terrorists, finding weapons and support equipment that could be used by terrorists, detection and warning of terrorist activities, rapidly configuring protection and defensive measures against terrorist action and recovery from terrorist actions.
R-101 Automated Speaker Recognition System
Incorporate Pashtu, Urdu, Farsi, Arabic dialects, and other minor Middle Eastern and central/south Asian languages into an existing Automated Speaker Recognition System. Integrate advanced language recognition and change detection algorithms to detect changes and identify language within speech data containing multiple languages, short segments (10 - 30 seconds) and over degraded channels. Develop corpus collection/database to support this project. Incorporate open system architecture to permit client-server use by selected intelligence and counterintelligence agencies.
R-102 Computer and Information Operations
Develop a family of tools for the detection, extraction, storage, transmission, scanning, and forensic analysis of computer media, PDAs, and digital audiovisual imagery. Emphasis will be on tools for high performance analysis (forensic intrusion, data, media, network and hierarchical visual information), decryption, steganography, and forensic knowledge based application.
R-103 Tagging, Tracking, Locating and Remote Sensors
Develop tags/sensors that allow remote monitoring of real/near real-time movement of forces and resources. Both line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight methods are acceptable. Methods may be either passive or active. This includes monitoring of civilian as well as military targets. Networked autonomous systems that provide a fused picture of the environment and movements are desireable.
R-104 Locating Faces in Video Images
Develop improved algorithms for identifying that a 2-D video image or sequence of images contains one or more human faces, locating those faces precisely in the image(s) and counting the number of different faces. We are primarily interested in “natural environments” with unconstrained lighting and pose angle, where image resolution exceeds 50-pixel interocular distance. Integration with emerging U.S. government test datasets will be required.
R-105 Identifying Faces in Video Images
Develop improved algorithms for identifying faces from video sequences under unconstrained lighting and pose conditions. Of particular interest is the refinement of basis sets for image-based approaches, creation of model-based methods using 2-D input with potential for “real time” applications, and study of decision optimization with multiple, highly correlated images. Demonstration of algorithms using emerging U.S. government test datasets will be required.
R-106 Video Human Tracking
Develop a system for tracking a single person through multiple sequential 2-D video images or through multiple cameras in uncontrolled lighting environments.
R-107 Voice Print Identification
Develop a system to use voice prints to locate, track, and correlate suspected terrorists and their associates. Develop the technology to identify specific foreign language speakers based on a short sample of voice data collected from intelligence, law enforcement or media sources. Technology must interface with collection databases of voice samples and provide a mechanism for the distribution and use of resultant “speaker id” products. The identification technology should incorporate current state of the art and provide linkage to emerging developing technologies from academia, industry and government labs. System should have the ability to automatically establish and track correlations and build the identification objects, while also providing a robust suite of voice analyst assistant tools for parsing and analyzing the speech data. Develop the ability to handle multiple channel effects and noise degradation from degraded or low quality channels.
R-108 Terrorist Behavior and Actions Predictions Technology
Develop an integrated information base and a family of data mining tools and analysis aids to assist the analyst and the identification of patterns, trends and models of behavior of terrorist groups and individuals. This would include information fusion of diverse intelligence, law enforcement and cultural data into a common form assessable to state of the art data mining and analytic tools. Included would be visualization and display tools for understanding the relationships between persons, events and patterns of behaviors. The system would allow “what if ” type modeling of events and behavioral patterns and result in predictive analysis products with specific elements of information to confirm or deny the hypothesis of the various models. The resulting predictions and hypothesis models should form the basis of a planning and “course of action” tool for US/Allied actions in confirming predictions or disrupting behaviors.
R-109 Information Integration Center
Develop the ability to readily store, catalogue and correlate data that will be identified in the course of an investigation and analysis of suspected terrorist activity.
R-110 Physical Security
This topic area covers research and development projects that satisfy requirements for physical security support to protect personnel, equipment and facilities against terrorist activity. This includes development of equipment and systems to safeguard personnel, prevent or delay unauthorized access to facilities and installations, and to protect against terrorist threats and sabotage. It further includes methods of mitigating the effects of blast on structures.
R-111 Ports of Entry Passenger Screening Aid
Develop a deception detection device for use with counterterrorism based structured interviews for passengers of the various modes of transportation. The system should apply known relationships between electrodermal activity and the detection of deception in a polygraph to a portable device. Consideration will be given to alternate approaches and sensors. Emphasis should be placed on processing time.
R-120 Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)
This topic area focuses on the research and development of ADL technologies to enhance the operational readiness of all elements involved in combating terrorism and consequence management. This includes development of ADL delivery systems, architectures, and infrastructures; models, tools, and procedures to enable the cross platform shared use and reuse of training materials; and tools, techniques, and guidelines for creating high quality, standardized training materials.
