SILENT SWARM 2026

N0016425SNC28 - SPECIAL NOTICE - Silent Swarm 2026 – FSC/PSC AJ13 – NAICS 541990
SPECIAL NOTICE POSTING:

ISSUE DATE: 19 SEP 2025                         CLOSING DATE: 31 OCT 2025 11:59PM ET

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR SUBMISSIONS ONLY. THIS REQUEST IS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN INVITATION FOR BIDS, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, A SOLICITATION, A REQUEST FOR QUOTES, OR AN INDICATION THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTRACT FOR THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS NOTICE. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT REIMBURSE RESPONDENTS FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBMISSION OF THE INFORMATION BEING REQUESTED OR REIMBURSE EXPENSES INCURRED TO INTERESTED PARTIES FOR RESPONSES OR PARTICIPATION.

The Government will NOT be responsible for any cost associated to Silent Swarm 2026 to include: responses and submissions to this Special Notice, attendance of workshops, nor the Silent Swarm 2026 event.

Background and Description:

This Special Notice is being issued by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), in support of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering [OUSD(R&E)], and other entities within the Department of Defense (DoD).  This Special Notice is intended to be a Request for Submissions for participation consideration in the Silent Swarm 2026 Experimentation Event.  Silent Swarm is a series of events focused on experimentation with early development Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) capabilities that can be employed on attritable, multi-domain Unmanned Systems (UxS). The Silent Swarm series provides a challenging and flexible experimentation environment to enable rapid development of emerging technology. Selected participants will be able to further develop their technologies while operating in an operationally relevant sandbox environment alongside subject matter experts (SMEs) from joint operational and technical communities. 

Given the extraordinary reliance of the DoD on commercial vendors and private sector solution providers, NSWC Crane will require a combined effort of industry and government experts to bring innovative initiatives into the experimentation event to achieve definable specific outcomes.  Small and large businesses, along with University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) and Government activities are encouraged to submit in response to this request for submissions.

Definitions:

The following terms will be used throughout this Special Notice and Silent Swarm execution. Their definitions are as follows:

• Initiative – A specific technology that has been developed by a vendor or a Government, FFRDC, or UARC lab that will experiment during the Silent Swarm Event. "Initiative" may also refer to the entities (industry, academia, or government) who bring technology to Silent Swarm to experiment.
• Vignette – An operationally relevant scenario in which initiatives will participate in teams in order to experiment with their capabilities.
• Effects - Capabilities that directly impact the operational environment.
• Enablers - Capabilities that contribute to the success of the effect.
• Swarming – Decentralized, self-organized systems operating cooperatively to accomplish their intended goal. There is no minimum number of cooperative systems required to be defined as a "swarm."
• Experimentation – Distinctly different than technology demonstration events, Silent Swarm involves testing new ideas through collaborative efforts, exploration in real-world environments, and pushing beyond the boundaries of what has been previously established through laboratory testing.

Scope:

Responses to this request for submissions should identify initiatives focused on implementation of EMSO related capabilities that could be employed on small multi-domain UxS. 

Silent Swarm is targeting, but not limited to, technologies in the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-5 range. 

Silent Swarm provides an experimentation venue and environment for rapid technology exploration and innovation, provides an opportunity for teaming and direct feedback from technical and operational SMEs. 

Silent Swarm experimentation culminates with a multi-part mission vignette, which allows for individual technology initiatives to collaboratively operate in teams to execute operationally relevant objectives in a multi-domain environment, to include land, air, sea, undersea, cyber, and space. Capability and modularity to integrate into various UxS is not a requirement, but it will add value to initiatives’ involvement over the course of the two weeks of the Silent Swarm experimentation event. 

Silent Swarm provides initiatives the opportunity to conduct several multi-domain field experiments, run risk-reduction simulations with a government modeling and simulation team, obtain real-time feedback from uniformed operators and engineers in relevant fields, and receive a final written report after the event that includes documented feedback from assessors, spectrum managers, and the modeling and simulation team.

Expectations:

Initiatives that participate in Silent Swarm are expected to attend virtual and in-person planning workshops. The first Kick Off Workshop will take place virtually and is scheduled for 2-4 December 2025. Planning workshops are collaborative and provide important networking opportunities for identifying partners for SS26 execution. The Mid and Final Planning Workshops will be held in-person with some hybrid components. While collaboration and experimentation are key tenets of Silent Swarm, neither the sharing of proprietary information with other companies nor the arduous integration work with another's system are required to be successful.

Initiatives should plan to participate in person for the duration of the two-week Silent Swarm event in July 2026. Silent Swarm is executed in field conditions.  Expect environmental impacts on personnel and equipment from execution in a maritime environment at remote locations. Initiatives will be provided opportunity to integrate into the Silent Swarm Common Operating Picture (Cursor on Target message) via the Tactical Awareness Toolkit (TAK).  Specific joining instructions will be provided in the planning process.

