NAVAIR Seeks R&D for Weapons System Cybersecurity

The Naval Air System's Command's Cyber Warfare Detachment is conducting research and development to remedy shortcomings in its cyber resiliency strategy for protecting its weapons systems. 

In a July 17 broad agency announcement, the CWD said most cybersecurity measures are not fit to protect its weapons systems. The agency explained that it needs research and development efforts to issues in its information technology systems, MeriTalk reported Monday.

"It is assumed that R & D efforts solicited by this BAA would address the most critical access point and resiliency (close quarters battle) issues for both legacy and future systems," CWD said in its SAM .gov post. 

The department added that its research and development problem concerns areas that require anti-tamper measures, including concept development, supply chain management, software development and assurance, battle damage assessment and equipment sanitation and disposal.

CWD said it has had little research and development efforts related to critical physical and industrial control system interfaces with vehicles, including aircraft launch and recovery equipment, power and navigation umbilicals.

“This BAA solicits R&D, not to simply apply IT solutions, concepts and underlying business environment assumptions, but to address cyber issues for weapon systems in a system of systems warfare environment with often intermittent or indirect ‘connectivity’ to other systems,” CWD said.

The department highlighted eight areas of interest: size, weight, and power-sensitive cyber resiliency; access point defense; cyber electronic warfare convergent capabilities; acquisition cybersecurity; cyber incident response concepts; cyber warning system techniques; risk assessment methodologies; and resilient network concepts. 

Interested offerors may submit proposals for the first phase of the solicitation process through July 2021. Phase-two proposals will only be accepted by invitation.