R-200 Location and Defeat of Hard or Difficult Targets
This topic area includes but is not limited to technologies for locating, characterizing, planning and practicing mission options, destroying, and damage assessment of underground facilities, highly camouflaged (natural or artificial), or otherwise hidden targets that may house terrorists or terrorist activities.
R-201 Detection and Mapping of Underground Facilities
Develop a system to detect, locate, and map underground/concealed cavities that may serve as secure havens for terrorists. Applicable methods may include ground penetrating radar, acoustics, and unconventional surveillance and reconnaissance.
R-210 Tactical Operations Support
This topic area covers research and development projects that satisfy requirements for equipment and systems to support specialized force offensive operations directed against terrorist activities and groups. This includes reducing the support and infrastructure of terrorist organizations through Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs (reducing popular support and credibility of the terrorist organizations), and through Foreign Internal Defense augmentation, training and equipping indigenous professional military units to fight terrorists.
R-300 Protracted Operations in Remote Locations
This topic area includes but is not limited to technologies that contribute to mission performance including the sustainment and protection of small military units that are deployed in remote areas for extended periods of time. This area also includes technologies that: support the efficient infiltration and exfiltration of military forces and equipment; placement and data access of remote sensors (either stationary or mobile); communication and coordination of operations between and among command centers and remotely located forces; enhanced situational awareness including data fusion; and other technologies that contribute to reconnaissance, direct action, or psychological operations and civil affairs. Remote locations are geographical areas characterized by rugged terrain, presence of hostile forces, and politically denied access. Systems that can fuse multiple sensors into a common picture are desired. Unconventional surveillance and reconnaissance systems are desired.
R-301 Early Warning Devices
Develop early warning capability to alert tactical forces of near presence of non-friendly personnel or vehicles. Included in this requirement are detection systems that identify electromagnetic emissions or acoustic systems. Systems must be rugged and if remote sensors are used, the sensors must be easily hidden in the terrain.
R-310 Direct Action
This topic area includes but is not limited to enhancing direct action capabilities including improved situational awareness for assault units, improved accuracy and lethality of weapons, weapons for special situations, and light-weight personal armor that stops both weapons and knife penetration with full body protection.
R-311 Specialty Munitions
Develop special purpose long-range munitions that will enhance special operations mission requirements and are compatible with standard, fielded weapon systems. Included but not limited in this requirement is ability to provide standoff guidance to specified targets without exposing friendly force.
R-312 Advanced Tactical Imaging Systems
Develop small, weapons-mounted or hand-held systems that provide full exploitation of the imaging spectrum (optical and thermal) to provide quality images that support targeting and offensive operation in environments obscured by smoke, haze, fog, or darkness. System capability must be agile and adjustable to the specific environment in order to take best advantage of the available spectrum.
R-313 Advanced Breaching Tools
Develop tools, methods, or systems that will allow controlled breaching of objectives in a manner that limits collateral effects to the structure or to personnel in the vicinity of the breach point. Breaching of masonry, structural metallic, or other systems may be addressed. Systems must be man portable and be designed to be consistent with operation by small tactical teams.
R-314 Through-Wall Imaging
Develop high fidelity through-wall imaging capability. System must provide accurate location and number of personnel as well as map out the area being imaged. The system must include a user-friendly display that is easily interpreted by tactical force personnel. The display must be night vision compatible, and be rugged enough to support typical tactical operations scenarios. The system should be man portable and operate on its own power supply, but, able to use external power if available.
R-400 Countermeasures to Weapons of Mass Destruction
This topic area includes but is not limited to technologies to monitor, detect and characterize purposely concealed chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) and high-explosive substances; safely destroy or render harmless CBRN, and high-explosive substances or manufacturing facilities; screen personnel and their belongings in potential risk areas (airports, embassies, border crossings, or other portal locations); positively identify known terrorists that may be associated with weapons of mass destruction; quickly and positively identify the nature and source as well as predict the impact of weapons of mass destruction after their release; and forensic methods to quickly identify terrorists who have released weapons of mass destruction. Also desired are systems that include database and data mining tools to identify common times, places, contacts, and other commonalities between suspects.
R-401 Identifying Terrorists Involved with Weapons of Mass Destruction
Develop methods to determine if terrorists have worked with weapons of mass destruction. Identify and characterize the chemical and/or physical changes resulting from intermittent less than lethal exposure to chemical warfare nerve, blister, blood and choking agents; radiation from nuclear weapons or potential radiological dispersion devices; and biological warfare agents. These phenomena shall be used to develop expedient field assays (desired) and devise definitive laboratory protocols (required) to positively associate alleged terrorists in custody with exposure to one or more types of weapons of mass destruction. The matrices of interest include clothing, hair, skin, blood, bodily wastes, teeth and bone. The chemical and/or physical changes must be sufficiently stable to be detectable days to weeks after the individual’s exposure. The ability to identify instances of repeated exposure and to estimate the time elapsed since the last exposure is desired.
