ONHS Report: SSP

Next Generation Undersea Security Initiative (NG-USI)

Solicitation ID: SSP_NG-USI

Agency: Strategic Systems Programs/SSP

Type: Sources Sought

Deadline: 2031-07-01T17:00:00 ET

Eligibility: Maybe (OTA/Consortium)

Funding: N/A

Doc Type: BAA

Clearance: No

Program Manager: david.shriner@ssp.navy.mil

Last Updated: 2026-07-03 16:03

Analyzed File: API_Description.txt

Eligibility Reasoning

Participants from industry, non-profit organizations, and not-for-profit entities... Other Transaction Authority in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022 will be used... The NG-USI will be carried out under the terms of a Participant Basic Agreement (PBA). The PBA is available for qualified entities interested in participating in the NG-USI.

Note: This is an AI-generated summary...

Summary

[Analyzed from API Fallback] The Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) is soliciting participants for the Next Generation Undersea Security Initiative (NG-USI) to rapidly prototype state-of-the-art technologies for strategic naval superiority. Using an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) mechanism, the initiative focuses on 22 distinct areas. Key technical domains include mitigating submarine signal signatures, countering unmanned systems (C-UXS), defeating adversarial AI, and enhancing physical security for facilities, maritime transits, and ground convoys. The initiative also covers the development and modernization of strategic weapon systems components, such as fire control, solid rocket motors, thermal protection, avionics, and launch systems for programs like TRIDENT II and Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), alongside advancements in manufacturing methods and materials to improve industrial resiliency.

Overall Technical Areas

Signal Mitigation & StealthCounter-Unmanned Systems (C-UXS)Adversarial AI CountermeasuresElectronic Security & Sensor FusionRobotics & Autonomous PlatformsAdvanced Manufacturing & MaterialsSolid Rocket Motor PropulsionHypersonic Thermal ProtectionAdvanced Avionics & NavigationFire Control System DevelopmentMaritime Surveillance & SecurityElectronic Warfare SystemsCyber-Physical System SecurityKinetic & Non-Kinetic EffectorsNovel Launch & Warhead Systems

Probable LBNL Areas

CSAESAETAPSA

Focus Areas

Example Priorities:

Prototype and integrate novel Electronic Security Systems (ESS) to modernize perimeter and interior defense for strategic weapons facilities.
Prototype technologies for advanced personnel and vehicle screening to ensure rapid, zero-failure access control at strategic facility perimeters.
Prototype technologies to ensure the zero-failure secure movement of strategic maritime assets.
Prototype technologies that leverage commercial robotics to enhance security force operations.

Specific Technical Skills:

Sensor FusionRobotics & AutonomyIntrusion Detection SystemsMaritime Domain AwarenessBiometric ScreeningActive Protection Systems (APS)Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs)Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs)Secure CommunicationsCommand and Control (C2) Integration

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Omer Savas	0.70	PSA \| Engineering \| Engineering Division Office
Dre Helmns	0.70	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys.
Simo Makiharju	0.69	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis
Kameshwar Poolla	0.68	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Jason MacDonald	0.68	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Christopher Tracy	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
John D. Owens	0.67	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Nicolas Abgrall	0.67	PSA \| NSD \| ANP
Scott Moura	0.67	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Venkatesh Akella	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications

Example Priorities:

Prototype technologies that may mitigate the generation, radiation, propagation, and scatter of a variety of signal types (acoustic, chemical, optical, electromagnetic, radiological, hydrodynamic, and cyber)
Prototype technologies to detect, track, identify, deny, and defeat unmanned systems across all domains (aerial, surface, underwater, and ground).
Prototype technologies to effectively counter hostile Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities.
Solutions should focus on defeating autonomous swarms, disrupting AI-enabled Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) directed at nuclear facilities, and hardening strategic security networks against AI-driven cyber-physical attacks or spoofing.

Specific Technical Skills:

Counter-Unmanned Systems (C-UXS)Electronic Warfare (EW)Artificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSignal ProcessingAcoustic EngineeringCyber-Physical SecurityAdversarial AIStealth TechnologySwarm Robotics

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Tanny Andrea Chavez Esparza	0.68	ESA \| ALS \| PS Computing staff
Chris Anderson	0.68	ESA \| MSD \| Center for X-Ray Optics
Kameshwar Poolla	0.68	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Dre Helmns	0.68	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys.
Zhi Jackie Yao	0.67	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics
Zhi Yao	0.67	CSA \| AMCR \| Applied Mathematics
Omer Savas	0.67	PSA \| Engineering \| Engineering Division Office
Sung-Joo Yoo	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Dipak Ghosal	0.67	CSA \| ESNET \| Tech Adv and Engagement
Christoph Kirst	0.67	CSA \| SciData \| Data & Computational Science

Example Priorities:

Prototype technologies for next-generation large solid rocket motors, including novel propellant formulations or new case and nozzle manufacturing technologies.
Prototype materials and technologies for thermal protection of high-speed systems.
Develop new launch systems for large-caliber missiles to support flexible deployments.
Prototype and test new, higher-performance avionics subsystems for the following high-risk capability areas: (1) inertial measurement units and alternate navigation aids; (2) sensing and communications; (3) control actuators and effectors; (4) flight computers.

