Army competition selects five small businesses to submit proposals for novel software-defined radios

By Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and TechnologyJuly 13, 2021

xTech SBIR Waveform Challenge
xTech SBIR Waveform Challenge (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army's xTech SBIR Waveform Challenge, a competition designed to seek transformative technologies from small and non-traditional businesses, has selected five small businesses to submit proposals for Direct to Phase II SBIR awards to help develop their transformative technology solutions for software-defined radios.

The five winning businesses, each of which will receive $50,000 in prize money, were selected from a group of 10 finalists. They are:

  • ANDRO Computational (Rome, New York) for the Waveform Agile System Palette (WASP)
  • Eqip Solutions (Rolling Meadows, Illinois) for the Sidekiq VPX425: A Multi-Channel CMOSS-Compliant SDR Platform Enabling Deployment of SCA-Based Tactical Communications Waveforms
  • Perceptronics Solutions (El Segundo, California) for the a Robust CMOSS-Aligned SDR for Multiple Tactical Waveforms
  • R-DEX Systems (Atlanta, Georgia) for the Next-Generation Open Subsystems for Improved Development, Deployment, and Sustainment of Tactical Radio Waveforms
  • Skylark Wireless (Houston, Texas) for the G5G-MSRP: Generic 5G Modular SDR Reference Platform

The xTech SBIR Waveform Challenge, which is sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, will assist the U.S. Army’s modernization priorities by helping to solve key capability gaps in the decoupling of hardware and software-based waveforms.

“With a move to SDRs, we have gained incredible flexibility and the capability to use multiple different radio waveforms on common radio platforms,” said Col. Garth Winterle, Program Manager for Tactical Radios at the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical. “The five xTech Waveform Challenge winners all presented highly innovative approaches to help accelerate our ability to get new SDR capabilities into the field sooner and at a potentially lower cost.”

“Modernization requires innovation, and SDR technology is a field where xTech can help bridge the gap between the Army and small business innovations,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Director of Army Prize Competitions and the Army Applied SBIR Program. “Mission-critical funding provided by this particular challenge will further develop these solutions and place them right where they need to be, which is in the hands of the warfighter.”

This Summer, PEO C3T will host the Waveform Immersion Day as part of the xTech Waveform SBIR Challenge. This event will facilitate conversation and actionable collaboration opportunities among the various government and industry stakeholders in the radio software space. Sessions will include pitches from Waveform prize winners, initiative explanations from leaders and technical experts within PEO C3T, and networking opportunities with industry prime integrators.

Representatives of prime integrators who would like to be involved with the Waveform initiative and engage in conversation with Waveform winners should write to: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.xtechsearch@mail.mil. The xTech Twitter and LinkedIn social media platforms will post more information about the event as it becomes available.

Click here for more information on the Army's xTech Program.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology provides the American Soldier with a decisive advantage in any mission by developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining the world's finest equipment and services, and by leveraging technologies and capabilities to meet current and future Army needs.