Technology and solutions to enhance the capability of Maritime Mission Systems

Challenge Details

The Royal Navy is exploring new avenues to seek and adopt best-in-class thinking; underpinning the critical operations the navy has to provide without failure. KTN communities delivering innovative solutions are being actively sought and welcomed to the Maritime Mission Systems market to expand the boundaries of what is considered the art of the possible.

This challenge is an opportunity for those with innovative ideas to explore where their approaches could add value. The journey is fully supported by BAE Systems Surface Ships, which offers its Software Development Kit (INTeACT SDK) to expedite the development of innovative solutions. Importantly the new players will continue to have their ideas fully protected in terms of IP, so there is nothing to lose. 

Technology and solutions to enhance the capability of Maritime Mission Systems

Summary

The iX Challenge competition, delivered by KTN, is supporting BAE Systems Surface Ships to identify innovative solutions to enhance and enrich the Maritime Mission Systems marketplace. This long-standing, traditional market has recently become primed for new lines of thinking from the not-so-usual suspects. Top-performing solutions will be invited to participate in a Codeathon within a warship environment alongside those with the keys to the vessels concerned. No good idea or refined solution will be left behind.

Challenge Details

The Royal Navy is exploring new avenues to seek and adopt best-in-class thinking; underpinning the critical operations the navy has to provide without failure. KTN communities delivering innovative solutions are being actively sought and welcomed to the Maritime Mission Systems market to expand the boundaries of what is considered the art of the possible.

This challenge is an opportunity for those with innovative ideas to explore where their approaches could add value. The journey is fully supported by BAE Systems Surface Ships, which offers its Software Development Kit (INTeACT SDK) to expedite the development of innovative solutions. Importantly the new players will continue to have their ideas fully protected in terms of IP, so there is nothing to lose. 

Background

The market for novel and innovative “new ideas” for our warships is closer to you than you may realise. The current perception that only the very large technology solution suppliers are entrusted to come up with the solutions that enable our navy to operate is now something of the past. The fact of the matter is that this market has opened up and it’s right at your doorstep. Innovative solutions that are being deployed in all sectors should quite rightly be considered for Maritime Mission Systems applications and BAE Systems Surface Ships are keen to explore them with you.

BAE Systems Surface Ships have come together with KTN to provide a safe and secure arena to cultivate new innovative thinking for Maritime Mission Systems operations, designed specifically for dynamic SMEs, medium-sized enterprises and horizon scanning UK R&D centres. The prominent, viable and innovative ideas will have the direct support of BAE Systems Surface Ships (including access to the INTeACT SDK) to enable these solutions to readily integrate into warship systems such as those currently in operation. Such solutions will be enabled and encouraged by BAE Systems Surface Ships, with the wider market access and IP remaining firmly with the solution owner.

Sectors of interest guidance (not exhaustive):

• You are openly invited to explore the art of the possible for your ideas. Your idea must have some relevance or utility within a Maritime Mission System.
• A Maritime Mission System comprises a number of sub-systems, all of which are vital for the delivery of warship capability and operations. Together, Maritime Mission Systems include command and control, surveillance, situational awareness, sensor control and weapon control.

Examples of requirements and challenges recently expressed* by the MoD that are applicable to the mission systems domain include:

• Manage significant volumes of data from remote or autonomous systems
• Information services that integrate formatted or unformatted data
• Collaborative data sharing with classified information
• Technology-based data analysis e.g. use of machine learning
• Collaboration between human and technology-based decision-making processes
• Systems and processes to analyse and visualise real-time data
• Manage fleets of remote or autonomous systems and use these systems to undertake tasks normally completed by human operators
• Provide training for operators to perform in complex or high-stress environments
• Adoption of Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality into training
• Capture and exploitation of performance information collected during training
• Smart wearable tech and applications

Ideas should be created with the aim of transforming maritime military capabilities. *The MoD publishes requirements in various forms, examples being the Defence & Security Accelerator.

Process

• This KTN Innovation Exchange (KTN iX™) challenge will be used to quickly identify the Top 10 strongest solutions that resonate with the sectors of interest guidance criteria above.
• The Top 10 solutions will be invited to participate in a physical codeathon in London next year with access to the INTeACT SDK including underlying representative data and scenarios.  Solution providers will be encouraged to develop their thinking while we wait for the codeathon to schedule.
• The codeathon will enable the strongest solutions to receive direct support and encouragement from the BAE Systems Surface Ships technical team for future development for the Maritime Mission Systems marketplace.
• Solutions that have not initially made Top 10 through the KTN iX™ process are free to continue to be developed and will be included in a continuous review process for future opportunities.

Rewards & Benefits

• The reward for driven and motivated applicants will be the absolute right to take their idea forward into a commercial opportunity directly with the end-user.
• Solutions of particular interest and/or novel value may be offered support and guidance from BAE Systems Surface Ships to help refine the idea or application.
• KTN will also be able to support any such ideas with additional collaborator introductions and wider sector intelligence input should the solution lead deem it necessary.

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements:

• Your solution must have some relevance or utility within a Maritime Mission System context.
• A Maritime Mission System comprises of a number of sub-systems, all of which are vital for the delivery of warship capability and operations. Together, Maritime Mission Systems include command and control, surveillance, situational awareness, sensor control and weapon control.
• The INTeACT SDK is initially aimed at applications dealing with tactical picture visualisation, track correlation and track identity recommendations. Future iterations of the SDK will provide further services to support the development of Maritime Mission Systems applications and your solutions will influence this roadmap.
• Solutions must adopt an open interfaces approach for Maritime Mission Systems interoperability.
• Solution can be at any stage of development but it must be clear to the assessment teams where it adds value and resonates with the scope and Maritime Mission System statement above.