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

A -- INNOVATIVE AIRDROP GUIDANCE, NAVIGATION, AND CONTROL SOL PRDA NO. 97-02-FIK DUE 043097 POC Contact Lt Harry Loughran, Contract Negotiator, WL/FIK, or Douglas Harris, Contracting Officer (937) 255-4427 INTRODUCTION: Wright Laboratory (WL/FIVMB) is interested in receiving proposals (technical and cost) on the research effort described below. Proposals in response to this PRDA shall be submitted by 30 Apr 97, 1500 hours Eastern Time, addressed to Wright Laboratory, Directorate of R&D Contracting, WL/FIK, Attn.: Mr. D. Harris, Building 7, Area B, 2530 C St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7607. (1) 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. Proposals submitted after the cutoff date specified herein shall be treated with restrictions of FAR 52.215-10; copy of this provision may be obtained from the contracting point of contact. Offerors should be alert for any PRDA amendments that may permit subsequent submissions of proposal dates. Offerors should request a copy of the WL guide entitled "PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry." This guide was designed to assist offerors in understanding the PRDA/BAA proposal process. Copies may be requested from WL/AAKD, Wright-Patterson AFB OH, 45433-7607, telephone (937) 255-5252. B -- REQUIREMENTS (1) Introduction: The 1995 USAF New World Vistas study identified Precision Airdrop as a capability to improve global mobility. Huge advances have been made in delivery accuracy of munitions, but materiel airdrop remains basically unchanged from World War II. Current practices use parachutes, estimated wind profiles, and computed release points to deliver containerized, palletized, and directly rigged military supplies and equipment. Air Force Office of Scientific Research is coordinating a DoD basic research effort to develop precision airdrop technologies. Phillips Laboratory is seeking all Weather Wind profiling solutions in a separate BAA. Natick Research, Development, and Engineering Center is seeking Advanced Decelerators and Containers in a separate BAA. Wright Laboratory is seeking innovative, robust, affordable solutions to the carrying, releasing, controlling descent speed and profile, and the precise landing of military supplies and equipment from current and future mobility aircraft. Precision Airdrop is defined to be a family of delivery solutions, all integrated with aircraft core support systems, with all altitude delivery release in/through adverse weather conditions, with accuracy as good as today's systems delivering from 300-1200 feet. If offerors have recent or existing CRAD or IRAD aerial delivery technology or concepts, they may be utilized in this program to define more generalized, robust airdrop capabilities. This PRDA is specifically seeking solutions to the when, where, and how airdrop loads depart mobility aircraft and the control, navigation, and guidance of those loads to a precise location on the ground, and related modeling and simulation efforts. (2) Technical Description: The objective of this effort is to study innovative solutions to the guidance, navigation, and control issues of military materiel dropped from mobility aircraft. Solutions should provide reasonable accuracy as defined above, and amenable to affordable, low maintenance/low cost of ownership systems. The end result of this effort should be mature, analyzed, and verified concept(s) capable of entering the exploratory development phase of R&D, which may include a demonstration-ready system prototype(s). Offerors should not be constrained by current airdrop concepts, practices, or methods. The program may consist of three general phases. Phase I may consist of concept(s) analysis of system performance and integration issues. As guidelines for generating realistic concepts, offerors may assume future mobility aircraft will possess core support systems consistent with Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation and reasonable wind profiling capability consistent with either GPS weather sonde or lidar technologies. Phase II, if approved, may consist of identifying and conducting basic research of enabling technologies of the concepts selected inPhase I. Phase III, if approved, may consist of analytical or experimental verification of system integration and performance of the concept(s) to the maturity level necessary to transition to exploratory development. (3) Deliverable Items: The following deliverable data items shall be proposed: (a) STATUS REPORT, DI-MGMT-80368/T, monthly; (b) FUNDS AND MAN-HOUR EXPENDITURE REPORT, DI-FNCL-80331/T, monthly; (c) PROJECT PLANNING CHART, DI-MGMT-80507A/T, monthly; (d) CONTRACT FUNDS STATUS REPORT (CFSR)(CFS), DI-MGMT-81468/T/T, quarterly; (e) PRESENTATION MATERIAL, as required; (f) SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REPORTS, Contractor's Billing Voucher, DI-MISC -80711/T, monthly; (g) SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REPORTS, DI-MISC-80711/T (Draft and Reproducible Final). (4) Security Requirements: It is not anticipated that work performed under this effort will be classified. All proposals must be unclassified only. If offerors have an approach to this effort that they feel may be classified, or relevant experience in a related effort that was classified and want to cite that experience in their