Sources Sought: Call For Technology Independent Verification &Validation (IV&V) 27-1: Spectrum Proof

Sources Sought: Call For Technology Independent Verification &Validation (IV&V) 27-1: Spectrum Proof

OPEN CALL for TECHNOLOGY

US Army V Corps, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), is initiating an open call to find, vet, validate, and integrate new and emerging technologies in alignment with US Army Europe’s (USAEUR) Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI). IV&V 27-1: Spectrum Proof provides relevant scenarios to Joint Command participants as they seek to establish an operationally relevant environment for new technologies and design cost-effective, repeatable experimentation events relevant to the future of warfare. This announcement is a sources sought for capabilities

The Government is not liable for payment of any costs incurred in response to this sources sought and participation in the Spectrum Proof experimentation event and is under no obligation to act in any way on the information received or make any awards from this event. No costs incurred by interested companies/technologies in response to this announcement will be reimbursed. The information provided may be used by any federal agency in developing a future acquisition strategy, Performance Work Statement (PWS), Statement of Objectives (SOO) and/or Performance Based Specifications (PBSs). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition-sensitive information contained in their response.

Submissions will be assessed by a peer panel that may include Department of War (DoW) and supporting industry and academic Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who will determine the technical merit of submissions based on maturity and mission threat alignment. If a submission is deemed “awardable” it may be eligible for award of further research, prototyping, procurement for experimental purposes, and even production under 10 USC 4021, 10 USC 4022, 10 USC 3458, FAR/DFARS Part 35, and DFARS Subpart 212.70, and 10 USC 4023.

PURPOSE:

The Proof series IV&V events focus on finding, vetting, validating, and integrating new and emerging technologies in alignment with EFDI’s technology priority areas. This experimentation event provides relevant scenarios for Joint Command participants as they seek to establish an operationally relevant environment for new technologies and to design cost-effective, repeatable experimentation events for the future of warfare. The intent of the Proof series IV&V events is to identify select technology and companies to invite to participate in a follow-on operational environment event in the EUCOM theater.

BACKGROUND:

DoW experimentation events are vital for advancing military capabilities and ensuring strategic readiness. These events enable the validation of emerging technologies and innovative concepts and enhance operational effectiveness and preparedness. The mission of the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kentucky’s IV&V program is to provide the DoW with a structured, repeatable venue for rapidly integrating, testing, and assessing emerging technologies alongside Warfighters in operationally relevant environments. IV&V events accelerate the transition of capabilities from concept to the field, ensuring that technology serves the mission and strengthens the Joint Force’s readiness for future conflict.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

To support the development of an operationally coherent mission thread for Spectrum Proof, the Government is seeking technologies that can be integrated, stressed, and evaluated across the verticals outlined below. The intent is not to showcase isolated systems, but to identify capabilities that can integrate as a system operated by non-EW professionals that enables broad scale EW operations in congested and contested EMS environments.

Organizations with technologies that align to one or more of these verticals are invited to submit a structured package for review. The submission consists of two (2) components:

1. Whitepaper (10 pages maximum). Provide a brief overview of the technology’s development path, operational or test history, and current technology readiness level (TRL). Identify the Spectrum Proof vertical(s) the capability supports and clearly state the role it would play within the mission thread.
2. Technology Quad Chart (One (1) page. Summarize the capability, prior integration or deployment, and current TRL. Include a technical point of contact with complete point of contact (POC) and communication details.

Technologies that demonstrate sufficient maturity and mission-thread alignment may be selected for integration and participation in IV&V 27-1: Spectrum Proof, scheduled to execute from 02 November through 06 November 2026, Fort Knox Kentucky.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

The core challenge on the Eastern Flank is enabling the U.S. Army, working as part of a NATO and Allied joint force, to reliably sense, understand, exploit, attack, and protect across a heavily contested electromagnetic spectrum and connected cyberspace. To deter peer aggression and keep joint and coalition forces free to maneuver, the Army must protect its own C2 networks while delivering automated, synchronized non‑lethal effects at long ranges against adversary command, control, and targeting systems. Gaining and holding electromagnetic spectrum superiority against dense A2/AD networks requires a resilient, coalition‑ready architecture that works in congested RF environments, provides precise effects at multiple echelons, and shields friendly forces from continuous electronic and cyber disruption during both competition and crisis.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

The intent is to identify Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) capabilities critical to the operational construct of a Mobile Brigade Combat Team (MBCT). The objective is to source and evaluate EW capabilities that bridge electromagnetic sensing, flexible integration across echelons, and rapid non-lethal responses in contested electromagnetic environments. Submitted technologies must demonstrate reliability, availability, and maintainability within a realistic, contested multi-domain environment at the Brigade echelon.

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS AREAS:

The first four verticals work together as a single operational flow, from detection, to identification, to applying pressure against threats, and finally to sensor‑to‑shooter integration. The fifth vertical ensures this entire flow continues to function even when forces are operating in severely degraded or denied environments.

1. Electromagnetic Support (ES) / Surveillance: Modern Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) systems must deliver full‑spectrum sensing that can detect, identify, and locate both communication and non‑communication emitters in the battlespace. They must be able to identify and direction‑find multiple emitters at the same time, process signals from many sources, and provide real‑time tactical information that feeds the common operating picture, targeting, and the broader decision‑making and planning cycle.