Specific Technical Skills:

HypersonicsMaterials ScienceSolid Rocket PropulsionAerothermal AnalysisAvionics IntegrationInertial Navigation Systems (INS)Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC)Warhead DesignHigh-Rate ManufacturingSystems Engineering

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Michael Frenklach	0.71	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis
Katherine Ray	0.70	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Giorgio Vallone	0.70	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Kameshwar Poolla	0.69	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Omer Savas	0.69	PSA \| Engineering \| Engineering Division Office
Daniel Cheng	0.69	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Diego Arbelaez	0.69	PSA \| Engineering \| Mechanical Engineering
Robert Ritchie	0.69	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics
Grace Lau	0.69	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Dre Helmns	0.69	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys.

Example Priorities:

Develop, Prototype, and Demonstrate technologies in the automation of rapid software validation, software mapping, and code testing, to include virtualization and processing in a virtualized environment.
Develop and prototype technologies which may lead to the optimization of computational power, capabilities, and speed in a limited environment.
Development and Prototype of technologies leading to the reduction of noise, vibration shock, and thermal dissipation is an environment with confined and limited space.
Development and Prototype of technologies to establish a nuclear certified Fire Control As A Service (FAAS) environment, able to support multiple SSP Regional Deterrence weapon systems.

Specific Technical Skills:

Software Validation & VerificationDevSecOpsVirtualizationEmbedded SystemsHigh Performance ComputingThermal ManagementVibration and Shock AnalysisNuclear CertificationHuman-Machine Interface (HMI)Systems Integration

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Sudip Dosanjh	0.71	CSA \| Computing \| National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
Andrew Lake	0.71	CSA \| ESNET \| Systems and Software
Dhruva Kulkarni	0.70	CSA \| NERSC \| Sci Eng & Workflows Department
Joshua Robert Boverhof	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Valerie Hendrix	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Damian Rouson	0.70	CSA \| AMCR \| Computer Science
Hannah Parrilla	0.70	PSA \| NSD \| ANP
Danielle Svehla Christianson	0.70	CSA \| SciData \| Data Science Applications
Sowmya Balasubramanian	0.70	CSA \| ESNET \| Systems and Software
Dale Carder	0.69	CSA \| ESNET \| Networking Services

Example Priorities:

Develop and qualify alternate manufacturing methods for single-source, or hard-to-manufacture parts (e.g. cables, thermal panels) to build industrial base resiliency.
Develop and qualify alternate materials to replace legacy components that are obsolete or phased out (e.g. Missile lifting fixture, MbOCA, VEEA rare-earth magnets).
Perform early learning and risk reduction activities by demonstration of key technologies, concepts, or prototypes to include: developmental tests, design risk mitigation tasks, and solutions for design technology and integration issues.

Specific Technical Skills:

Advanced ManufacturingAdditive ManufacturingMaterials ScienceSupply Chain ManagementComponent ObsolescenceRapid PrototypingRisk ManagementTechnology MaturationQualification & TestingIndustrial Engineering

Potential PIs for this Area:

Name	Score	Organization
Grace Lau	0.72	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Eric Lizotte	0.71	PSA \| Engineering \| Manufacturing EG
Kameshwar Poolla	0.71	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt
Dre Helmns	0.71	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys.
Peng Peng	0.70	ETA \| Energy Analysis & Env. Impacts \| Sustainable Energy Dept
Robert Ritchie	0.70	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics
Sabbie Miller	0.70	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis
Yuan Gao	0.70	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys. \| Bldg Technologies Dept
Peter Therkelsen	0.70	ETA \| Building Tech. & Urban Sys. \| Bldg & Industrial App Dpt
Scott Dimaggio	0.70	PSA \| Engineering \| Manufacturing EG

Potential LBNL PIs (Overall)

Note on PI Matching: These suggestions are generated through an AI-driven semantic analysis of LBNL staff profiles.

Name	Score	Organization
Kenny Higa	0.76	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt · Advanced Manufacturing & Materials
Qin Yu	0.75	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics · Hypersonic Thermal Protection
Didier Perrodin	0.74	ESA \| MSD \| Material Physics · Solid Rocket Motor Propulsion
Alexandre Bayen	0.74	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Cyber-Physical System Security
Eric Masanet	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Systems & Energy Tech Analysis · Novel Launch & Warhead Systems
Daniel Arnold	0.73	ETA \| ESDR \| Energy Storage & Dist Dpt · Adversarial AI Countermeasures
Najm Us Saqib	0.73	PSA \| Engineering \| Electronic Engineering · Fire Control System Development
Victor Negut	0.73	PSA \| NSD \| ANP · Signal Mitigation & Stealth
Jing Ke	0.73	ETA \| Energy Analysis \| Energy Efficiency Studies · Kinetic & Non-Kinetic Effectors
Claire Tomlin	0.72	BSA \| Biological Systems & Engineering \| Department of BioEngineering and BioMedical Sciences · Advanced Avionics & Navigation

Fundamental Research Exemption (FRE)

Not Mentioned