R&D Contracting Directorate, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, WPAFB, OH 45433-7607

A -- INFRARED DISTRIBUTED APERTURE DEMONSTRATION SOL PRDA 97-09-AAK DUE 033197 POC Donald W. Robinson, Contract Negotiator, (513)255-2976, (in June of this year, area code will be changing to (937) INTRODUCTION: Infrared Distributed Aperture Demonstration, PRDA 97-09-AAK. Wright Laboratory (WL) is interested in receiving proposals (technical and cost) on the research effort described in Section B. Proposals in response to this PRDA #97-09-AAK shall be submitted by 31 MAR 97, 1500 hours Eastern Standard Time, addressed to (Attn: Mr. Donald W. Robinson ), WL/AAKE, Building 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7607. Proposals shall not be submitted via facsimile transmission. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation. Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. Proposal receipt after the cutoff date and time specified herein shall be treated in accordance with restrictions of FAR 52.215-10; copy of this provision may be obtained from the contracting point of contact cited in Section F. There will be no other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. Offerors should be alert for any amendments to this solicitation that may be published. This PRDA #97-09-AAK may be amended to allow subsequent submission of proposal dates. Offerors should obtain a copy of the WL Guide entitled, "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry". This guide was specifically designed to assist offerors in understanding the PRDA/BAA proposal process. Copies may be requested from the contracting point of contact or obtained via the world wide web site: www.wl.wpafb.af.mil/contract. B -- REQUIREMENTS; (1) Technical Description: Military aircraft missions utilize a variety of electro-optical systems to provide offensive and defensive capabilities to the warfighter. In the future, the Air Force desires consolidated functions to reduce the number of apertures and life cycle cost of these capabilities. It is very important that the system approach required for the IDA Demonstration algorithms must be capable of realizing an affordable system in terms of acquisition, installation and life cycle costs. The platforms to consider for utilizing this technology include existing aircraft and those in development such as the Joint Strike Fighter. The intent is to maintain individual function performance to the maximum extent possible while integrating the multiple functions into a single distributed aperture system. The Infrared Distribute Aperture (IDA) Demonstration will integrate missile warning, navigation/FLIR, and defensive infrared search and track (IRST) functions into a distributed aperture sensor suite covering the entire sphere about the host platform. The missile warning function must detect and declare surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. The defensive IRST function is to provide a situation awareness capability to detect aircraft at a nominal range. The FLIR function will perform navigation of the host platform. The number of apertures required for an installed system must be minimal (6 or 8 sensors maximum) and each aperture would perform each of the three functions through post processing of sensor data. The IDA Demonstration primary objective is addressing the functional algorithms and a strategy for algorithm integration for processing the data to provide the multiple functions. The IDA Demonstration program may utilize single or dual band sensors having cryogenically cooled infrared arrays or non-cryogenically cooled infrared arrays for a system design. Although the algorithms for each function may not be in a currently fielded system, the individual algorithms must have been successfully demonstrated to consider them for integration. The intent is to build or utilize two or three existing infrared sensors and processor hardware capable of running the integrated algorithm suite. It is desirable to run the algorithm suite in real time, however it is acceptable to run them at near real time to demonstrate the multi-function capability. It is also desirable to flight test the sensor/processor system although the limited resources for the program may prevent this in the current program. The sensor/processor system must be fabricated to allow for this possibility. A demonstration of the multi-function capability with existing data from an airborne sensor is also acceptable. (2) Deliverable Items: (a) The following deliverable data items shall be proposed: (i) Status Report, DI-MGMT-80368A/T, monthly; (ii) Funds and Man-Hour Expenditure Report, DI-FNCL-80331/T, monthly; (iii) Project Planning Chart, DI-MGMT-80507A/T, monthly; (iv) Contract Funds Status Report (CFSR), DI-MGMT-81468, quarterly; (v) Presentation Material, DI-ADMN-81373/T, as required; (vi) Scientific and Technical Reports, Contractor's Billing Voucher, DI-MISC-80711/T, monthly; and (vii) Scientific and Technical Reports, DI-MISC-80711/T, (Draft and Reproducible Final). (b) The following additional deliverable items shall be proposed: None (3) Security Requirements: None (4) Other Special Requirements: International Trade in Arms Restrictions apply. Public Law 98-94 applies to this acquisition. Offerors must submit approved DD Form 2345, Export-Controlled DOD Technical Data Agreement with their proposal. None C -- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated Period of Performance: The total length of the technical effort is estimated to be 42 months. The contractor shall also provide for an additional 4 months for processing/completion of the final report. (2) Expected Award Date: AUGUST 97. (3) Air Force Estimate: The Air Force funding profile is estimated at $1920K with $20K in FY-97, $300K in FY-98, $600K in FY-99, $500K in FY-00, and $500K in FY-01. This funding profile is an estimate only and is not a promise for funding as all funding is subject to change due to Air Force discretion and availability. (4) Type of Instrument: Contract -- Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) or Cost (no fee). Any grant(s) or cooperative agreement(s) awarded will be cost (no fee) or cost sharing and will be subject to the mutual agreement of the parties. (5) Government Furnished Property: None. (6) Size Status: For the purpose of this acquisition, the size standard is 500 employees (SIC 8731).