SOURCES SOUGHT
10 -- Request for Information - Sentinel A4, for the AN/MPQ-64A3 (Sentinel A3) short range Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) radar
- Notice Date
- 3/21/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 611512
— Flight Training
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - RSA (W31P4Q) Missile, BLDG 5303 SPARKMAN CIR, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, 35898-5090, United States
- ZIP Code
- 35898-5090
- Solicitation Number
- W31P4Q-16-R-0104
- Archive Date
- 8/1/2016
- Point of Contact
- Johnny L. Keith,
- E-Mail Address
-
johnny.l.keith.civ@mail.mil
(johnny.l.keith.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The US Army Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space Cruise Missile Defense Systems (CMDS) Project Office is conducting market research to determine if there are potential sources with the capability to provide a high performance modification, designated as the Sentinel A4, for the AN/MPQ-64A3 (Sentinel A3) short range Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) radar. Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.2, this notice is being issued as a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No contract award is intended as a result of this request. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This Request for Information is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal or a promise to issue a Request for Proposal in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. The Government will not pay for the information received. The Government Point of Contact (POC) will be Mr. Johnny L. Keith, US Army Contracting Command-Redstone, Attn: CCAM-SM-T, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898, and can be contacted via e-mail: johnny.l.keith.civ@mail.mil. Mail or Email responses only, no phone calls. The response cut off time is Monday, 2 May 2016 by 1500 CST. Per FAR 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes: a.) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, bid and proposal costs, of the FAR. b.) Although "proposed", "proposal", and "offeror" may be used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. c.) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of acquiring information to modify or replace the Army's AN/MPQ-64A3 Sentinel A3 radar. SENTINEL RADAR. The Sentinel Radar is a major component of the Army IAMD System of Systems architecture, providing a surveillance and fire control capability against low altitude air breathing threats, to include Cruise Missiles (CM), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), fixed wing, rotary-wing, and future capabilities against Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (RAM) threats. Sentinel, currently deployed in its A3 configuration, provides a critical capability for the acquisition, tracking, classification, discrimination, and identification of aerial threats and cueing and track data to support Beyond Line of Site engagements. It provides air coverage in the forward area (Corps, Division, and Brigade sectors) by providing vital information for timely decision making by the commander, and accurate targeting information to the supported weapon systems. Sentinel also tracks friendly UAS and aircraft, providing support for airspace management de-confliction and fires de-confliction. It provides continuous volume surveillance of friendly and hostile aircraft to enhance protection of friendly aircraft from fratricide. The Sentinel A3 is an X-band, three dimensional, 360° azimuth coverage, phased array air defense radar with a nominal 75 kilometer instrumented range. The system is equipped with Electronic Counter-Counter-Measure (ECCM) capabilities, a Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) subsystem for positive identification of friendly aircraft, and a suite of Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) capabilities to identify threat aircraft. Sentinel is mounted on a Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) trailer, pulled by a M1082 FMTV truck hosting a 10 kW tactical generator and the command and control interface. Sentinel interfaces with the IAMD Battle Command system, the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, and the National Capital Region Integrated Air Defense command and control system. In order to ensure meeting its mission requirements and to address future Counter-RAM requirements, CMDS plans to modify the Sentinel A3 radar to an A4 configuration that will employ advanced sensor technologies to improve capabilities and performance. The Sentinel A4 will counter the advancing threat evolution in the short range IAMD mission area. These future threats include reduced signature CM targets, smaller and slower UAS targets, and RAM. The RAM threats include both short range (couple/few km) and longer range (low hundreds of km) large caliber rockets (240mm, 300mm), rockets (107mm, 122mm), artillery (122mm, 152mm), and mortars (60mm, 82mm, 120mm). SENTINEL A4 REQUIREMENTS. Respondents to this Request for Information (RFI) must satisfactorily address the following requirements in their response: 1. The Sentinel A4 must meet or exceed all current Sentinel A3 requirements contained in the Draft Revised Sentinel A3 Requirements Document. The Sentinel Product Office will make this Requirements Document (DRAFT, classified SECRET) available to potential respondents to this RFI. 2. To counter the new threat, the Sentinel A4 must exceed selected A3 threshold performance requirements. The Sentinel A4 requires a greater than 75% increase in range performance, three times the search volume, and twice the track loading capability. A greater than two times increase in track accuracy is required. Performance is required while operating under very stressing radar environments (e.g., electronic attack; anti-radiation weapons; direction finding sensors; mountain, sea, and urban clutter; biological fliers; etc.). 3. Candidate technical solutions to this RFI must currently be at a demonstrated Technology Readiness Level of six or higher (TRL 6). 