R-402 Entry Point Screening for Improvised Explosive Devices, Chemical and Radiological Weapons
Develop an entry point screening system with integrated sensor technology to detect improvised explosive devices (IED), and chemical and radiological weapons. Novel detection technology needs to be integrated with existing sensor systems for detecting explosives, chemical and radiological material. Fixed and mobile entry point screening systems need to be developed in order to support permanent base and expeditionary force protection operations.
R-410 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Countermeasures
This topic area covers research and development projects that satisfy user requirements to counter the terrorist employment of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials.
R-411 Pre-release Detection of Chemical and Biological Agents
Develop a system to detect chemical warfare agents (CWAs), biological warfare agents (BWAs) and selected toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) prior to release in a terrorist attack. Rapid warning of a potential CWA, BWA or TIC release would permit security force personnel to prevent or contain the release and warn personnel to take life saving countermeasures. Pre-release detection capability will provide point detection and alarm within two minutes against the following prioritized CWAs: Nerve agents (GA, GB, GD, GF, VX) (required); Blood Agents (AC and CK) (required); Blister Agents (all H series, L, HL and CX) (desired); TICS with IDLH less than 10ppm (desired); and BWAs: Bacteria, e.g., anthrax; plague; tularemia; toxins; and viruses. Detection may be based on decomposition products, byproducts or other residues from the synthesis or culture process. Contact with the container and surface swipes may be performed in the sampling process.
R-412 Air Sampler and Aerosol Collector
Develop a miniaturized device to continuously monitor and record data on airborne particulate levels for a period of up to 7 days required (30 days desired). The device shall be small, able to operate autonomously to count, categorize and collect airborne particulate matter. The device shall be able to distinguish biological from non-biological particles. It shall exclude particles larger than 25 microns and detect particles down to 0.01 micron in size. The device shall be capable of computing a binary trigger signal based on current and past environmental parameter values, providing the signal to flag a collection event for subsequent analysis after recovery. The device shall have a maximum weight of 2KG and a maximum volume of 1L. The device shall remain operational at temperatures from –20 to 50 degrees C.
R-413 WMD Release Source Prediction
Develop a system to quickly ascertain the location and characteristics of the source a WMD release from remote sensing or from air and/or surface sampling for input into military or other government models to predict the impact of the release and plan response measures. Quick identification of the source can support efforts to mitigate the release and collect critical transient evidence to help identify the perpetrator. The source of a covert CBR release may not be readily apparent requiring the timely deployment of remote sensing capability, a grid of expendable air samplers or a surface sampling plan if the plume has dissipated. The sensor/sampling grid shall be of sufficient density and accuracy to for the application to have a 95% probability of converging on a source location within 100 meters.
R-414 Expedient Chemical and Biological Agent Battlefield Neutralization
Develop procedures for the rapid and expedient neutralization of suspected chemical or biological agents in containers or improvised production facilities using military explosives or other methods with minimal additional logistical burden. The procedures shall address quantity, placement, and stand-off distances with and without personal protective equipment.
R-415 Field Confirmatory Biological Analysis
Develop a portable (<10kg) battery-powered device to process and analyze aqueous samples (<10ml) for the presence of and to identify viable or dead known biological warfare agents (at least eight per sample based on multiple target signatures). With minimal preprocessing of samples, the system must be capable of analyzing ground water, natural surface water, wastewater and aqueous extraction from an intermediate capture medium. In addition to suspended organic and inorganic particulates, the samples may contain a wide range of organic and inorganic solutes including those from spent growth media. Consumables should be shelf stable without refrigeration and self-contained. If required antibodies and nucleic acid probes will be provided as GFE, for simulants (unclassified) during development and actual agents (classified) for deployment. The sample preprocessing and analysis shall take no longer than one hour and there shall be no cross contamination between samples. The system shall be capable of being decontaminated in the field. False positive and false negative rates shall be minimized and probable minimum detectable level of pathogens and toxins shall be specified. Threshold: Bench top system in a simple laboratory to be operated by a trained technician. Objective: Field deployable system to be operated with no specialized molecular biology knowledge after minimal training.
R-416 WMD Material Assessment
Develop database that can be used to track, associate, evaluate and assess procurement of WMD associated materials, including equipment, machinery, precursor and sub-precursor materials, and to highlight abnormal behavior patterns. Database should integrate inputs from purchases of materials or equipment that could be used to manufacture WMD weapons. Transactions to be tracked include use of credit cards, checks, purchase orders, cash, etc. Database should permit records of WMD associated materials procured in unusual quantities to be documented by retailers/wholesalers/manufacturers and reported to appropriate Homeland Defense authorities.
