United Kingdom Defense Seeks Innovative Solutions to Mapping the Gap
The UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and British Army seek innovative solutions capable of remotely assessing ground bearing capacity (GBC) and key wet‑gap (riverine) measurements. This call for information aims to accelerate the development of novel sensing technologies deployable from uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to reduce risk to personnel while enabling rapid multi‑site survey.
Before British Land forces can cross a wet gap or negotiate unstable terrain, engineering teams must assess whether the ground and riverine environment are suitable for the safe passage of vehicles. This relies on a series of measurements which are currently taken in person. This method is slow, exposes soldiers to danger, and risks revealing potential crossing or manoeuvre sites.
The MOD requires a faster, safer and less detectable way to generate these critical measurements. Sensing technologies that can operate autonomously or semi‑autonomously at range and under a variety of environmental conditions have the potential to significantly improve mobility planning while removing soldiers from harm’s way.
UKDI is seeking proposals that address two challenges: 1) Measurement of GBC from a UAS and 2) underwater river profiling from UAS deployed sensors.
The MOD is particularly interested in interoperable, open architecture subsystems suitable for integration with alternative platforms, ground control stations or currently available systems.
Proposals should include evidence of UAS deployed concepts that can operate beyond line of sight, an open and modular approach to the system design, and a project roadmap that defines all stages of the project. The output of this project should be a technology demonstrator at Technology Readiness Level 6.
The UKDI is not interested in systems that are not recovered from the site in normal operation, rely solely on manual operator deployment, or offer no real long-term prospect of integration into defense and security capabilities.
This new announcement presents potential export opportunities for U.S. companies with expertise in defense technology. U.S. companies have a worldwide reputation for innovative products and after-sales service which makes them competitive in the UK market.
If you have a proposal which provides innovative solutions to mapping the gap, or if you would like to learn more about security and defense opportunities in the UK, please contact PJ Menner at the U.S. Embassy London via PJ.Menner@trade.gov.