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COMMERCE BUSINESS DAILY ISSUE OF JUNE 29,1998 PSA#2126A -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 023-98: NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER
AIRCRAFT DIVISION The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
(NAWCAD) Acoustics Signal Processing (AIR 4.5) is interested in
receiving proposals to accelerate research in the area of in-sensor
acoustic detection and classification for drifting undersea
surveillance (sonobuoy) arrays. Specifically needed is the development
and workstation demonstration of integrated signal processing
algorithms that can be executed in battery-powered, drifting autonomous
sensors. The sensors will operate simultaneously and remotely, with
minimal operator intervention, to provide continuous surveillance over
wide geographic areas while communicating detection alerts to
post-processing sites using satellite and other RF relay telemetry by
the year 2010. Multi-sensor contact alerts will be fused and integrated
with other surveillance information at this remote, central theater
site. Probable submarine tracks generated at the theater site will then
be used to cue tactical ASW forces. The primary topic is concerned with
providing in-buoysignal processing for an advanced version of the Air
Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR), with the initial focus being on
active multistatic impulsive auto-detection and auto-classification
techniques that support remote simultaneous operation of 20 or more
such sensors. The use of explosive sound sources (e.g. the SSQ-110A) in
this application suggests the presence of manned aircraft (at least in
the near term). As such the processed detections may be collected by
such aircraft and immediately converted to tactical localization and
attack criteria. In future systems, such sound sources may be deployed
by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and all data relayed to central
processing sites via low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The secondary
topic is multistatic active coherent in-buoy signal processing for an
advanced version of ADAR, or for an advanced air-deployed medium
aperture array of similar function (such as a drifting horizontal line
array). These arrays will conceptually be activated with low frequency
drifting sound communication paths. As with the impulsive in-buoy
processing development, initial application of this technology will be
by manned aircraft perhaps using the Advanced Deployable Low Frequency
Projector (ADLFP). However eventual application should be considered to
be fully autonomous with aircraft used only for sensor deployment and
contact follow-up. This work is being funded as a part of an ONR Air
ASW-Surveillance initiative and is planned to be a four year effort to
develop in-buoy signal processing technologies that allow wide area
acoustic undersea surveillance and search from air-deployed drifting
sonobuoys/arrays. Active and passive (speed denial) processing
algorithms, and appropriate digital signal processing (DSP) hardware
methods will be examined and simulated; but the overarching concept
will be to give these autonomous sensors the ability to search and
report for up to five days without benefit of manned aircraft presence.
This will be done with DSP-based processing on beamformed or element
level data that will do everything necessary to detect and classify as
possible within reasonable size (B-size) and cost constraints for air
deployable expendable system, and sends contact information to fusion
sites via low-bandwidth, low-earth-orbit satellites or equivalent
links. Parties interested in one or more aspects of the technologies
sought above are requested to propose a 2-phase development. The first
phase, estimated at the $60,000 level, should last about 4 months and
result in a strong technical case supporting the approach and the
potential for continuing into phase 2. The second phase will begin as
a contract option and would be expected to continue for a period of two
to four years at a one-to-two man year rate, assuming satisfactory
performance. Proposals shall be submitted to the Naval Air Warfare
Center Aircraft Division, David Bromley, AIR 4.5.5.4.1, 22347 Cedar
Point Road, Bldg 2185, Unit ID 6, Patuxent River MD 20670-1534. No
formal Requests For Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation will be issued
for this announcement. The Navy reserves the right to select for award
any, all, part of, or none of the responses received and intends to
incrementally fund any resultant contract(s). The BAA is an expression
of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay any
proposal preparation costs for responding to this BAA in accordance
with FAR 31.205-18. An invitation does not assure an offeror of a
subsequent contract award. Educational institutions, Small Business
concerns, Small Disadvantaged Business concerns, Women Owned Small
Business concerns, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, and
Minority Institutions are especially encouraged to submit proposals for
considerations. NOTE: ONLY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IS AUTHORIZED TO
AWARD GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. To initiate the evaluation process, NAWCAD
requests Initial Proposals (IPs), 5-10 pages, original and 3 copies
submitted to NAWCAD by 10 August 1998, describing a two-phase
development as outlined above. The IPs will be evaluated by a panel of
Government experts (ONR and NAWC). Offerors of those IPs found to be
consistent with the intent of the BAA will be invited to submit a
formal cost and technical proposal. IPs and their principal
investigators will be invited to present and argue their approach at
the Government workshop to be held at NAWCAD Patuxent River, MD. Based
on the results of the presentations, a maximum of four proposals may
be selected for phase 1 funding beginning in October 1998. Following
the 4 months, two companies may be selected to continue into phase 2
based on the merit and progress of their phase 1 effort. Both initial
and final evaluations will be made by the same panel of Government
experts using the following criteria: (1) soundness of the technical
approach and the ability to reach the proposed objectives; (2)
allocation of resources, experience and management; (3) past
performance on similar efforts; and (4) proposed cost and cost realism.
No further criteria will be used in the evaluation. The technical and
cost information will be evaluated at the same time. Selection on award
will be based on the potential benefit to the Government weighed
against the cost of the proposals, in view of the availability of
Government funding. Cost type contracts are anticipated. Other types of
contracts may be proposed, but offerors are advised that the clearance
up to and including the secret level. Specific reporting requirements
(DD Form 1423) shall be specified in each contract award. This notice
constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), Topic No. 023-98,
contemplated in FAR 35.016. This announcement will be open until 10
August 1998. Proposals may be submitted any time during this period.
The proposal evaluation and selection for award will begin 45 days
after the appearance of this announcement. Questions concerning this
announcement can be addressed to Dr. David Bromley of NAWCAD at (301)
342-2116; email at bromleydw%am7@mr.nawcad.navy.mil. E-MAIL:
bromleydw%am7@mr.nawcad.navy.mil, bromleydw%am7@mr.nawcad.navy.mil.
Posted 06/25/98 Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0585 19980629\SP-0018.MSC)
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