Non-government initiatives are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and establish a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NSWC Crane.

All initiatives are expected to comply with Industry/DoD safety guidelines and authorizations including Spectrum Assignments and Frequency Authorizations and FAA UAS flight authorizations and waivers.

Objectives:

Swarming, attritable UxS will be the objective employment vehicles for capability employment in the experimentation environment.  Lower TRL initiatives that do not currently meet constraints for small platform integration will still benefit from Silent Swarm participation.

Common Key Attributes to initiatives participating in Silent Swarm include, but are not limited to the following:

• Scalable and Adaptive: Has ability to adapt to different mission requirements and platform sizes.
• Modular: Allows for easy upgrades and integration with new technologies. Minimal effort required to integrate solutions with existing platforms and systems.
• Coordinated / Coherent / Reactive: Enable UxS teams to operate with synchronized actions, shared understanding, and dynamic response to changing battlefield conditions and unforeseen events.
• Highly Portable: Ease of deployment and relocation.
• Multi-Domain Operability/Integration: Functioning effectively across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.
• Remote or Autonomous Operation: Ability to function with minimal human intervention.
• Roadmap to Small Form Factor implementation: Minimizing the impact on platform payload capacity and endurance, especially for unmanned systems.

Focus Areas and Priorities:

Silent Swarm 2026 will focus on the effects of Distributed Electromagnetic Attack (EA), Deception and Concealment, Alternative Position, Navigation, and Timing (ALT PNT), Resilient Communications, and Electromagnetic Warfare Support with Geolocation. Initiatives participating in this experimentation may fit under one or more of these focus areas.

Respondents should address as many as possible of the following components as are pertinent to their capability within their submissions. It is not necessary to fit into multiple categories in order to submit a technology for participation in Silent Swarm. It is more beneficial to understand the depth of a technology’s capability within a single area than to have breadth in multiple focus areas.

1. Distributed EA

What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed delivery utilizes a network of highly mobile platforms to distribute electromagnetic energy across a broad spectrum (HF to Ka-Band) to deny, degrade, disrupt and deceive an adversary’s capabilities through geographically dispersed and coordinated effects.

Key Attributes:

• Support Swarming capabilities
• Reconfigurable
• Networked
• Multiband and dynamic
• Able to integrate on a host platform
• Low power

Targets:

• HF/VHF/UHF/Ku-Band/Ka-Band communication systems
• S-Band/X-Band/Navigation Radar
• Advanced Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems

Objectives:

• EA effects from many small autonomous vehicles carrying small low-cost jammers / smart sensors 
• Utilize distributed reactive EA assets to hinder adversary spectrum sensing

   2.) Deception and Concealment

What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed capabilities to create chaos and confusion in the spectrum through RF means. Targeting adversary situational awareness, command and control, and decision-making processes to enable friendly force freedom of maneuver. 

Key Attributes:

• Ability to mimic signal of interest
• Realism of waveforms, frequencies, doppler, power levels, and pattern of life
• Ability to overwhelm adversary sensors and decision making
• Create an RF congested environment
• Enlarge or shrink force size
• Multi-technique 
• Multi-band

Targets:

• Electromagnetic Warfare Support (ES) systems
• Command & Control (C2) Networks and Data Links
• Tactical Communications

• Radar

Objectives:

• Deny adversary ability to maintain an accurate picture of the operational environment.
• Use distributed, low observable deception devices to obscure, give false targets, and clutter
• Use RF energy to mimic a different radar signature.
• Ability to manipulate signals received by target sensors

       3.) Alternative Navigation, Position, and Timing

What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Alt PNT technologies are critical for maintaining resilient and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing in contested environments and are desired to augment or replace traditional GPS-dependent PNT systems, ensuring resilient positioning, navigation, and timing across air, maritime, and ground domains. Experimentation focuses on multi-domain solutions and rigorous over-the-air performance testing (up to 8 hours).

Key Attributes:

• • Ability to determine position and time with sufficient precision
  • Integrity/trustworthiness of the PNT
  • Maintain PNT service even during disruptions or outages under varying environmental conditions over time
  • Integrate data from multiple sensors (e.g., IMUs, star trackers, visual odometry) with minimal effort
  • PNT solutions based on non-electromagnetic signals (inertial, magnetic, optical, gravity, etc.)
• Anti-Jam/Anti-Spoof (AJ/AS)
• Resilience even when under attack or experiencing component failures
• Authentication/verification of source and integrity of PNT signals
• Maintain accurate timing, not solely position
• Implement continuous vulnerability management via encryption and/or cybersecurity protocols

Objectives:

• Assured PNT, guarantee access to accurate and reliable PNT data in any operational environment
• Enable resilient PNT in contested (GPS-denied or jammed) environments
• Support distributed force operations and UxS with resilient PNT capabilities.
• Leverage AI/ML to enhance PNT accuracy, robustness, and efficiency

   4.) Resilient Communications

What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: EMSO Command & Control communication networks that can operate in a contested environment and/or are difficult to detect and geolocate in the mid-field (airborne at 5 nm) and/or near-field (ground/maritime surface at 0.5 nm). 

