SOURCES SOUGHT
99 -- Engineering and Technical Services to Perform RQ-7 Shadow and U.S. Group 3 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Technology Integration, Analysis, Test, Evaluation and Flight Demonstration
- Notice Date
- 7/12/2021 7:04:03 AM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- W6QK ACC-RSA REDSTONE ARSENAL AL 35898-5090 USA
- ZIP Code
- 35898-5090
- Solicitation Number
- W31P4Q-21-R-0087
- Response Due
- 7/27/2021 2:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 08/11/2021
- Point of Contact
- Ralph D. Lindner, Judson Alexander
- E-Mail Address
-
ralph.d.lindner2.civ@mail.mil, judson.t.alexander.civ@mail.mil
(ralph.d.lindner2.civ@mail.mil, judson.t.alexander.civ@mail.mil)
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY - This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes � it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future.� This notice serves as market research in accordance with FAR Part 10. �Responses to this notice will be used as part of the information gathered as market research that will be used to develop the acquisition strategy to satisfy this potential requirement. �Solicitations are not available at this time.� Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response.� This notice does not constitute a commitment by the United States Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever.� All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the United States Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the United States Government.� Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.� If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the System for Award Management site (SAM.Gov).� It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The US Army Contracting Command-Redstone (ACC-R) is exploring options for contractor performance of a follow-on to contract W31P4Q-20-D-0029, for AAI Corporation d/b/a Textron Systems (AAICTS) Unmanned Systems (US) engineering and technical services.� This acquisition is required to support the Combat Capabilities Develop Command (DEVCOM) Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC) Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering & Integration (S3I) Directorate with research, development, integration, experimentation, test, evaluation and operation of contractor UAS systems and subsystems.� The S3I Directorate is responsible to Service and Joint customers to further develop, refine, evaluate and integrate Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies, platforms and payloads with the potential of improving the Warfighting Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) capabilities of ISR and weapon systems.� Aside from sensor payloads, payloads are also construed to include lethal payloads deployable from or with the weapon system.� The S3I Directorate conducts system development, experimentation, integration and testing of systems, capabilities and architectures beyond the boundaries of the typical UAS system.� These activities include the integration of unmanned ground systems, unmanned combat air vehicles and the integration of manned and unmanned systems and architectures.� Performance of the contractor under the performance work statement will include engineering and technical services that will also support the spectrum of AAICTS UAS systems and architectures across weapon system life cycles of research, development, production and sustainment.� The proposed acquisition is a follow-on of an existing contract, W31P4Q-20-D-0029, following the expiration of its period of performance.� This contract was originally established to provide this capability for the family of AAICTS US Group 3 equipment including RQ-7 Shadow, the Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS), the One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) and other AAICTS US products Systems.� Engineering and technical services will range from concept exploration through specification formation, development, test, integration, training, fielding, operational employment, evaluation and sustainment.� The contractor will perform engineering and technical services required to support the S3I Directorate and its customers in the development, integration and operational employment of Class 3 UAS capabilities to include modeling, simulation and training systems and modules in support of systems, processes, capabilities and integrated joint, component and allied tactics, techniques and procedures.� The contractor shall provide engineering and technical services required to install, operate, disseminate payload products, maintain, and integrate new technical capabilities.� The United States (U.S.) Group 3 UAS systems are the target UAS category for the purposes of accomplishing and demonstrating required technology integration objectives for this effort.� The required period of performance is 60 months with performance up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level.� This acquisition is intended to support the mission of the Army Futures Command and its subordinate Army DEVCOM AvMC in integrating the future operational environment, threat and technologies to develop and deliver future force requirements, designing future force organizations and delivering materiel capabilities. Examples of the range of technology integration efforts envisioned for the proposed follow-on contract effort is provided below: A new, hypothetical growth payload is available for integration into a U.S. Group 3 UAS, providing an improved, correlated UAS ISR capability, involving Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) collection that combines Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) collection through airborne payload data processing equipment for transmission of processed data through the U.S. Group 3 UAS datalink for display on tactical UAS command and control ground control station equipment.� The integration of this advanced SIGINT payload into the U.S. Group 3 UAS requires two electronically steerable sensor antennas to be wing mounted, one per wing. The antennas are powered and controlled through the SIGINT payload processor that is internally mounted within the U.S. Group 3 UAS fuselage.� The target UAS for the SIGINT growth payload integration is the RQ-7 Shadow UAS. Following integration of the SIGINT payload into the RQ-7 Shadow UAS, the contractor tasked with this technology integration effort shall provide UAS engineering and technical services necessary to accomplish: Aerodynamic modeling and simulation Information assurance assessments Flight worthiness and safety of flight analysis and certifications Test, analysis and evaluation necessary to allow extensive flight testing, and demonstration of the new SIGINT payload capability at CONUS Government test ranges.� However, due to current operational requirements for tactical UASs and the limited availability of Shadow tactical UAS GFE assets to support the SIGINT growth payload integration, analysis, ground test, evaluation and flight demonstration tasks, the contractor performing the integration may be required to provide a contractor owned/contractor operated the RQ-7 Shadow to accomplish this effort� Continuity of the current the RQ-7 Shadow Government tactical equipment to interface with and be interoperable with U.S. Intelligence system(s) supporting Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) equipment following completion of the SIGINT payload technology integration effort. Develop a full Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) for the integration identify the initial cut-in to production and provide details of the engineering and logistics support required to upgrade the existing fleet of systems Following successful CONUS-based test and demonstration of the UAS integrated SIGINT payload, the contractor may be required to support limited duration OCONUS flight demonstrations of the UAS integrated SIGINT payload in order to allow the Government to assess its military utility, reliability, availability and maintainability in a range of operational environments. The contractor would furnish the necessary RQ-7 Shadow engineering, technical and operational personnel, material, equipment, to include, services, and any non-government facilities necessary to perform the integration task to include subcontracting with the SIGINT payload developer/manufacturer.