Areas of Interest:

1. Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) Optimization for seamless integration with vehicles (platform-agnostic), personnel, and attritable unmanned systems.
2. Wideband Instantaneous Bandwidth (IBW): High dynamic range sensing across frequency-agile military and commercial frequency bands to include detection of advanced signals, such as Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) and frequency-hopping waveforms.
3. Phase coherent Geolocation: Sensors must provide precise and accurate data utilizing hybrid passive geolocation techniques.
4. Radio Frequency (RF) data architecture featuring a local, low-latency onboard library for real-time signature matching, supplemented by a network-enabled interface to pull updates from a centralized repository. 
5. Supports precision location against Red, Blue, and Grey RF signatures in Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) network environments.
6. Advanced Modulation Classification: Near real time determination of analog vs digital signals and identification of modulation types. (e.g. AM, FM, FSK, QAM)
7. Polarization Identification: Automatic identification of Antenna polarization.
8. Automated signal processing: Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML) driven signal characterization and other advanced signal processing schemes to detect and classify signals able to adapt to changing Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) conditions in a dense Electromagnetic Operational Environment (EMOE).

2. Common Services: Modern EMSO systems must provide core shared functions to integrate within common open architecture frameworks. A foundation built on data exchange standardization will enable rapid integration with mission command systems, on boarding of new technologies and third-party applications to include sustained common user training with simple and intuitive graphic user interfaces. This must happen at echelon and, as required, must also include data exchanges between the reprogramming enterprise and the tactical edge.

Areas of Interest:

1. Open Systems Architecture
2. Automated PACE Management
3. Self-Healing Mesh Networking
4. Low-Latency Sensor to Shooter links
5. Sensor edge processing, filtering, and Bandwidth Optimization.
6. Cloud to Edge Synchronization
7. Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)/Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA)/ C5ISR EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) compliant.
8. Electromagnetic Environment Visualization (EME)
9. Dynamic Spectrum Deconfliction
10. Automated Target hand-off
11. Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) Reporting.
12. Remote node tasking and management

Electromagnetic Attack (EA): Modern EMSO systems must give commanders the ability to influence and disrupt any system that depends on the electromagnetic spectrum. These systems must deliver a full range of electronic attack techniques, such as noise jamming, protocol‑based effects, and other methods, that can deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy, or manipulate an adversary’s ability to communicate, sense, control, or navigate within the spectrum.

 Areas of Interest:

1. Distributed payloads integrated into Combat Platforms
2. Must be RF adjustable (reprogrammable)
3. Demonstrate capability against Tactical military radios, commercial RADAR, Group 1-2 UAS, and NAVWAR
4. Advanced Electromagnetic Attack Techniques such as Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM), protocol, precision jamming, PN/T
5. Operator Stand-Off / Remote Control
6. Target hand off. Operator ability for re-tasking of assets with existing or future capability of automated/cognitive re-tasking to maintain effectiveness. 
7. Precision directional Jamming & variable power
8. Automated execution (Jam on energy)

SPECTRUM PROOF IV&V EVENT:

A Spectrum Proof experiment event is projected to be executed from 02 November through 06 November 2026 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This event will include scenario runs, daily coordination sessions, and a Distinguished Visitor Day on/about 05 November 2026. An After-Action Review will occur on/about 06 November 2026. The Government is using this sources sought to identify participants in the IV&V event.

Considerations for event participation: Sources sought responses will be evaluated based on their alignment with the focus areas and the materials submitted. The Government will conduct a structured review to assess maturity, relevance, and integration potential.

Prior to the event, some vendors may  receive a on-site visit from a member of the government team to review the capabilities of their submitted technology(s). The government team will determine whether the technology's readiness, interoperability, and mission relevance meet the threshold for participation in the IV&V event.

IV&V Reporting: Letters of Observation (LOOs) will be provided to those entities that participated in the IV&V event. No vendor-proprietary information will be shared outside government control.

FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITY: In-Theater Experimentation Event

The Government intends to select technology from Spectrum Proof to participate in a follow-on USAEUR experimentation event in the EUCOM theater in 3QFY27.

CONTRACTOR SUPPORT:

The Government may use contracted personnel to provide administrative assistance to federal employees regarding all aspects of any actions ensuing from this announcement, including the evaluation of white papers and subsequent proposals. Government support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to protect proprietary and source- selection information and/or awarded contract(s) to provide the support outlined above. They are not permitted to release any source-selection information to third parties, including others in their

organization. By submitting a white paper, offerors hereby grant support contractors access to financial, confidential, proprietary, and/or trade secret markings.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT of INTEREST (OCI) – Technology Demonstrators:

Respondents are participating solely as technology demonstrators and will not perform assessment, evaluation, scoring, or advisory functions related to other technologies to preserve the integrity, fairness, and objectivity of the event.

Responses to this sources sought are to be UNCLASSIFIED, and are due NLT 2359 hrs. (EST), 31 July 2026, to OnRamp Hub: Kentucky. The following link can be used for submissions:

https://universityoflouisville.my.site.com/SpectrumProofApplications/.

The point of contact for this sources sought is OnRampHubKY@diu.mil.

Please use the subject line “RE: Spectrum Proof Application Question” when reaching out with questions regarding the application.