SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Systems Test and Integration Laboratory (STIL)
- Notice Date
- 8/30/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- PEO STRI Acquisition Center, 12350 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826-3276
- ZIP Code
- 32826-3276
- Solicitation Number
- STIL
- Response Due
- 9/13/2007
- Archive Date
- 11/12/2007
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The US Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) is seeking information on sources for a Systems Test and Integration Laboratory (STIL) planned as a set of capabilities for the test of Aviation platforms in a Virtual Flight Environment. The STIL is intended to allow the testing of integrated systems, to fully immerse and exercise the integrated systems (aircraft) in a safe and affordable manner. By employing stimulation, emulation and simulation the STI L will accomplish repeatable and reusable ground tests prior to flight testing/certification flights. The system integrator would deliver equipment and software, to be housed in a government facility and interact with existing Government Furnished Equipme nt (GFE) and information networks, enabling System-of-Systems (SoS) testing in a distributed, synergistic form. Background. Modern helicopter designs most often include interdependent systems and subsystems, connected by a central data bus, which rely on each other for information to function properly. The interrelations of these systems can pose significant challenges when co nducting developmental systems integration testing. Because of the complexity of the interacting systems, open-air flight has become the default test method; however the cost and potential safety hazards increase while repeatability and accuracy often dec rease. STIL implementation is planned as an evolution from a threshold of stand-alone equipment with connectivity to an integrated objective with much of the functionality networked and under central control by FY11. Maximum integration of COTS test equipment, a utomation, stimulators, models and simulations is anticipated to provide for modernization and technology insertion. The current Army funding for this effort is between $12 Million and $15 Million. STIL Design and Integration. Design and function commonality will be maintained as much as possible while developing capabilities across the various test categories; this is to enhance vertical and horizontal integration of test components and capabilities, and further provide the gre atest testing requirements flexibility. Unique testing procedures and equipment will be introduced only as test specificity demands. To allow for test requirements flexibility, the STIL must have an open architecture so it can be integrated into existing government facilities and will utilize existing GFE at those facilities. The STIL architecture should be based on defined standards, interfaces, and protocols to meet the test and integration needs for Army aircraft including CH-47, OH-58, UH-60, AH-64, AR H, and their variants, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and other aircraft. The STIL will augment and enhance normal open-air flight and ground testing through predictive testing using validated models and simulations to identify critical data points to focus open-air flight testing on the most important areas of the test profile. In addition, simulated and/or recorded test data evaluation in the virtual environment allows supplemental testing, and repetitive testing of failed tests or anomalies enhancing cause-and-effect investigation utilizing the test-fix-test methodology. STIL Capabilities Needed. The STIL should provide stimulation and power to aircraft systems for ground test under controllable and repeatable conditions. The STIL should have a transportable, modular design with surplus capacity to support growth. It should have built-in self-tes t capability, and should not require periodic maintenance or specialized tools. The STIL should include a Test Control Center (TCC) that can configure, execute, monitor, and troubleshoot test scenarios and provide overall central control for various tests. The TCC can control aircraft stimulation in a precise, synchronous, and repeat able manner. It provides centralized observation and coordination of a test event and displays test data in near- real time. It should provide visualization and analysis tools, archive test data, and should support remote access by test engineers. The TCC should interface with the Defense Research and Experimentation Network to participate in distributed activities. Certain aircraft and/or tests may require the operation of STIL in a classified mode. The STIL should perform time-tagged collection and recording of data and audio-video information. It should playback data at synchronous and higher speeds to reproduce aircraft stimuli created by human-in-the-loop testing. It should support test rehearsa l, and checkout of aircraft telemetry prior to flight. STIL components could be used independently as aircraft subsystem test benches, or together to provide synchronized input to multiple aircraft systems to simulate flight. STIL components should be capable of being controlled remotely. They should store t est data locally and be capable of uploading it for analysis, reporting, and archiving. STIL components should be capable of simulating faults of aircraft systems. They should support both bused and non-bused aircraft. STIL components should be upgradea ble through software. The STIL should have a navigation system test capability. The STIL navigation test equipment should stimulate and monitor aircraft navigation systems singly or together, including: * Inertial Navigation System (INS) EGI to be