Office of Naval Research, 800 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660

A -- UNDERSEA WEAPON TECHNOLOGIES SOL BAA 98-020 DUE 123198 POC Kevin Comer ONR Code 333, BCT-1, Room 507 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA BAA 98-020 The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is interested in receiving white papers for Science & Technology (S&T) concepts supporting U.S. Navy undersea weapons systems. Increasing the mission effectiveness of current platforms by improving weapons performance is the objective of the Undersea Weapons Technology Program. White papers are requested for the following major functional areas: (A) Guidance and Control This area includes technologies in broadband guidance and control concepts. More specific areas would include detection and classification; broadband array and processing; counter-countermeasure techniques; terminal homing; and intelligent control. Longer term concepts should focus on innovative guidance and control concepts for shallow water environment, particularly in advanced sensors, cooperative engagement, and advanced data fusion and intelligent control. Simulation and test capabilities are required to develop and validate algorithms and sensor technologies. Robust, high-fidelity models will reduce dependence on expensive in-water testing for weapon development and can be extended to reducing weapon proofing costs. These models include environmental, target strength, and signal processing which form the basis for developing a Simulation Based Design (SBD) capability. Also included is the design and fabrication of data acquisition hardware/software and in-water testing to obtain database and validate models. Expected funding available for this area in fiscal year 1999 is approximately $300,000. (B) Torpedo Defense The objective of the Torpedo Defense Program area is to develop S&T that will provide effective defensive capabilities to both submarines and surface ships against incoming modern threat torpedoes. The S&T areas of interest include; technologies to perform Detection, Classification and Localization (DCL) of incoming torpedoes. Specific interest in detection of salvos, classification with low false alert rates, and detection and classification against targets with low signal to noise ratios. Technologies to defeat salvos and air-dropped torpedoes and technologies providing quick reaction defense technologies against incoming, possibly very high speed, torpedoes at ranges less than 2000 meters of a capital asset. Expected funding available for this area in fiscal year 1999 is approximately $2,000,000. (C) Propulsion Thermal and electric power sources are required for high rate and long endurance missions. Thermal systems are capable of delivering the highest energy conversion rates and have been demonstrated for long endurance missions. However, thermal systems are often complex and costly to acquire and re-use. The challenge in the thermal area is to reduce the acquisition and turn-around cost while maintaining superior performance. New systems having these characteristics should be proposed as well as approaches to reduce acquisition and ownership costs of existing technologies. Propulsion systems based on electrochemical power sources, e.g., batteries, fuel cells, semi fuel-cells, offer the potential for cost savings over thermal systems, particularly in multiple-use scenarios. Secondary (rechargeable) batteries can be recharged many times thereby reducing life cycle costs. Mechanically recharged batteries employing a water-reduction cathode reaction or a water-augmented flowing catholyte, i.e, semi-fuel cell, could provide exceptional specific energy densities if high electrochemical efficiencies were realized. Fuel cells can provide greater endurance than batteries but require more logistics support for recharging, unless regenerative schemes are employed. The major challenge for electrochemically based systems is increasing performance without increasing costs and compromising safety. Affordable electrochemical technologies are sought that can support propulsion and hotel loads for UUVs and other underwater vehicles. Expected funding available for this area in fiscal year 1999 is approximately $300,000. (D) Warheads and Explosives The objectives of thisfunctional area are to develop the explosives and undersea warheads technologies which will provide the Navy with significant enhancement in undersea weaponry capabilities for the 21st century. Specifically, the goals are to: (i) enhance lethality for the increasingly demanding requirements; i.e. smaller weapons (Half Length Heavyweight, Lightweight Hybrid, Anti-Torpedo Torpedo), difficult environments (wake, high speed encounters), (ii) optimize the higher performance/lower vulnerability tradeoff for various applications, and (iii) reduce the cost of ownership of undersea weapons systems (improved predictive capability, smaller, common components, and modularity). In addition, this project is also interested in examining the feasibility of novel concepts which have promise of significantly affecting Navy capability either in terms of performance, safety, or affordability. Expected funding available for this area in fiscal year 1999 is approximately $400,000. (E) Torpedo Silencing The objective of the Torpedo Silencing project is to develop quieting technologies to reduce the overall signature of U.S. Navy torpedoes. It is essential to reduce the radiated noise of current torpedoes both to delay alerting the potential target and to prevent detection of the launch