Army surveys industry for software-defined radio (SDR) hardware and RF waveforms for situational awareness

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – U.S. Army mission command experts are reaching out to industry for software-defined radio (SDR) hardware able to use existing waveforms for line-of-sight communications for sharing real-time situational awareness, maps, graphics, and command and control messages.

Officials of the Army Project Manager Mission Command (PM MC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., issued a request for information (W15P7T-25-R-0025) on Wednesday for the Line of Sight (LoS) Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Waveform project.

The Army is looking for SDR hardware able to use existing RF waveforms for use as a line-of-sight communications pathway between Mounted Mission Command-Transport transceivers.

Networked command information

Mounted Mission Command is a next-generation networked mission command information system for the Army and Marine Corps. that enables units to share command-and-control images and messages. It is an upgrade to the Force-21 Battle Command Brigade and Below and includes tactical chat, command applications, and an intuitive user interface for communications and situational awareness.

Mounted Mission Command modernizes existing software and hardware using a phased approach with three parts: Mounted Mission Command software, transport, and computers. The PM MC develops integrated mission command capabilities for the Army and joint forces.

From industry, the Army wants to know the technology readiness level of available SDR hardware, and whether products have taken part in government developmental test events.

Related: SDR: a spectrum of possibilities

Suggested SDR hardware should measure 6.25 by 4.1 by 0.7 inches; support several channels for multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) waveforms; port to SDR hardware without restriction; can be embedded in other vendors' products; have power and data connectors that are non-proprietary; uses standards-based protocols for signaling and power negotiation; and have any tuning restrictions between bands.

Companies interested should email 10-page white papers no later than 9 June 2025 to the Army's Monique Jefferson at [email protected], or Sharon Peterson at [email protected].

Email questions or concerns to Monique Jefferson at [email protected], or Sharon Peterson at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/1bcefae9c6ac4f72bff598b4ce0cd314/view.