SOURCES SOUGHT
15 -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) For Vertical Unmanned Aerial System (VUAS)
- Notice Date
- 9/5/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334511
— Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, NAVAIR HQ, Building 2272 47123 Buse Road Unit IPT, Patuxent River, MD, 20670
- ZIP Code
- 20670
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-0010187687
- Response Due
- 10/10/2006
- Archive Date
- 10/10/2006
- Description
- This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bids or a Request for Proposal, and it is not a commitment by the Department of the Navy to procure products or services. The Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) for Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System (VUAS), 4 October, 2005, established a requirement for a VUAS as a follow-on to the Pioneer Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) System. As a top level summary of system capabilities, the air vehicle should be capable of: a) operations from austere sites and all air capable ships b) carrying a Modular Mission Payload with the ability to search, detect, locate, track, classify, and designate c) the necessary combination of speed, range and endurance to participate in missions with current and future USMC air assets (V-22, JSF, etc.) d) speed to reduce transit time and cover more area during a set time aloft e) a minimum of 10 days system persistence to support MEU missions at a range of 110 nm from the Seabase and a minimum of 30 days of persistence is required for MEB level missions at a range of 110 nm f) inter/intra theater transportation of all components of the VUAV system on a KC-130 (as per USMC Vertical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Concept of Operations) g) surviving in a high threat environment by possessing low visual, infrared and acoustic signatures, and a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) This abbreviated list of required system capabilities is for preliminary screening; a more comprehensive list of required attributes is available in the ICD and documents referenced therein. The VUAS will also be capable of supporting Marine Corps Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM). The VUAS system will comprise fully integrated components, including: air vehicle, modular and interchangeable payloads, Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) interface systems, ground control systems, launch and recover equipment, and automatic take-off and landing subsystems. The VUAS will be expected to successfully operate within the mobility and transportability constraints of the Marine Corps. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air Programs (DASN (AIR)) and Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) are sponsoring an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA). To support the AoA the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is conducting a market survey to obtain industry input relative to its capabilities to satisfy the Marine Corps Vertical Unmanned Aerial System requirements documented in the ICD. We desire any information on capabilities and performance of the respondent's system/air vehicle as it relates to the capabilities given in the ICD and consistent with the VUAS having an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) as early as FY15. This data will be used in the AoA. Please include in your response information addressing: (1) development status of the aircraft design and of major subsystems and components, expressed as Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and any other applicable measure; (2) production status of major subsystems and components; (3) availability of design and support documentation, such as specifications of major subsystems and components; (4) all data links used, including discussion of net-ready and joint interoperability capabilities; (5) sensor payloads, payload capability, weapons load out and payload growth capacity (weight and power); (6) concepts for system load out on a C130, CH-53 and other intra-theater Marine Corps transport; (7) growth paths for any performance area that does not meet the requirements including ability to spiral to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) capabilities. Also requested are estimated costs, to include but not necessarily be limited to: (8) Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) and production costs, for the entire system broken out by costs for (9) an air vehicle with an electro-optical/infrared/laser designator modular payload and a communication relay package as well as the ability to interchange these with future payloads such as Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), and radar based reconnaissance capabilities, Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR); (10) the Electro-Optical/Infrared/Laser (EO/IR/LD) designator modular payload itself, including integration costs, (11) any Ground Control Station (GCS) costs and (12) Software Lines Of Code (SLOC) counts and costs associated with the air vehicle and the payload. Some examples of possible cost categories for the Air Vehicle are: airframe, engine, communications suite, avionics, and landing gear; however, the response should use categories most appropriate for the specific system and (13) test program requirements and costs broken out by flight tests and ground based testing, and (14) System Engineering and Program Management (SEPM) equivalent head counts and costs. The response should include the following air vehicle (AV) specific data: (15) AV structural design data including minimum and maximum load factors at design gross weight, (16) six-view drawings or Computer Aided Design (CAD) models (unfolded and folded as applicable; Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) format preferred), internal arrangement drawings, and geometric data on all components; (17) performance data (such as Take-off Gross Weight/endurance as a function of speed and altitude at Sea Level/Standard Day (ISA) and 3000?