US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PCW-A, Building 10, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

A -- PROCURE TWO SEMIAUTOMATIC LOADER MECHANISMS AND SPARE PARTS TO SUPPORT THE 155MM/52 CALIBER SOLID PROPELLANT ARMAMENT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SOL DAAE30-95-R-0063 DUE 061995 POC Major Trent K. Ensley, email=tensley, Contract Specialist, 201-724- 7870; Gregory L. Gorman, Contracting Officer, 201-724-3271. This action is initiated to obtain two hydraulically-powered, electronically controlled Semiautomatice Artillery Loader (SAL) mechanisms and spare parts to support the 155mm/ 52 - Caliber Solid Propellant Armament System (SPAS) development program. The loading mechanisms shall incorporate an automated projectile tray that lifts manually placed 155mm artillery projectiles to the weapon breech, seats the shell in the cannon chamber without damage to projectile or fuze and without potential for fallback, and return to a stowed position. Total cycle time shall not exceed 5 seconds. The devices should also include a ruggedized electronic control unit and all necessary hardware required for vehicle integration into an M109 - series self-propelled howitzer. In keeping with the Bolt-In/Bolt-out (BIBO) design constraints of 52-caliber SPAS program as well as applicability to the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, the Semiautomatic Loaders shall be compatible with all current and developmental 155mm ammunition (excluding oversized and nuclear projectiles), comply with existing safety standards and offer adequate modularity to permit reconfiguration for use with the XM297 armament and XM194 gun mount. This contract is anticipated for Sole Source Award to Waffenfabrik (W+F) Bern, Stauffacherstrasse 65, Postfach CH-3000 Bern 22, Switzerland pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, Only One responsible Source. An appropriate Justification and Approval is being staffed. W+F Bern's extensive experience with development of Semiautomatic Loaders for M109-series howitzers and the contractor's ongoing production efforts for the Swiss Army result in a firm with an established vendor base, a fully qualified product and a superior capability to produce mechanisms and provide technical support in a timely fashion. Recent evaluations of U.S. and foreign manufactured semiautomatic loaders have demonstrated that the W+F Bern SAL is the only existing device that satisfies U.S. Army requirements and is fully compatible with the Paladin and all current 155mm ammunition. See Note 22. (0122)

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