COMBAT VEHICLE APPENDED TRAINERS (CVAT) Contact Ms. Lisa Campbell, (703) 784-5822, Ext. 225. The purpose of this announcement is to notify industry of long-range acquisition estimates to assist with industry planning. No responses are requested at this time. The Combat Vehicle Training Systems (CVTS) will be a family of high fidelity, deployable and institutional, precision gunnery, networked training systems that will allow the Marine Corps Ground Forces to satisfy its individual, collective, combined arms, and joint training objectives. The CVTS systems will have two basic configurations which will collectively satisfy the CVTS training requirements. The first configuration will be the deployable Combat Vehicle Appended Trainers (CVAT) which will initially emphasize individual training at each crew position, precision gunnery, and crew communication and coordination at the section and platoon level. The second configuration will be the Combat Vehicle Institutional Trainers (CVIT) which will initially emphasize maneuver and tactical training from the platoon through joint level. Both the CVAT and CVIT systems will include a Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) compliant networking capability that will support networked training with each other and other DIS compliant systems such as the Army's Combined Arms Tactical Trainers (CATT). The CVTS system has a pre-planned product improvement to be High Level Architecture (HLA) compliant. The United States Marine Corps announces its intent to procure the deployable component of the Combat Vehicle Training Systems (CVTS). The CVAT systems will be a family of deployable, high fidelity, DIS networked, appended training simulators for the M1A1 Main Battle Tank, the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25), and the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAVP7A1). The CVAT requirements are expandable to include other Marine Corps ground vehicles as required. The CVAT systems will be fielded throughout the Marine Corps' Formal Schools, Marine Forces Atlantic (MARFORLANT), Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC), and Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES). The CVAT systems will emphasize individual, collective, and cross training in gunnery, mission tactics and crew communication and coordination across the skill level spectrum: familiarization, proficiency, and sustainment. The CVAT systems will have three configurations. The first will be a single vehicle configuration emphasizing training at each crew position and full crew communication and coordination. The second will be a platoon/section configuration emphasizing tactical training techniques. The third will be a DIS interoperable configuration emphasizing mission training in a combined arms environment with other DIS training systems such as the Army's Combined Arms Tactical Trainers (CATT) and the projected Marine Corps' Combat Vehicle Institutional Trainer (CVIT) systems. The CVAT systems will be required to be fully operational and supportable in amphibious afloat, fixed, remote, and forward deployed stations. The CVAT systems will be designed for operation using facility, shipboard, and portable generator electrical power. The CVAT systems will be required to be fully operational at extended temperatures and humidity ranges. The CVAT systems will be required to be packed in rugged transport cases. Since weight and volume are at a premium during deployment, the CVAT systems will require the incorporation of technology that minimizes these parameters. The CVAT system will be designed for maximizing portability by constructing components that when packed into transport cases, generally do not exceed a two person lift. The family of CVAT systems will append to the following USMC weapon platforms: Assault Amphibian Vehicle (AAVP7A1), Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25), and M1A1 Main Battle Tank (M1A1). The CVAT systems will operate while the weapon platforms are stationary, powered down, and turrets locked in place. No permanent alterations or modifications to these weapon platforms will be permitted. The CVAT systems will interact with the actual operational weapon platform to provide visual, aural, and tactile simulation of selected missions. Appended sensors, control/indicators, and cabling will be mounted such that they do not interfere with crew member motion associated with tank completion. The CVAT visual system will consist of a computer generated battlefield to include targets, target signatures, and weapons effects. All day, thermal, and image intensification sights will be simulated. Simulation of critical vision blocks will be required, as well as selected out-the-hatch views. The CVAT systems will likely use existing visual databases supplied in a Standard Interface Format (SIF), such as the Army's Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) databases. Additionally, a littoral database will be required to support training of tasks associated with amphibious operations. The littoral database will consist of three dimensional sea states and three dimensional surf zones, inlets, waterways and rivers, canals, marshes/swamps, bays, and other coastal environment features. This database will also contain special features and obstacles needed for the training of driving tasks. Database complexity will be equivalent to that of CCTT visual databases. Advanced instructor station capabilities are required for scenario authoring, scenario control (including initialization and fault insertion), scenario replay and post-exercise performance assessment and debrief. The CVAT systems will require both real-time and non-real-time feedback. Additionally, CVAT systems will require automated and non-automated performance analysis to support the generation of reports for individuals (at each crew position), crews, and units. The Individual Crew Reports allow the instructor to determine individual progress and detect recurring training problems. Crew Performance Reports generate a record of the crew's training history and progress to date. Unit Performance Reports generate a record of each unit's present training status and history and level of combat readiness. The CVAT system logistics support package will include all elements of logistics support (i.e. provisioning, technical publications (both Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM) and paper, and training) necessary to field operate and support the systems in all operational environments. Logistics support will also include Contract Logistic Support (Repair of Repairable, On-Call Engineering, Depot Support) from Government Acceptance to transition to Contractor Operation and Maintenance of Simulators (COMS). It is anticipated that in July 1996 an RFP for the CVAT procurement will be issued and a bidder's conference will be held to allow temporary access to the Marine Corps vehicles and subject matter experts. Contract award is projected for 2nd QTR FY 97. This announcement is not a solicitation for information from industry. Input, either in written or verbal form, cannot be accepted from industry at this time. A subsequent advertisement for this procurement will be published in 3rd QTR of FY96 so that interested offerors may submit a written request for a solicitation. A formal process for industry to submit questions and comments to the specification will be provided at a later time.

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0416 19960220\SP-0002.MSC)