A -- Project Hercules Discrimination and Battlement Management Technology Development

The Missile defense Agency (MDA) intends to award a sole source contract to Northrop Grumman (NG) to develop discrimination and battle management technologies in support of the Project Hercules mission. Since 2000, NG has worked to develop an extensive suite of clutter-suppression algorithms and architecture based on 25 years of NG prior experience with BMD and the design, development, and integration experience gained from the existing 5-year contract. At least a one year delay would result if a different team took over this work and attempted to understand and improve upon all the many aspects of these algorithms and their interrelationship when connected in a suite. NG has performed critical functions and used its unique blend of Red Dog, pre-Red Dog (Red Tigress and other missions at RTS), and current flight test design, planning, and analysis and system engineering experience in the successful design of the Red Dog flight test. NG prepared the original system-level requirements for payloads and the requirements for sensor participation and sensor observations (data collection). NG provided system engineering and design guidance to the HardFac in the development of the two novel payloads it prepared for Red Dog Flight 1-B. NG reduced and analyzed sensor data post-mission to characterize the payloads in their operation, to anchor the Corporate Clutter Working Group (CCWG) simulation model SigSim to the data collected, and to modify and extend CCWG mitigation algorithms. This flight was directly relevant to clutter-suppression algorithms whereby NG gained valuable experience that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. As a follow on to Red Dog, a key upcoming test is scheduled for FY06 to test Project Hercules clutter suppression algorithms. NG is applying expertise in the planning of FT06-4 (CMCM-4). That campaign will provide an opportunity for a real-time demonstration of one or more CCWG. The institutional expertise and lessons learned from Red Dog, make it unfeasible for another company to meet this stringent schedule. See Note 22. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all capability statements received within fifteen days after the date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government.