The Department of Defense (DOD) is seeking proposals for the topic of "Autonomous, Mission-based Traffic Engineering" as part of their SBIR 24.1 BAA solicitation. The Navy branch is specifically interested in developing autonomous traffic prioritization mechanisms and orchestration to align network priorities with the Commander's Intent, especially during contested operations. The objective is to identify different types of traffic, associate them with specific platforms and missions, enable the Commander to prioritize these functions, and translate the prioritization into network policies for end-to-end delivery of mission-critical traffic. The main technical challenges include mapping Commander's intent into machine-readable data and combining machine representations of policies.

The project will be conducted in three phases. In Phase I, a framework/approach to address the challenges will be developed, along with a proposed set of benchmarks for assessing performance. Phase II involves implementing the framework using representative data sets and demonstrating how it correctly interprets intent and translates it into traffic engineering policies. Phase III focuses on integration and transition into ADNS, with potential commercial applications in the development of prioritization mechanisms for mission-critical traffic in the commercial sector.

The project duration and funding specifics are not provided in the document. For more information and to submit proposals, interested parties can visit the DOD SBIR 24.1 BAA topic link: link.