SOURCES SOUGHT
16 -- Parachutist Oxygen Delivery System (PODS)
- Notice Date
- 11/28/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 314999
— All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - APG (W911QY) Natick (SPS), BLDG 1 KANSAS ST, Natick, Massachusetts, 01760-5011, United States
- ZIP Code
- 01760-5011
- Solicitation Number
- W911QY-18-PODS
- Archive Date
- 1/13/2018
- Point of Contact
- Matthew Buchanan, Phone: 5082336141
- E-Mail Address
-
matthew.r.buchanan6.civ@mail.mil
(matthew.r.buchanan6.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Parachutist Oxygen Delivery System (PODS) Improved Ram Air Canopy systems, in particular when used in High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute insertion operations, have extended the Military Free Fall (MFF) parachutist's time under canopy. Future Ram Air parachute systems are expected to have descent rates of approximately 9 feet/sec from an objective altitude of 35,000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL), exceeding 60 minutes from the parachutist's exit from the aircraft to the ground. These extended high altitude and stand-off missions require a significant increase to the parachutist's supply of oxygen (O2), which is now supplied by a dilution-demand technology. The Army's current oxygen system is comprised of the Parachutist Oxygen Masks (POMs), individual parachutist Oxygen Bailout Bottles, on-board Oxygen Consoles, and Oxygen Transfer Pumps used to fill the Bailout and Console bottles. Oxygen consumption studies have confirmed that the current O2 Bailout Bottles cannot not provide the parachutist with sufficient oxygen to support these extended operations, thus decreasing mission capability and decreasing parachutists' ability to complete their mission. Current Oxygen Consoles are designed to support the pre-breathe requirements of up to 6 parachutists, but in many cases the volume is inadequate and necessitates additional consoles and/or large "K" bottles being loaded on the aircraft. Description: The Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PdM SCIE), Personnel Airdrop Team, Natick, MA, is conducting a market survey and requesting technical information from manufacturers/suppliers regarding: a. Parachutist Oxygen Delivery System (PODS) to provide the Parachutist with O2 during all phases of Military Free Fall (MFF) high altitude /standoff operations, and/or b. Individual O2 system components to provide O2 to the Parachutist during pre-breathe and/or descent portions of high altitude stand-off missions. (Supplemental and pre-breathe oxygen requirements are given in Table 4-1 of the Special Forces Military Free Fall Operations Manual, FM 3-05.211, April 2005). PdM SCIE is seeking information both on currently available systems/components and systems/components that utilize new and emerging technologies, along with supporting information (calculations, test reports, photos, etc.) indicating level of technical maturity. Proposed systems/components should address the following: a. A means to provide the individual Parachutist with sufficient supply of O2 during a descent of 45 minutes threshold/60 minutes objective to 10,000 feet MSL, or ideally, to landing. Size and weight of any O2 equipment carried or worn by the individual Parachutist should be minimized. Should be capable of withstanding opening shocks of up to 15Gs. Should provide a method to verify functionality during pre-jump inspections. Pressurized oxygen containers, if applicable, should be shatterproof. Should operate at temperatures ranging from -65 degrees Fahrenheit (F) to 160 degrees F and humidity ranging from zero to 100 %, non-condensing. Dust, sand, frost or ice accumulation should not preclude proper operation of the system. b. A means to provide the parachutist, at or below 10,000 feet MSL pressure, with sufficient 100% aviation-grade O2 to meet pre-breathe requirements MSL when scheduled to exit the aircraft at or above 20,000 feet MSL to 35,000 feet MSL. c. Any test equipment required to monitor equipment performance. d. Any charging equipment required to transfer oxygen under required pressures. Desirable attributes: • Individual components should be physically and functionally compatible with legacy equipment to include tandem systems (tandem master and passenger) and tethered bundle systems. • Should not interfere with equipment mountings, combat loads, or paratrooper worn equipment such as navigation systems, night vision devices, or heads up displays. • Should incorporate a communication capability consistent with current communications systems. • Any equipment worn by the Parachutist should be one size fits all. • The aircraft should be "clean" upon Parachutist exit to avoid leaving O2 equipment on-board to be recovered after the operation is complete or to compromise the inserting unit's mission. • System should support both pre-breathe and descent phases in one system, with a total duration of greater than 3 hours. • Equipment should be capable of modification to incorporate new technologies. Interested sources shall, within thirty (30) days following the publication of this RFI, respond with information on their current capability. Interested sources shall include detailed information regarding their firm's experience, personnel, facilities and domestic production capabilities, and relevant company background/experience. If a firm chooses to submit a sample, no payment will be made by the Government for such sample. Firms should provide pricing for currently available products and/or estimated pricing for items not yet produced. Firms responding shall indicate whether or not they are a small business. This notice is for market research purposes only. Responses to this notice are to be sent to Ms. Nina Shopalovich. This is not a request for proposal/quotation. No solicitation document exists. The information received under this announcement may be used to purchase items for Government testing and/or developing acquisition strategy. Email your response and/or any questions to nina.j.shopalovich.civ@mail.mil. FAR 52.215-3 - Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes, applies herein.
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- SN04750641-W 20171130/171128231555-3920e73f9d7bc6ca2b2ae60b07075e9d (fbodaily.com)
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