� The contractor would be required to provide the Government with a horizontal technology integration risk mitigation/reduction analysis, assessing the technical challenges associated with subsequent integration of the SIGINT payload into other U.S. Class 3 UAS equipment, such as the MQ-19 Aerosonde UAS. The S3I is in need of creating a new Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS) Software Build.� Describe the process for creating the UGCS executable software to ensure the software is built correctly and able to deploy effectively, to include the incorporation of required cyber security updates, operating systems patches and functional modifications, and how it will be reliably prepared for production and fielding. Following integration of the UGCS software built, the contractor tasked with this technology integration effort shall provide UAS engineering and technical services necessary to accomplish: Information assurance assessments Flight worthiness and safety of flight analysis and certifications Test, analysis and evaluation necessary to allow extensive flight testing, and demonstration of the new software built at CONUS Government test ranges.� However, due to current operational requirements for tactical UASs and the limited availability of Shadow tactical UGCS GFE assets to support the software integration, analysis, ground test, evaluation and flight demonstration tasks, the contractor performing the integration may be required to provide a contractor owned/contractor operated UGCS to accomplish this effort. Develop a full Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) for the integration identify the initial cut-in to production and provide details of the engineering and logistics support required to upgrade the existing fleet of systems In response to this RFI, ACC-R is seeking the following information: 1.� Respondents should furnish the following corporate information: Corporate Name and address CAGE Code Present level of facility security clearance Present level of facility safeguarding for classified information/material DUNS Business size classification for NAICS 541330 2.� Description of respondent�s previous experience in performing engineering and technical services on the RQ-7 Shadow UAS airborne and ground support equipment necessary to support rapid technology integration of existing and emerging technical capabilities into U.S. Group 3 UAS equipment. 3.� With regard to the examples SIGINT technology integration and the UGCS Software modification efforts described above, the respondent should address the following: Detailed identification of the technical information required by the respondent to accomplish the SIGINT payload technology integration task and UGCS Software Modification to include: Contractor or Government models and/or simulations Drawings Associated technical lists Technical specifications Interface control documents Standards Quality assurance provisions Software source code and documentation Equipment packaging details 4.� If the Government does not possess all or part of the above technical information or the technical information identified by the respondent in 3.a., above, the respondent should identify its current access to the technical information through existing corporate agreements with a U.S. Group 3 UAS equipment manufacturer/supplier. 5.� Past examples of successful U.S. Group 3 UAS technology integration efforts performed by the respondent, particularly those involving full command, control, and communication of the technology integration from the existing UGCS, through the UAS data link, and airborne avionics subsystems. 6.� �Description of the respondent�s expertise and access to high fidelity Air Vehicle (AV) Simulations of the RQ-7 Shadow UAS equipment that incorporates UAS/tactical software in the loop operations and which provide the fidelity required to perform systems qualification testing and pilot qualification training support of all AV system interfaces, system Warnings, Cautions, and Failures (WCAs), and simulating AV internal systems/components.� The respondent should demonstrate access to and the requisite technical knowledge and expertise required to immediately and extensively modify this type of simulation as required in order to rapidly maintain currency with operational system performance changes.� The respondent should demonstrate the expertise to maintain a technical capability for the integrated SIGINT payload at S3I Directorate in order to support an off-axis technology integration capability.� The respondent shall provide the technical knowledge of the current configuration control of the RQ-7 system and demonstrate how to maintain configuration management of the latest version of the system.� 7.� In the absence of available Government RQ-7 Shadow UAS tactical equipment, the respondent should identify its access to other contractor RQ-7 Shadow UAS equipment necessary to support technology integration of the type described above as well as the currency of that access. 8.� Respondent�s past experience in supporting the demonstration and evaluation of UAS technology integration through CONUS and OCONUS flight operations involving U.S. Group 3 UAS. 9.� Respondent�s past experience in supporting horizontal technology integration across the RQ-7 Shadow UAS, the UGCS and the U.S. Group 3 UAS tactical equipment. 10.� Respondent�s past experience and expertise in RQ-7 Shadow and UGCS software development and modification with associated software documentation that supports the preparation and processing of technical analysis and documentation necessary to support safety of flight and air worthiness.� The respondent ability to access and modify intellectual property and proprietary software.� The respondent must provide information including any agreements with the prime owner of the intellectual property and software.�� 11. �Respondent's past experience and expertise in RQ-7 Shadow and UGCS UAS command and control software interfaces required to establish and maintain interoperability with external interfaces necessary to support the dissemination of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information to U.S. Intelligence systems performing the Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) function. The response must be submitted on white papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format and shall be limited to 10 pages based on Font:� Arial, Font Size:� 12.� Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED.� To assist the Government�s efforts, please segregate proprietary information.� Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.� All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified and properly marked. The Government reserves the right to request further clarification to enhance our understanding of the respondent's submittal. The response date for this market research is 27 July 2021, 4:00 pm CST.� All questions and industry responses to this RFI shall be submitted via e-mail to Army Contracting Command-Redstone, Judson Alexander-Contracting Officer, at judson.t.alexander.civ@mail.mil and Ralph Lindner-Senior Contract Specialist, at ralph.d.lindner2.civ@mail.mil.� No telephone requests will be accepted.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/ae05a2563e044dff8ed4e519dbed7fda/view)
- Record
- SN06058638-F 20210714/210712230122 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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