Key Attributes:

• Anti-jam
• LPx (Low probability of intercept/detect/geolocate/exploitation)
• Multi-Channel / Channel Bonding
• Dynamic Routing
• Mesh Networks
• Adaptive Bandwidth Control
• Adaptive Transmit Power Control
• Adaptive Radio Control to maneuver in the spectrum
• LF/HF/VHF/UHF Communication Networks
• L/S/C Band Communication Networks
• Millimeter Wave Communication Networks
• Free Space Optics
• Infrared
• Non-RF Wireless Transport

Adversaries:

• Narrowband/Wideband Jammers
• Sensing/Geolocation Capabilities

Objectives:

• Command and Control for EMSO Effects
• Able to operate in presence of jamming
• Able to operate in GPS denied environment (network timing)
• Maneuvering in spectrum as needed based on sensed surroundings
• Able to avoid signal classification if detected (i.e. featureless)
• Communication at/near/below the noise floor
• Maximization of data rate while staying undetected
• Demonstrate control over transmit power/bandwidth/data prioritization

   5.) Electromagnetic Warfare Support with Geolocation

What it means within the context of Silent Swarm: Distributed geolocation capabilities that enable the tipping and cueing of follow-on targeting capabilities. These signal identification and geolocation capabilities are essential for understanding the battlespace while providing actionable intelligence for other EMSO capabilities

Key Attributes:

• Joint Interface Control Document (JICD 4.2) – Common Services
• RF / Optical Passive detection / operation
• Wideband spectrum operation
• Signal classification capabilities
• Distributed sensor management and tasking
• Multi-modal sensor fusion
• Tipping and Cueing capabilities
• Detect and Geolocate Frequency Agile signals with high hop rates
• Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Phase Difference of Arrival (PDOA), and/or Frequency Difference of Arrival (FDOA)
• Minimize number of sensors required to conduct geolocation operations
• Minimizing geographic footprint requirement
• Other distributed ES capabilities

Targets:

• HF/VHF/UHF/L-Band/S-Band/C-Band/Ku-Band/Ka-Band communication systems
• S-Band/X-Band/C-Band/Navigation Radar
• EA/Deception effects

Objectives:

• Geolocate and track unmanned, multidomain systems
• Provide Track quality determinable via proven or emerging methods, such as TDOA, FDOA, PDOA.
• Join JICD 4.2 Common Services

Additionally, Silent Swarm is looking for participants with Enabling Technologies in the areas of:

• Swarming / Intelligent Algorithms
• Unmanned air, surface, underwater, and ground vehicles
  • Group 3 or smaller UAS
  • Small USV/UUV (land towable size)
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) in support of the other named capability areas

Response Submission:

How do I submit?

If you do NOT have a Vulcan account, you need to first register at https://vulcan-sof.com/. With a Vulcan account you can initiate your submission on the call page titled: Silent Swarm 2026 Submissions https://vulcan-sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=3693ab75-8d0f-4049-a376-2e8ab0e499b0 . You can also find it by navigating to "Calls” on the navigation bar. Your submission must be made on the Silent Swarm 2026 Submissions, which allows you to access the scout card submission form designed in accordance with the specific requirements of SS26.

NSWC Crane will host a virtual Industry Day meeting on 14 October 2025 to provide a forum for industry and Government Stakeholders to better understand the Silent Swarm goals, requirements, and the process for submitting proposals. Details will be posted within the Vulcan submission page referenced above.

Submission Requirements

Silent Swarm Submissions in Vulcan must be UNCLASSIFIED, up to and including Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). If your capability contains classified information, you must first provide an UNCLASSIFIED submission in Vulcan and separately obtain from the Government (via SIPR or JWICS, as appropriate) the steps/procedures for submitting Classified information.

Initiatives shall submit a Scout Card with all required fields completed. Please be ready with all needed information in order to complete your submission. Note that you can edit your submission up until the published deadline (31 October 2025), but you must at least have preliminary answers in required fields in order to save your submission.

If the capability you intend to submit already exists in Vulcan, you can "Review & Submit" this Scout Card. If your capability does not yet exist in Vulcan, you will need to first create a new Scout Card and then submit your Scout Card to the Vulcan collection.

