Background
On Friday 1 December 2023, Defence Ministers announced the launch of an innovation challenge series for AUKUS Pillar 2. The first of these challenges will be focussed on Electronic Warfare (EW).

AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US to support a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening regional global security. Through Pillar 2, AUKUS partners seek to strengthen trilateral capabilities in cutting-edge military technologies, increase interoperability, and drive knowledge-sharing and innovation.

This is a trilaterally agreed challenge with three entry streams running concurrently in Australia, United Kingdom and United States with national process and terms applied. The challenge is being run as three separate competitions by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) in Australia, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in the United Kingdom and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) in the United States

Competition Scope

This challenge will focus on Defence’s ability to leverage EMS technologies and capabilities that provide a competitive advantage to EM targeting, and those that protect Defence from adversary EM targeting capabilities. The six key elements of the targeting cycle that Defence is interested in improving through development and transition of innovative technologies are;

Find: Identify a target using the EMS.
Fix: Identify a target's location using the EMS.
Track: Monitor a target's movement using the EMS.
Target: Select and apply appropriate EMS assets and/or EMS enabled weapon systems.
Engage: Apply EMS assets and enabled weapons to a target.
Assess: Evaluate effects of an attack using the EMS.

To enable industry to focus resources and efforts on capabilities that are likely to have the greatest impact and potential for success, Defence has identified technologies for application within the targeting cycle for industry consideration. These include, but are not limited to:

· Sensors: The ability to increase the quantity and/or quality of sensors in the operating environment that can identify, locate, and monitor targets, and assess any effects delivered against them. To enable Find, Fix, Track, and Assess phases.

· Closed loop targeting: The ability to employ existing EW sensor data and pre-determined mission parameters to cue and engage effectors at machine speed.
To enable Target and Engage phases.

· Electronic Attack: The ability to disrupt, degrade and deny adversary Command, Control, Communication and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and EW (C4ISREW) systems, and EMS enabled weapons systems. To enable all aspects of the targeting cycle.

· EMS access: The ability to understand, identify and auto-allocate the EMS, dynamically access the EMS for resilience, stealth and reducing spectrum conflicts against agile adversaries. To enable Find, Fix, Track, Target, Engage, and Assess phases.

· EMS Deception & Denial: EM deception and/or denial to prevent adversaries finding, fixing, exploiting or understanding our emissions or true intent to enable blue force projection and blue force protection. To counter all aspects of the targeting cycle.

This Event

This event will out line in detail the information in the competition doccument. It will also provide you a chance to ask questions to the competition team.

Total funding available
The total possible funding available for this competition is up to £1.92 million (excluding VAT). A proportion of this total (up to £150,000 to allocate to multiple projects) is to be awarded to successful suppliers for the completion of a first milestone report. This report will be used to aid early identification of suitable exploitation routes and will be shared trilaterally (under an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding) for awareness of UK projects.
A number of proposals may be funded.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply in this competition you must be a UK business registered on Companies House. You must be based in the UK and intending to carry out project development activity in the UK.

Entrants from Australia or the United States should refer to their national competition page in order to enter.

Submission deadline
12:00 Midday on 16 May 2024 (BST).

Where do I submit my proposal?
Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will be required to register.

Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

Click here for more information on our competition process and how your proposal is assessed.

Queries should be sent to the DASA Help Centre –accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

Registrations are closed

AUKUS Electronic Warfare Challenge Launch Webinar