(7) Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: It is anticipated that Foreign-Owned Firms will be ineligible to compete as a prime contractor for this effort. Foreign contractors should also be aware that restrictions may apply which could preclude their participation as sub-contractors in this acquisition. Such firms are asked to immediately notify the contracting point of contact upon deciding to respond to this announcement. D -- PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: (1) General Instructions: Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in the provision at FAR 52.215-12, Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, to trade secrets or privileged commercial and financial information contained in their proposals. Proposal questions should be directed to one of the points of contact listed below. Offerors should refer to the instructions contained in the WL "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry" referenced in Section A of this announcement. Separate technical and cost proposal volumes are required and must be valid for at least 180 days. Proposals must reference the above PRDA #97-09-AAK number. Proposals shall be submitted in an original and three (3) copies. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be evaluated against the criteria set forth below in the Section E -- Basis of Award. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Air Force. (2) Technical Proposal: The technical proposal shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities, and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal and are not included in the page limit discussed below. The technical proposal shall include a Statement of Work (SOW) detailing the technical tasks / phases proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort andbe suitable for instrument incorporation. Offerors should refer to the WL Guide to assist in SOW preparation. Any questions concerning the technical proposal or SOW preparation should be referred to the technical point of contact. (3) Cost Proposal: Adequate price competition is anticipated. The accompanying cost proposal/price breakdown shall be furnished with supporting schedules and shall contain a person hour breakdown per task. (4) Page Limitations: The technical proposal shall be limited to 75 pages (12 pitch or larger type), double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 by 11 inches. The page limitation includes all information, i.e., indexes, photographs, fold-outs, appendices, attachments, etc. (other than the specific exceptions stated above). Pages in excess of this limitation will be removed from the proposal and will not be evaluated by the Air Force. Cost proposals have no page limitation, however, offerors are requested to limit cost proposals to 25 pages as a goal. (5) Preparation Cost: This announcement does not commit the Air Force to pay for any proposal preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to PRDA #97-09-AAK is not an allowable direct charge to any resulting award, or any other procurement instrument. However, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18. E -- BASIS FOR AWARD: The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on an evaluation of an offeror's proposal (both technical and cost) to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to the announcement. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be evaluated based on the following criteria which are of equal importance: (a) new and creative solutions, (b) discussion of the offeror's technical approach indicating his understanding of the problem and validating the soundness of the proposed solution(s), including cost and supportability of the technology when used in an operating system, (c) quality and availability of technical resources including personnel, facilities, and applicable optical and electronic signal processing experience. Cost and/or price, which includes consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles is a substantial factor, but is ranked as the second order of priority. No other evaluation criteria will be used. The technical and cost proposals will be evaluated at the same time. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposal(s) received. F -- POINTS OF CONTACT: (1) An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors and potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the contracting officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate Air Force personnel. All potential offerors should use established channels to voice concerns before resorting to use the Ombudsman. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have been previously brought to the attention of the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at the level. These serious concerns only may be directed to the Ombudsman, Mr. Daniel L. Kugel, ASC/SY, Bldg. 52, 2475 K St., Suite 1, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7642, E-Mail: kugeldl@sy.wpafb.af.mil, phone (513) 255-3855. (2) Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Kevin J. McCamey, WL/AAJP, Bldg 620, 2241 Avionics Circle Ste 2, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH 45433-7304, (513) 255-9272 Ex-1759. (3) Contracting/Cost Point of Contact: Mr. Donald W. Robinson, WL/AAKE, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7607, (513) 255-2976 or you can send an E-mail message to robinsdw@aa.wpafb.af.mil. (0044)

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