For more information and Frequently Asked Questions please go to the FAQ Page on Vulcan (https://vulcan-sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=3693ab75-8d0f-4049-a376-2e8ab0e499b0) For technical questions about the Vulcan platform or 'How to Submit', you may email: support@vulcan-sof.com

Required submission documentation:

• Scout Card on Vulcan (accessible to Government Vulcan users only)
• White paper, template provided in Vulcan submission, no more than three (3) pages in length, not including the cover page. The white paper should address a description of the technology, explanation of how your submitted initiative meets the Focus Areas and related priorities identified above (accessible to Government Vulcan users only), use case, and assets coming to Silent Swarm.
• Quad Chart, template provided in Vulcan submission, which provides non-proprietary, sharable information that will be used during the Initial Planning Workshop to engage with other selected participants who could be potential collaborators.
• Responses to following questions posted in the Vulcan submission:
  • What focus areas from above does this initiative most closely align to, and how so?
  • What category best fits this technology (payload, platform, payload also bringing a platform)?
  • If a platform, what is the size/displacement?
  • If a payload, what is the size, weight, and power?
  • What unique or novel capability does this initiative provide?
  • Is this initiative capable of multi-node distributed (coordinated) operations? If so, how?
  • What is the current technical readiness level (TRL) for this initiative?
  • What is the projected TRL for this initiative by July 2026?
  • What performance indicators or technical risks are you hoping to address through experimentation with Silent Swarm to advance your technology to the next TRL?
  • Has this initiative participated in Silent Swarm before?

All inquiries (technical and administrative) or clarifications of any kind must be submitted via email to the POCs listed below with the appropriate classification markings.

All contracting related responses should be unclassified and for general access by the Government, other evaluators, and other respondents. All material provided (responses, discussions, questions/answers, and other data) that is not related to competition sensitive or marked contractor proprietary material may be provided to other respondents. Any material provided may be used in development of future requirement documents.

Any proprietary information submitted must be clearly and separately identified and marked and will be appropriately protected. The Government will NOT be responsible for any proprietary information not clearly marked.  Responders may include information that is not within the scope of this request for submissions but must be relevant to the overall goals.

In addition, if responses include technical requirements that have been identified as CUI in accordance with NIST SP 800-171, the documents shall be identified with the appropriate category markings. See https://www.archives.gov/cui/registry/category-marking-list for guidance.

Classified responses shall NOT be mailed.  Classified responses shall be marked and delivered in accordance with DoD Manual 5200.01. Classified responses must include identification of their source of classification guidance. All submissions via Vulcan must be UNCLASSIFIED.

This Special Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a program or contractual solicitation. NSWC Crane is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of submissions or of the information received, or to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this request for submissions.

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this request for submissions. The Government intends to use the information received in response to this request for submissions for planning purposes. The Government will not award a contract directly on the basis of this request for submissions or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.

Participants reviewing submissions to this request for submissions may include: The US Government; Federally Funded Research and Development Centers; Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) government support contractors; all are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirement and bound by all proprietary laws. Regarding this request for submissions, no contact is allowed with these organizations. 

Respondents must submit program/idea/concept white paper(s) and associated briefing(s) for review and consideration to NSWC Crane no later than 11:59 PM ET 31 October 2025. 

No additional forms or other materials are needed.

As a result of Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) domain complexities, there may be future updates to this announcement, additional request, inquiries, and/or potential demonstrations opportunities in a shared experimentation environment.   Any changes or updates to this announcement can be found at the Government Point of Entry SAM.gov.   Individual notifications will not be sent to respondents.  It is the respondents’ responsibility to monitor and respond accordingly to Government announcements.

Future opportunities may become available at shared experimentation venue that will focus on representative scenarios and an environment that is conducive to evaluating the state of technology as it relates to employment and CONOPS development.

Points of Contacts (POC);

Primary Point of Contact:

Address any questions, comments and areas/ideas for the government to consider relative to this request for submissions to:

Andrew Hall
NSWC Crane, Advanced EMSO Applied Research & Rapid Capabilities Division

Michelle Kitley
NSWC Crane, Intelligence Systems Branch

Classification Level       Communication Method                 Submission POCs

Unclassified    NIPR     andrew.b.hall3.civ@us.navy.mil    michelle.s.kitley.civ@us.navy.mil  

Secret               SIPR      andrew.b.hall1@navy.smil.mil    michelle.kitley1@navy.smil.mil

Top Secret      JWICS    halland@nmic.ic.gov                  michelle.k.stanforth@coe.ic.gov

All submissions should be submitted at the UNCLASSIFIED level via the Vulcan posting at  https://vulcan-sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=3693ab75-8d0f-4049-a376-2e8ab0e499b0