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COMMERCE BUSINESS DAILY ISSUE OF JUNE 29,1998 PSA#2126

A -- 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

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