4. To support a modification of the current Sentinel A3 to a Sentinel A4 capability, the Sentinel Product Office plans to make available a defined interface to the existing Sentinel A3 Signal Data Processor (SDP) and software, to which a new antenna assembly can be added. This antenna assembly would include advanced technologies (e.g., Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology) and interface to the existing SDP. A new antenna assembly will also require new equipment solutions or modifications to the platform, power systems, cooling systems, rotational assembly, and beam steering. The Sentinel Product Office will consider changes to the SDP or a new SDP hardware solution to support a new antenna assembly design. We encourage respondents to suggest alternatives to this approach. 5. Candidate technical solutions must be ready to enter Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD as defined in DoD Instruction 5000.02), without a prior Government funded technology demonstration, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Should an award be made, the selected contractor must be ready to hold a Preliminary Design Review in FY 2020 and must have prototype hardware ready for developmental testing, to include qualification and performance testing, in FY 2021 (28 months following EMD contract award). 6. Candidate technical solutions must address the ability and risks to enter Low Rate Initial Production in FY 2023 and Full Rate Production in FY 2025. 7. Candidate technical solutions must be supported by production facilities and proven processes to deliver up to 30 Sentinel A4 antenna assemblies per year. The Government plans to procure 199 antenna assemblies through FY 2032. 8. Candidate technical solutions must include a cost-effective 20-year sustainment plan for the 199 radars that includes Government organic support. 9. The desired Sentinel A4 technology is primarily for United States employment but must have a variant that can be approved for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to existing and new Sentinel FMS customers. 10. Candidate technical solutions must be supported by current demonstrated company experience with advanced X-Band radars. 11. Candidate technical solutions must demonstrate that the resulting Sentinel A4 can be produced and sustained in a cost-effective manner. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS. Part A. Business Information: Please provide the following information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners: 1. Company/Institute name 2. Address 3. Point of Contact 4. Cage Code 5. DUNS Number 6. Phone Number 7. E-mail Address 8. Web page URL 9. Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 611512. Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company qualifies as a: a. Small Business (Yes/No) b. Woman Owned Small Business (Yes/No) c. Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes/No) d. 8(a) Certified (Yes/No) e. HUB Zone Certified (Yes/No) f. Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes/No) g. Service Disabled Small Business (Yes/No) h. Central Contractor Registration (Yes/No) i. Statement describing company as domestically or foreign owned (if foreign owned, please indicate country of ownership). Part B. Capability: 1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your company and the nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure. 2. Describe your company's past experience (no more than five examples) on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual points of contact (Contracting Officer or Program Manager). 3. What experience does your company have planning and executing the development, deployment and sustainment of Air and Missile defense sensors, weapons and other defense-related systems? Describe your experience with radars in general, and X-Band surveillance and/or fire control radars in particular. Include technical expertise in advanced wideband radar antenna and power amplifier technology. Describe your company's capabilities and experience with anti-tamper techniques and technologies for advanced radar technology. 4. Describe your company's experience with integrating advanced radar technology onto ground based sensor platforms. Describe your experience integrating new sensor antenna technologies onto existing radar systems. 5. Describe your processes, experience, and facilities for executing radar sensor production. 6. Describe the top five risks you foresee in executing an effort of this scope. What steps would you likely take to mitigate the risks? 7. If you were to use subcontractors for this effort, what subcontractors would you use to do what percentage of what work? What are their experiences and do you already have a relationship with the subcontractor(s)? How many are small and/or disadvantaged businesses? 8. Describe your company's approach and capabilities in obtaining and retaining qualified and experienced personnel. How soon could your company secure qualified personnel to support such an effort? Part C. Technical Submission: The response will include a complete description of the candidate technical solution(s), performance results-to-date of any prototype hardware, and rough order magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule estimates for development, test, production, and sustainment of the candidate solution by year. Responders are encouraged to provide explanations for those areas in which their product attributes differ significantly, either favorably or unfavorably, from the Sentinel radar requirements. Discuss both technical and programmatic risks associated with your candidate solution, for development, integration, test, production, deployment, and sustainment. Responses must only include candidate radar technologies that have been successfully demonstrated in a similar application or those that are in a lab-prototype stage (TRL 6 or higher) to meet Army acquisition program needs (FY 2019 EMD start). Responses to this RFI should include non-recurring development cost, unit cost per radar or modification kit, candidate development and production schedules, options for releasing technology to Sentinel International partners, sustainment costs for a 20-year lifespan, and sustainment models used to derive the sustainment costs. Additionally, responders are encouraged to identify risk areas, high cost drivers, and suggest lower risk and cost alternatives that would satisfy Army objectives to improve Sentinel performance while maintaining or reducing overall Sentinel Radar cost. If your candidate modification includes technology associated with an alternate existing platform/program, the response must include information to identify the platform/program from which such design originated. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS. Only US based and owned companies are eligible to respond. Foreign participation is not authorized, US citizens only. As a condition of responding to this RFI, it is a requirement that the responder have an approved facility for storing and processing classified information. The Sentinel Product Office will make available upon written request, the classified Sentinel Radar Requirements Document to aid in responding to this RFI. It is expected that due to the sensitivity of the technology and the resultant capability, that responses to this RFI will be classified. Responses must abide by the draft Sentinel AN/MPQ-64A4 Security Classification Guide (SCG) which is also available upon written request from the Army Contracting Command contact provided below. After validation by the CMDS Security Office of each interested responder's security accreditation and eligibility to receive the classified information and SCG, the information will be mailed to each validated responder. The information may be requested from Mr. Johnny L. Keith, US Army Contracting Command-Redstone, CCAM-SM-T, Building 5250, 3rd Floor, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5000, or e-mail: johnny.l.keith.civ@mail.mil. All responses must be submitted in writing, and must include: Company name, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, classified mailing address, and appropriate point of contact information. Marketing material is considered an insufficient response to this RFI. Respondents should indicate which portions of their responses are proprietary and should mark them accordingly. Appropriate proprietary claims will be honored and protected to prevent improper disclosure. The response must include a white paper of no more than 60 pages (text 12-point font, figures 9-point) describing one candidate Sentinel A4 solution. If a respondent has more than one promising candidate technology approach, you may submit each unique and different technology solution as a separate response, with a maximum of two total responses per respondent. Please submit two (2) copies of your response if in hard copy form, one (1) copy if emailed or if submitted on CD/DVD media. RFI responses must be received (email) or postmarked (mail) by 29 April 2016. Unclassified responses will be received via mail or by email. Mailed unclassified responses should be sent to US Army Contracting Command- Redstone, CCAM-SM-T, ATTN: Johnny L. Keith, Bldg 5250, 3rd Floor, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898, and US Army, CMDS, SFAE-MSL-CMS, Bldg. 5250, Redstone Arsenal, AL, 35898-5000, ATTN: Mr. P. Steve Inglis. Emailed unclassified responses should be sent to the following e-mail addresses johnny.l.keith.civ@mail.mil and p.s.inglis.civ@mail.mil. All classified responses will be accepted by mail only. You may send classified RFI responses to US Army, CMDS, ATTN: SFAE-MSL-CMS, Bldg. 5250, Redstone Arsenal, AL, 35898-5000, ATTN: Mr. P. Steve Inglis. Requests for additional information must include: company name, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, classified mailing address, and appropriate point of contact information. Requests for additional information should include a SIPRnet e-mail address. A visit request should be sent, in conjunction with the request for additional information, in order to validate each interested responder's security accreditation and eligibility to receive this data. Visit requests should be submitted via JPAS using SMO Code W0H9AA4SF or faxed to 256-842-9573: CMDS Project Office ATTN: Security/Visitor Control Bldg 5250, B178 Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898 Security POCs: Carol J. Patterson/256-842-7663, Samuel D. Hernandez/256-313-0438, Connie Dawson/256-313-0738 Government Technical POC: Mr. P. Steve Inglis/256-842-0335 All requests for additional information must be received within 12 calendar days of the date of this notice. The Government will issue acknowledgement of receipt. ASSESSMENT. The assessment criteria used to evaluate the information received in response to this RFI will be 1) technical maturity and feasibility of meeting the Sentinel A4 requirements, 2) technical feasibility and respondent's capability to implement the candidate concept within the desired acquisition timeframe, 3) a realistic technical and programmatic risk assessment, and 4) development, production, and sustainment costs. ** ATTENTION** The Sentinel Product Office plans to use non-Government support contractors in assessing industry responses resulting from this RFI. Pursuant to FAR Part 9.505-4, non-Government support contractors must execute an agreement with each RFI industry respondent that states that they will (1) protect the respondent's information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from using the information for any purpose other than which it was furnished. Thus, if responses include proprietary information, it must be marked accordingly and each respondent must be willing to sign non-disclosure agreements with the non-Government support contractors listed below so CMDS can properly protect the proprietary information submitted. The following list of non-Government support contractors will be used during this assessment: 1) Canvas, Inc., 4092 Memorial Parkway SW, Suite 100, Huntsville, AL 35802; POC: Jami Peyton, (256) 489-2988, jamipeyton@canvas-inc.com. 2) deciBel Research, Inc., P. O. Box 5368 Huntsville AL 35814; POC: Debbie Agarwal. 256-489-6193, dagarwal@dbresearch.net. 3) Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation, 5030 Bradford Drive NW, Bldg. 2, Suite 205, Huntsville, AL 35805; POC: Christine Schaefer, 256-922-9300, EX-1136, Christine.schaefer@irtc-hq.com. 4) FreEnt Technologies, Inc., PO Box 5365, Huntsville, AL 35814; POC: Elizabeth Bourland, 256-653-1052, febourland.freent@icloud.com. 5) University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, VBRH E26, Huntsville, AL 35899, POC: Gloria W. Greene, MA, CRA, Director, Sponsored Programs, 256-824-2657, Greeneg@uah.edu, www.uah.edu/osp/. To expedite the review process, each industry respondent is requested to contact the above companies at the earliest opportunity to effect execution of such an agreement prior to submission of their responses. Each industry respondent shall submit copies of the agreements with their response or provide a definitive statement that the industry respondent does not consent to the release of the information to the aforementioned firms.
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