The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Undersea Weapons Program, which is managed within ONR’s Weapons and Payloads Division (Code 333), seeks to develop technologies for current and next-generation, offensive and defensive weapons capable of engaging submarines, surface ships and threat torpedoes. Science and technology efforts focus on increasing probability of kill and probability of counter-kill by improving sensor performance, engagement tactics, vehicle propulsion and warhead lethality. ONR is developing additional technologies to enable reduction of total ownership cost and increase weapon load-out. ONR is also assessing new weapon and delivery concepts.
The Undersea Weapons Fundamental Research Portfolio supports basic research (6.1) and applied research (6.2) in the following technical areas:
- Air-independent energy and propulsion
- Cooperative autonomous swarm technology
- Countermeasures and counter-weapons
- Guidance and control
- Naval Undersea Research Program (NURP)
- Undersea energetics
- Undersea vehicle and weapon hydrodynamics
Research Challenges and Opportunities
Further develop promising weapon technologies and concepts through advanced technology development (6.3) and prototyping (6.4) programs support technology transition for torpedo upgrades, reduced-size torpedoes, and counter-weapons, including new weapon concepts and delivery methods. See guidance for submitting proposals and white papers for funding under this program.
UPDATED: November 2020
How to Submit
For detailed application and submission information for this research topic, please refer to our broad agency announcement (BAA) No. N0001425SB001.
Contracts: All white papers and full proposals for contracts must be submitted through FedConnect; instructions are included in the BAA.
Grants: All white papers for grants must be submitted through FedConnect, and full proposals for grants must be submitted through grants.gov; instructions are included in the BAA.