R-420 Explosives Detection
This topic area covers research and development projects that satisfy requirements for existing and emerging technology in the area of explosives detection and diagnostics. Emphasis is on long-term sustained approachs to develop technologies for detection and subsequent characterization of concealed explosives.
R-421 Standoff Detection
Develop technologies that lead to a standoff explosive detection capability for screening people and vehicles at distances of no less than 20 feet with desired goal of 200 feet.
R-422 Handheld Detectors
Develop next generation explosives detectors. Efforts must result in reduced cost and size and have increased duty cycle. Based on existing parameters for handheld detectors the next generation system will have a weight of less than two pounds and cost no more than 10,000 dollars per system.
R-423 Walkthrough Portals for Personnel Screening
Develop portals that do not require people undergoing screening to remain stationary. This walkthrough capability should provide as a minimum detection rates for explosives of greater than 95% with a less than 1% false alarm rate. These portals should also be configured to allow for integration of other sensors such as metal detectors and imaging systems such as low dose x-ray or millimeter wave devices.
R-430 Improvised Device Defeat
This topic area covers research and development projects that satisfy requirements to more safely and effectively render terrorist devices safe. Particular emphasis is placed on technologies that safely diagnose and defeat terrorist improvised explosive devices (IEDs), improvised chemical and biological devices, and large vehicle bombs (LVBs).
R-431 Standoff Large Vehicle Bomb (LVB) Diagnostics
Develop systems to accurately locate and identify components of Large Vehicle Bombs containing explosives and/or chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents to increase the capabilities of military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units and federal, state and local bomb technicians to apply effective, field transportable, robust diagnostics while interrogating a suspect large vehicle bomb. Real-time feedback to the operator is essential in order to facilitate the use of follow-on neutralization systems. Also, in order to minimize risk to operators, standoff or remote capabilities are highly desirable. Factors that may limit the utility or availability of the equipment, such as size, cost, and deployment and usage times, should be given major consideration.
R-432 Large Vehicle Bomb Neutralization
Develop systems to facilitate the rapid neutralization of Vehicle-Borne explosive, chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological devices. Systems must address the ability to disrupt multiple threat type vehicles without causing the device to initiate or detonate. Threat vehicles include, but are not limited to, vans, tractor- trailers, fuel tanks, sewage trucks, water tankers, etc. To minimize operator risk, consideration should be given to using remote employment techniques leveraging existing robotic systems to the greatest extent possible. Further consideration should be given to making the system available to both military and civilian EOD communities, ease of deployment, and system size.
R-433 Large Vehicle Bomb (LVB) Containment and Mitigation
Develop portable and semi-permanent systems and techniques that will reduce the damage both in overpressure and fragmentation caused by the functioning of a Large Vehicle Bomb. Systems should be capable of rapid deployment and use standard materials that will mitigate the effects of LVB's. Ideally, the techniques or systems should provide a reduction of 50% of the air blast. Remote operation of the tools with robotic vehicles/systems is highly desirable.
R-434 Precision Disruption Tools
Develop precision explosive ordnance disposal procedures. Improvised thermobaric devices, improvised biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction mandate the development of precision disruption technology. The current methods are crude and cause collateral damage. Applying these antiquated render safe techniques could cause the inadvertent release of the improvised material. Development of precision disruption tools that will “peel back” and expose the inner contents to allow surgical separation of components without inadvertent release of the improvised material is required. Developments in lasers and precision surgery techniques that use computer controls are needed to allow for precise disassembly of improvised terrorist devices.
ATTACHMENT A – ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADL Advanced Distributed Learning
BAA Broad Agency Announcement
BIDS BAA Information Delivery System
BWA Biological Warfare Agent
CASB-CMF Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board - Cost of Money Factors
CBRN Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
CWA Chemical Warfare Agent
DFARS Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal
EST Eastern Standard Time
FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation
FCCM Facilities Capital Cost Of Money
FOIA Freedom Of Information Act
FY Fiscal Year
GFI Government Furnished Information
GFM Government Furnished Material
HBCU/MI Historically Black Colleges, Universities (HBCU) & other Minority Institutions (MI)
IED Improvised Explosive Device
IDLH Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health
LVB Large Vehicle Bomb
PDF Portable Document Format
PL Public Law
R&D Research and Development
SF Standard Form
SOW Statement of Work
TIC Toxic Industrial Chemicals
TSWG Technical Support Working Group
USC United States Code
USD (AT&L) Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics