SOURCES SOUGHT
58 -- Request for Information (RFI) Sources Sought (SS) for Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS)
- Notice Date
- 1/7/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U. S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command (Aviation), US Army Aviation and Missile Command (Aviation), ATTN: AMSAM-AC, Building 5303, Martin Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5280
- ZIP Code
- 35898-5280
- Solicitation Number
- W58RGZ-09-R-XXXX
- Response Due
- 2/6/2009
- Archive Date
- 4/7/2009
- Point of Contact
- Lalita Irving, 256-876-9114<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This request for information (RFI) is for second source planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment, of direct or indirect costs, or charges by the Government will arise as a result of a contractors submission of a responses to this announcement; or the Governments use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. The information provided may be used by the Government in developing its second source acquisition strategy and statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained within their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract solely on the basis of this request for information, or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. The Common Avionics Architecture System Product Manager (CAAS APM) is conducting market research to determine the status of currently available products and technologies capable of providing an affordable, low cost, form-fit-function, second source material solution or replacement for the current CAAS suite. The vision for CAAS is to create a scalable system that would meet the needs of multiple helicopter cockpits to address modernization issues. The Purpose is to use a single, open, Common Avionics Architecture System for all platforms to reduce life cycle costs through implementation of a common, open architecture supported with an open business model. The system technical attributes should be: 1.Modular 2.Open system architecture 3.Commercial IT standards 4.Processors connected via ethernet LAN with internet protocols (IP). 5.An advance glass cockpit for situational awareness (SA). 6.The open business model should include Government purpose rights to software, third party development toolkit, and Army SED lab support which include assisting the Army in setting up the development & testing environment. 7.The CAAS system should be composed of four separate Line Replaceable Units (LRUs): a Multi-Function Display (MFD), a Control Display Unit (CDU), a General Purpose Processing Unit (GPPU) containing a Video Processing System (VPS), and a Data Concentrator System (DCS). 8.The operating system will be LynxOS (POSIX compliant). 9.All LRUs will contain Built-In-Test (BIT) electronics that shall support three types of Built-In-Test (BIT) for maintenance diagnostics, preflight, in-flight, and post flight system checkout. 10.The LRUs shall self-test and test interface avionics equipment during a start-up power application. Results shall have the ability to be used on an equipment status display to assess the operational readiness and identify degraded or failed system conditions. 11.The LRUs shall self-test and test interfaced avionics equipment on a non-interference basis, and will identify degraded or failed system conditions. These capabilities are to be designed using open architecture technology as defined by the Open Systems - Joint Architecture Working Group and the Joint Technical Architecture Working Group to allow flexibility for future growth. This upgrade will permit the aircraft to communicate, process data, and display information throughout its life cycle. This requires a flexible design with the ability to grow in capability to meet future requirements and technological advancements. The system design approach shall comply with the applicable portions of the Joint Technical Architecture-Army. Any proposed technical designs that deviate from the standards and practices delineated in the Joint Technical Architecture-Army, either during the evaluation and/or subsequent execution of this contract, shall be approved by the Army Digitization Office (ADO), through the Program Manager, prior to implementation. The Joint Technical Architecture-Army document is located on the World Wide Web at URL: http://archodisc4.army.mil/aes/aea/jta-a/html/homepage.htm. In addition to technology and product maturity considerations, the government is interested in economic ordering quantities, delivery schedules and production ramp up considerations. Interested parties responding to this RFI should: 1)Have a strong background and detailed knowledge within the Governments Airborne Avionics realm. 2)Have a proven and demonstrated integration capability 3)Have a working knowledge of the Armys advanced cockpit systems. 4)Have a proven and demonstrated capability in complex systems architecture with emphasis on networking communications and interface issues 5)Have a significant technology base and/or manufacturing and operating infrastructure (facilities and capabilities) that can readily support detailed coordination with users, and installation, operation and support of this system. Industry responses must include sufficient documentation to support any claims that their system performance will meet the minimum performance capabilities contained herein. Such documentation may include system technical specifications, product brochures, related literature, performance test data, system drawings and/or photographs, or any other data to support the state of system development and or production readiness. Additionally, industry responses are to specifically include an outline of supply chain considerations with emphasis on any known long lead items that may adversely impact high rate production in an accelerated environment. Any limitations to ramping up to high rate monthly production and system integration considerations; must be addressed along with proposed resolutions to potential production impediments. Projected monthly production capabilities to include critical subcontractor and vendor production capacity along with estimated unit prices, should also be submitted. Interested parties possessing the qualifications outlined above are requested to provide a White Paper describing: 1. Corporate capabilities, past and current relevant performance information, available facilities and assets. 2.Indicate whether your companys interest in the Armys CAAS program is as a system developer and integrator, a subcontractor with specific areas of expertise or as a potential component supplier. 3.Technical and management approach for achieving the objectives for this project to include a detailed design; procurement of and the integration of components into helicopter platforms. 4.A unit cost estimate on a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) to produce each of the notional requirements outlined above. 5.A supporting program schedule that represents your low risk approach to meeting the technology objectives outlined above, or a risk mitigation plan. 6. An assessment of the associated risks for this program and respective risk mitigation approaches. 7. Name, telephone number, fax number, street address and e-mail address for Program, Technical and Cost points of contact information. 8.Companys plan/commitment to support the Armys CAAS GFE/CFE production and sustainment efforts I/A/W FAR 15 and potential submittal of certified cost data if required. All interested firms with the capabilities identified herein are encouraged to respond to this RFI by providing the information specified above on or before 1600 hours on 6 February 2009. Technical questions and industry responses to this RFI are to be sent via email to Todd Garrett, CAAS PM, todd.garrett@peoavn.army.mil or Carolyn Gates, Contracting Officer, carolyn.gates@us.army.mil or may be mailed to PEO Aviation (PM Cargo), ATTN: SFAE-AV-CH-CAAS, 5678 Hicks Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898. Electronic transmissions must not exceed 5 megabytes and responses in the form of white papers should be limited to 25 pages in length and may include technical specification and product sheets as deemed necessary. All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified.
- Web Link
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- Place of Performance
- Address: US Army Aviation and Missile Command (Aviation) ATTN: CCAM-CH-A, Building 5678, Hicks Road Redstone Arsenal AL<br />
- Zip Code: 35898-5280<br />
- Zip Code: 35898-5280<br />
- Record
- SN01728645-W 20090109/090107220734-1e5ea80f483375b3bf7c6331ff5ac7a4 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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