Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MICRO ADAPTIVE FLOW CONTROL SOL BAA 98-19 DUE 040298 POC Dr. James McMichael, DARPA/TTO, FAX (703) 696-8401 WEB: http://www/darpa.mil/baa/, http://www.darpa.mil/baa/. E-MAIL: baa98-19@darpa.mil, baa98-19@darpa.mil. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office solicits proposals for research, development and demonstration of Enabling Technologies for Micro Adaptive Flow Control (MAFC). In addition to this Broad Agency Announcement, and before submitting a proposal, prospective offerors MUST also refer to the associated Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) for BAA 98-19 that provides further information on the technical scope, program structure, and proposal format. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: MAFC is defined as the ability to control the behavior of large scale flow fields by exploiting natural flow response to small scale disturbances triggered by small scale actuators. MAFC combines innovative actuator technologies with active flow control strategies. It offers the potential to achieve radical aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance benefits in military systems by adaptively controlling performance-limiting physical phenomena such as flow separation, vortex dynamics, and turbulence. The long term program goals are to: 1) develop and validate enabling MAFC technologies, and 2) integrate MAFC technologies into high pay-off, aero and hydro prototypical systems-level demonstrations. Potential MAFC applications in four broad systems areas are of interest: aircraft, gas turbine engines, munitions, and maritime vehicles. Some examples of candidate applications are: a) micro air vehicle flight controls, b) light weight gas turbine engines, c) aerodynamically steered precision projectiles, d) low-altitude, low-speed stabilization of high-altitude, long-endurance vehicles, e) submarine mast wake reduction, f) agile missiles, g) unmanned combat air vehicles, h) compact and efficient engine inlets and diffusers, i) drag reduction, and j) reduced acoustic and thermal signatures. This list is not exhaustive; other applications within these four broad systems areas are also of interest. Applications of most interest are those where radical performance gains would be enabled by affordable, realizable MAFC technologies. Realizable means that implementation of MAFC would meet system-level requirements for reliability, affordability, maintainability, produceability and performance. The program will be conducted in two parts. The first is the subject of the current BAA and targets the development and validation of enabling MAFC technologies. Validation refers to proof of technical feasibility using appropriate laboratory, flight or field tests. The second part, to be addressed in a future BAA, will seek system-level integration and demonstration of selected MAFC applications. The government estimates that 3 to 6 years may be required to achieve systems-level demonstration of MAFC technologies, depending on the particular military applications selected and the readiness level of the proposed MAFC technologies. TECHNICAL SCOPE: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) solicits proposals to develop and validate innovative concepts and approaches for Micro Adaptive Flow Control, with potential applicability to one or more of the following four broad military systems areas: 1) air vehicles, including micro air vehicles, fixed and rotary wing manned and unmanned aircraft, and/or major air vehicle components or subsystems (including, but not limited to, high lift systems, engine inlets and exhaust nozzles), 2) gas turbine engines, and/or major engine components or subsystems, 3) munitions, including missiles and gun launched projectiles, and 4) maritime systems, including surface and subsurface vehicles and associated components or subsystems. Proposals must describe innovative concepts for Micro Adaptive Flow Control and identify the specific potential military applications envisioned. Proposals must describe the MAFC approaches to be explored, provide a preliminary assessment of the systems-level realizability of these approaches, and give an estimate of the projected systems-level performance benefits. Proposals must describe work to be carried out in two phases. Phase I will conduct initial studies of technology options, identify the required performance envelope for actuators and controllers, and define the systems-relevant operating conditions for the validations to be conducted in Phase II. The studies will also provide revised quantitative estimates of the expected system-level performance benefits and costs, and identify any necessary revisions in the proposed plan for Phase II. Phase II will: a) develop an adequate understanding of the underlying physics of the proposed MAFC approach, b) design and fabricate integrated actuator and controller configurations, and c) conduct appropriate validation tests under the system-relevant operating conditions identified in the Phase I studies. Proposers may elect to pursue more aggressive Phase II demonstrations in fully integrated military systems if warranted by their assessment of the level of maturity of the proposed MAFC technology. Further discussion may be found in the PIP. PROPOSAL FORMAT: All offerors are required to submit technical and cost proposals for an initial Phase I effort not to exceed 6 months, followed by a Phase II option for 24 to 36 months for MAFC technology development and validation, depending on the current level of maturity of the proposed MAFC technology. Offerors are directed to the PIP for complete information on Proposal Format. PROGRAM FUNDING: Up to 12 awards for Phase I studies are envisioned. Approximately $3.25 M of FY 98 funding is anticipated. Total funding available for MAFC technology development and validation is anticipated to be approximately $25 M through FY 2001. FACILITATED TEAMING: Teaming is encouraged, but not required. To assist prospective proposers interested in forming interdisciplinary teams, a method of capabilities exchange has been set up on DARPA's web site at (http://www.darpa.mil/baa/). Interested parties are invited to post their technical interests and capabilities on this web site, and to identify other prospective researchers and developers with complementary expertise. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: An original and (4) copies of each proposal must be submitted to DARPA/TTO, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (ATTN: BAA 98-19) no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on April 2, 1998. Proposals submitted by fax or email will not be considered. DARPA will neither acknowledge nor return submissions. Each technical proposal shall be in the format specified in the PIP. Proposals not meeting the format may not be reviewed. This CBD notice itself and the PIP constitute the total Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated by FAR 6.102(d). No Additional information will be made available, and a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement will not be issued. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit proposals which will be received and evaluated. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU or MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or several areas of research in Micro Adaptive Flow Control technology development. EVALUATION AND AWARD: Proposals will not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement. Evaluation of the proposals will be accomplished using the following criteria, which are in descending order of importance: 1) overall scientific merit in relationship to the soundness and innovativeness of the technical approach, 2) potential utility, realizability, benefits and effectiveness of the proposed technology for systems-level MAFC applications, 3) offeror's ability to implement the proposed program as demonstrated by availability of qualified personnel, equipment and facilities, and by the overall project management and work plan, 4) the offeror's commitment to transfer MAFC technologies to DARPA, and the degree to which technical data, intellectual property rights, and/or computer software developed under the proposedcontract are to be delivered to DARPA with unrestricted rights; and 5) proposed cost and cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals which have significantly under or overestimated the cost to complete their effort. Evaluation and selection of proposal(s) for award will be made on the basis of the criteria listed and on overall program balance considered most advantageous to the DARPA MAFC Program. Awards are subject to availability of Government funds. Not all proposals deemed selectable will be funded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Awards made under this BAA are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflict of Interest. All offerors and proposed subcontractors must affirmatively state whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the offeror supports, and identify the prime contract number. Affirmation should be furnished at the time of proposal submission. All facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest, as that term is defined in the FAR 9.501, must be disclosed. The disclosure shall include a description of the action the offeror has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize or mitigate such conflict. It is the policy of DARPA to treat all proposals as competitive information, and to disclose their contents only for the purpose of evaluation. GOVERNMENT USE OF NON-GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE: The Government intends to use employees from a non-Government source (SRS Technologies, Inc.) to assist as technical experts, and in administering the evaluation of the proposals. By submission of your proposal, you agree that your proposal information may be disclosed to those employees of the organization identified above for the limited purpose stated above. Selections under this BAA will be made only by Government evaluators. NOTICES: Offerors are notified that all resulting awards will contain provisions requiring participation in open semi-annual contractors meetings. Offerors are notified that the Government reserves the right to take delivery with unrestricted rights to all hardware and software developed with Micro Adaptive Flow Control program funding. ADDRESSES: The BAA, PIP and Capabilities Exchange may be obtained by accessing the World Wide Web at URL http://www.darpa.mil/baa/. The Micro Adaptive Flow Control program may be found under the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) solicitations page. The administrative addresses for BAA 98-19 are: Fax: (703) 528-4715 (Addressed to: SRS Technologies, BAA 98-19); Mail: DARPA/TTO, ATTN: BAA 98-19, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. All requests for the PIP and administrative correspondence should be directed to one of the administrative addresses above. Due to the anticipated volume of interest and staff limitations, DARPA will notentertain questions on this BAA. Some anticipated questions are addressed in the PIP. (0043)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0006 19980217\A-0006.SOL)