provided. * Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signal jamming, spoofing, & multi-path effects * Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) * Instrument Landing System (ILS) * Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) * Air Data Computer (ADC) * Radar altimeter * Doppler Velocity sensor * Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) up to 4 TACAN ground stations * Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Modes 1, 2, 3/A, 3/C, 4, 5, S level 3, and MCAS. The STIL test equipment for aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) should stimulate and monitor: * Simulated threat systems * Aircraft countermeasure systems. The STIL aircraft sensor test equipment should stimulate and monitor: * IR sensors acuity, minimum resolvable temperature, minimum detectable temperature, and target projection including IR scene simulation. * Fire control radar including radio frequency interferometers (RFI) * Laser rangefinder and designator variable range, characteristics, and codes. The STIL should test aircraft systems including: * Pitot-static Altitude, air speed, and rate of climb * Outside air temperature * Electrical systems including power fluctuations. The STIL should test aircraft digital communications including SATCOM. It should also test voice communications for intelligibility, recording and playback, output power, antennas, and calibration. It should provide an RF bridge to simulate a communicati ons environment. The STIL should test aircraft weapons and armament systems including: * Simulating weapons vehicle/weapon specific break-out panels, simulation plugs * All stages of weapons operations including pre-launch, launch, and post-launch * Correct signal detection report ratio (CSDRR) * Threat prioritization * Time to display threat type, change, and countermeasures * Jamming identification and response * Data link and target handover. The STIL should include a Human Factors Engineering environment with models of aircraft interiors and exteriors and a light controlled area to assess: * Anthropomorphic data * Field of view * Workload analysis * Instrumentation illumination. The STIL should include a Crew Station Interface (CSI) that is reconfigurable to provide tactical controls for the AH-64, CH-47, UH-60, and other aircraft. Out-of-cockpit displays and cockpit instrumentation displays are coordinated with a high fidelity 6 DOF flight dynamics model to provide a virtual environment for human-in-the-loop testing. It is sufficie ntly accurate to rehearse test missions prior to actual flight tests. The CSI includes two (2) aircrew stations, which may be operated independently or integrated together for crew mission rehearsal. The CSI should include an operator/engineering worksta tion and tools for development and testing of flight models. The STIL should include an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) workstation to assess UAS performance, which can be used to pilot the UAS in a virtual environment. The CSI can also be used to control a UAS. The integrator will have both deep and broad experience in the design and support of Flight Test of aircraft on the ground, as well as an intimate knowledge of all Army Aircraft (rotorcraft, fixed wing and unmanned aircraft systems). Interested parties possessing the capability to perform the requirements outlined above are requested to submit a response addressing the following: 1. Describe your company's current integration capabilities, and approach for meeting the above requirement. 2. Identify any commercial item solutions that you have integrated that may satisfy this requirement. 3. Describe your present technical/test capability & past history of meeting similar requirements. 4. Describe your experience as a developer/integrator of similar test systems. You must cite specific experience and examples (including the name of the system/subsystem developed) that demonstrates your experience in each of the STIL capabilities needed. 5. Detail your experience integrating Army aviation systems, and Systems of Systems. You must also indicate if your experience was as a prime system integrator, subcontractor, and/or service support contractor; and give an indication of the relative contr ibution of your specific effort with respect to the overall program. 6. Describe the technical risk and problem areas for the requirement. 7. Describe your company and any partnerships/alliances that assure the success this project. In addition, information and comments, whether supportive or critical, are solicited. Interested parties should submit their response, in writing via email, to both Jim Heinrich, phone 407-384-3915, email: Jim.Heinrich@us.army.mil and Sherry Alexander, phone 407-384-3586, email: Sherry.Alexander@us.army.mil. Limit your response to 5000 wor ds. Submit no later than September 13, 2007. Technical questions can be addressed to Mr. Heinrich. Others may be addressed to Ms. Alexander. The information contained herein is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a request for proposal. The Government does not intend to pay for the information solicited and will not recognize any costs associated with submission of information. Proprietary information is not being solicited; however, if it is submitted it should be marked accordingly. The Government reserves the right to offer the requirement to the 8(a) program or to set the requirement aside for small business.
- Place of Performance
- Address: PEO STRI Acquisition Center 12350 Research Parkway, Orlando FL
- Zip Code: 32826-3276
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 32826-3276
- Record
- SN01390903-W 20070901/070830222157 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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