The Directorate General of Armaments Application for Start up and SME's: Challenge Development of innovative marine and underwater targets

The Directorate General of Armaments (DGA Missile Tests) is launching a call for expressions of interest aimed at innovative companies as part of the DGA EM Challenge - Innovation 2024: Development of innovative marine and underwater targets.

Why participate? This challenge offers companies the unique opportunity to:

• Present their innovative solutions to DGA experts and industry professionals.
• Benefit from personalized support to optimize their projects in line with DGA's specific needs.
• Become a key partner in the qualification of future maritime weapon systems by proposing marine or underwater target solutions adapted to current and future challenges.

Objectives of the challenge: Objective 1: The development of marine targets is essential for the qualification of missile-based weapon systems. We are looking for solutions capable of reproducing realistic scenarios, especially for destructive missile tests, ensuring:

• Controlled electromagnetic and/or infrared signatures,
• Compatibility with different types of missiles (seekers, warheads, etc.),
• Ease of deployment and use in various environments. A logic of just need and low cost will be sought.

Objective 2: The development of underwater targets is essential for the qualification of torpedo-based weapon systems. We are looking for solutions capable of reproducing realistic scenarios, especially for non-destructive torpedo tests, ensuring:

• Controlled acoustic signature,
• Compatibility with different types of torpedoes and sonars,
• Ease of deployment and use,
• Real-time reprogramming capability. A logic of just need and low cost will be sought.

Who is this call for? We invite innovative companies specializing in the following areas to submit their applications:

• Marine target design,
• Underwater target design,
• Defense systems,
• Simulation and data processing technologies,
• Artificial intelligence and robotics applied to defense.

Timeline:

• Application deadline: November 12, 2024.
• Review of responses and selection of files: November 13-20, 2024.
• Intermediate exchange day to answer candidates' questions before the final pitch: November 28, 2024.
• Final pitch of participants: December 12, 2024, in Toulon Chalucet.

How to participate? Interested candidates must submit a letter of intent describing their project, its innovative aspects, and the expected results. Projects will be evaluated based on their technological maturity and potential operational impact.

Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to future maritime defense technologies and join a dynamic innovation ecosystem!

Submit your application by uploading your presentation along with the provided Excel summary file on our platform (a .zip file).