A -- TANGO BRAVO Submarine Demonstrators Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Advanced Technology Office (ATO) announces the joint DARPA/United States Navy TANGO BRAVO program. The intent of this effort is to overcome selected technological barriers that are judged to have a significant impact on submarine platform infrastructure and cost. DARPA and the US Navy together plan to execute a technology demonstration program to enable design options for reduced-size affordable submarines with full nominal capability, while simultaneously decreasing platform infrastructure and the cost of future design and production. Five technical areas will be solicited under a Broad Agency Announcement anticipated to be published in the forthcoming weeks: (1) shaftless propulsion, (2) external weapons stow and launch, (3) hull adaptable sonar array, (4) radical ship infrastructure reduction, and (5) reduced crew/automated attack center. A classified Proposers Day Conference will be held on 8 November 2004 at the Executive Conference Center, One Virginia Square, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203. A Proposers Day Conference announcement will be forthcoming with details on registration.