proposal, they should request special directions from the Contracting Officer. (5) Other Special Requirements: International Trade in Arms Restrictions Apply. C -- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated Period of Performance: The total length of the technical effort is estimated to be 36 months. The contractor shall also provide for an additional 4 months for processing/completion of the final report. (2) Expected Award Date: October 1997. (3) Government Estimate: The government anticipates approximately $1,160,000 contract awards combined total. Estimated funding profile by fiscal year (FY): $200,000 in FY98, $460,000 in FY99, $500,000 in FY00. This funding profile is an estimate only and is not a promise for funding as all funding is subject to change due to government discretion and availability. (4) Type of Contract: Cost Reimbursement (CR) or Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF). (5) Government Furnished Equipment/Base Support: It is the offerors responsibility to identify any equipment, be it contractor-owned and furnished or government-owned and furnished. (6) Size Status: For the purpose of this acquisition, the size standard is 1500 employees (SIC 8731). (7) Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Such firms are asked to immediately notify the Air Force point of contact cited below upon deciding to respond to this announcement. Although not anticipated, foreign contractors should be aware that restrictions may apply which could preclude their participation in this acquisition. 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 elsewhere herein. Offerors should consider instructions contained in the WL PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry referenced in Section A of this announcement. Technical and cost proposals, submitted in separate volumes, are required and must be valid for 180 days. Proposals must reference the above PRDA number. Proposals shall be submitted in an original and six copies. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered against the criteria set forth herein. Offerors are advised that only contracting officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the government. (2) Cost Proposal: The accompanying cost proposal/price breakdown shall be supplied on an SF1411 separated by phases, together with supporting schedules, and shall contain a person-hour breakdown per task. Copies of the above referenced forms may be obtained from the contracting office cited. (3) 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. The technical proposal shall include a Statement of Work (SOW) detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. Offerors should refer to the WL Guide referenced in Section A for assistance in SOW preparation. PL 98-94 applies. Offerors must submit approved DD Form 2345, Export-Controlled DOD Technical Data Agreement with their proposal. Any questions concerning the technical proposal or SOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical Point of Contact cited in this announcement. (4) Page Limitations: The technical proposal shall be limited to 100 pages or less (12 pitch or larger type), double spaced, single sided, 8.5 X 11 inches. The page limitation includes all information, i.e. indexes, photographs, foldouts, appendices, illustrations, etc. Pages in excess of this limitation will not be considered by the government. Cost proposals have no limitation. (5) Preparation Cost: This announcement does not commit the government to pay for any response preparation cost. The cost of preparing responses to this PRDA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract. 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 contract award will be based on an evaluation of offeror's response (both technical and cost aspects) to determine the overall merit of the proposal in response to this 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) soundness and totality of the offeror's technical approach; (b) relevance and potential contributions of the research to defense missions; (c) innovation of solutions; (d) organization, clarity, and thoroughness of offeror's proposed statement of work (e) the qualifications of the technical personnel and their experience with applicable technologies, (f) adequacy of current of planned facilities and equipment to accomplish the research objectives. Cost, which includes consideration of proposed budgets and funding profiles, is ranked as the second order of priority. No other evaluation criteria shall be used. The technical and cost information will be evaluated at the same time. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award of a contract or cooperative agreement any, all, part, or none of the proposals received. Award of a cooperative agreement, in lieu of contract, will be considered and will be subject to the mutual agreement of the parties. F -- POINTS OF CONTACT: (1) Technical Point of Contact: Program Manager, Major James M. Greer, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7542, (937) 255-6193. (2) Contracting Contact Point: Questions related to contract/cost issues should be directed to the Wright Laboratory, Directorate of Research and Development Contracting, Lt. Harry Loughran, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, (937) 255-4427. (0057)

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