/91.5? conditions; Payload-Range curves, Time on Station vs. Radius of Action graphs) (18) drag estimate listed by component and drag polars, (19) Group Weight Statement, (20) engine data including engine type, Shaft Horse Power (SHP) (or thrust), Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC), fuel type, fuel flow at different power settings/altitudes/atmospheric conditions (Sea Level/ISA & 3K/91.5?)/velocities, (21) design mission and design constraints used for designing the Air Vehicle (if applicable), (22) data on RF, IR, visual and acoustic signatures on the AV system and any existing data on survivability and/or vulnerability against potential threat systems, and (23) the ability to spiral to carry future payloads such as SIGINT, IMINT, MASINT, and radar based reconnaissance capabilities, such as GMTI and SAR. The response should include the following EO/IR/LD sensor data: (24) Instantaneous Fields of View (IFOV); (25) Fields of View (FOV); (26) Fields of Regard (FOR) given as azimuth, elevation, and slew rate; (27) pixel count for all resolutions; (28) ground resolution as a function of altitude/slant range; (29) detection sensitivity and ability to detect selected targets as a function of altitude/slant range for a standard day weather for each FOV; (30) any detection sensitivity data available for specific ground battlefield targets such as tanks or trucks as a function of altitude/slant range and humidity, weather, and battle field obscurants for each FOV. The response should include the following ground control station data: (31) compatibility with the Pioneer Replacement Ground Control System (RGCS)/Army ?One System? GCS/planned GCS that will operate USMC UAS as part of its Family of Systems concept, and (32) open architecture capabilities. Information in your response should also address logistics support requirements: (33) maintenance to include inspections and servicing, and the recommended maintenance concept; (34) reliability and maintainability (R&M) data; (35) Training, (36) Manpower; (37) Support Equipment; (38) hardware, and computer resources; (39) Packaging, Handling, Storage and Transportation (PHS&T); (40) Facilities, and (41) Supply, to include obsolescence mitigation. The VUAS must be capable of takeoff and landing from all air capable ships. Provide data, if available, on: (42) launch and recovery and the method to securely retain the VUAS before takeoff and after touchdown, (43) a method of automatically transitioning from a takeoff point to a marshalling point and from a marshalling point to touchdown relative to the ship, (44) interfaces to, or compatibility with, existing Naval C4I systems and future Marine Corps Command and Control nodes, and (45) the Air Vehicle?s ability to be ship suitable and survive in a maritime environment (aircraft control power to accommodate operations on a pitching and moving deck, aircraft folding (if required), tie-down points, corrosion resistant features, tolerance of shipboard electromagnetic environment, etc). System maturity, as evidenced by demonstrated performance and flight data of major subsystems and components from off-the-shelf systems/air vehicles is highly preferable; lengthy development alternatives are not desired. Responding parties should submit a written statement of interest along with the above requested supporting unclassified data, and POC to contact for any necessary clarification or additional data required by the analysis and information on any necessary non- disclosure agreements, by close of business October 10, 2006, to the Naval Air Systems Command, Bldg 2187, Suite 1180 AIR 4.10, ATTN: Mr. Donald G. Davis 48110 Shaw Road Patuxent River, MD 20670-1906. Limit response to 10 pages with additional information on a CD ROM. Provide response via one hardcopy and CD ROM. If submitting classified responses or supporting data, on the outer envelope send to Commander Naval Air Systems Command AIR 4.10 Bldg 2187, Suite 1180 48110 Shaw Road Patuxent River, MD 20670-1906 and mark the inner envelope Naval Air Systems Command, Bldg 2187, Suite 1180 AIR 4.10, ATTN: Mr. Donald G. Davis 48110 Shaw Road Patuxent River, MD 20670-1906. Provide classified responses or supporting data via CD ROM. Questions may be directed to Don Davis at (301) 342-8305. This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bids or a Request for Proposal, and it is not a commitment by the Department of the Navy to procure products or services. The Government is only seeking possible sources and information for the AoA and future needs. No solicitation document exists at this time. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Request For Information or otherwise pay for the information requested. However, respondents to this Request for Information will not be excluded from consideration for contract participation in any potential follow-on hardware development activity.
- Record
- SN01134217-W 20060907/060905221034 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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