platform. White papers addressing reduced acoustic signature through the use of noise modeling and noise control techniques that can be practically implemented, are being sought. That is, robust and affordable noise control technologies are of interest. Noise control techniques in conventional passive control, hybrid active-passive control, fully active control, and innovative acoustic design are of particular interest. Expected funding available for this area in fiscal year 1999 is $400,000. White papers are initially sought to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror in preparing a full proposal. White papers are due 8 September 1998. Offerors submitting the most promising white papers will be invited to submit a full technical and cost proposal on all or part of their white paper submission. However, any such invitation does not assure a subsequent award. It is anticipated that several contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions will be awarded by the Undersea Weapons Program. This BAA announcement does not preclude an offeror from submitting a full technical and cost proposal or white paper after 8 September 1998. White papers and/or proposals received after 8 September 1998 may not be considered for funding under the Fiscal Year 1999 program. Submittals in response to this BAA are welcome until 31 December 1998. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the submissions. White papers should include the following items: (A) Cover page, clearly labeled "WHITE PAPER", including BAA title and date, title, administrative and technical points of contact along with telephone and fax numbers, (B) White papers are to be limited to seven pages, (C) White papers shall consist of three primary sections: Technical, Managerial, and Cost. (D) The Technical section shall consist of clear descriptions of the systems/technologies being proposed, objectives of the proposed effort, technical issues to be resolved to accomplish objectives, approach to resolving these issues, assessment of advance and advantage over current technological capability with successful effort, and specific prior experience of offeror in the technology areas being proposed. The Management portion shall include key personnel, experience, facilities, and a plan of action with milestones. The Cost section shall include a one page cost breakdown of the effort being proposed. One page curriculum vitae for the Principal Technical Investigator, Project Manager, and other key personnel should be submitted. The vitae will not count toward the seven page limit. Four copies of the white papers are due at the submittal address listed below by 8 September 1998. White papers will be evaluated using the following criteria which are listedin descending order of importance: (1) overall scientific, technical, and socioeconomic merit; (2) understanding of undersea warfare requirements and technical/scientific innovation and risk to develop affordable successful solutuojs to the requirements; (3) potential to enhance undersea warfare cpabilities through the application of advanced technologies; (4) potential for tranistion to fleet capability; (5) the offeror's capabilities, past performance and related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations thereof that are integral factors for achieving the proposed objectives; (6) the qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed Principle Technical Investigator, Project Manager, and other key personnel critical in achieving the proposed objectives; (7) budgetary cost and availability of funds; Proposers should submit their security clearance capabilities in their proposals. While most aspects of this BAA are unclassified, work on some systems will require the contractor to receive, generate, and store material up to the level of SECRET. This requirement will be handled on a case by case basis. Offerors must state in their white paper that it is submitted in response to this BAA. Four hard copies of each white paper must be provided. White papers and full proposal submissions will protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.413, applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Costs for white papers where a Government lab is included as part of a team should be predicated on separate awards to the Government lab and the team partners. Government agencies will not be in direct competition with industry. Total funding available for the awards resulting from this BAA is estimated to be about $3.4 million. This BAA provides no funding for white paper development purposes. It is expected that the Navy will award several contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements covering a 12 month period for research and development in the requested areas. Unsuccessful offerors of white papers will be acknowledged. White papers will not be returned after evaluation. This CBD notice itself constitutes the BAA as contemplated by FAR 6.102(d)(2). Unless otherwise stated herein, neither additional written information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. For awards made as contracts, evaluation of the socioeconomic merits will include the extent of commitment in providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small business, small disadvantaged businesses, woman-owned small business concerns, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. Ultimately, proposals which are selected for award that exceed $500,000 submitted by all but small businesses, will require a Small, Small Disadvantaged and Women-Owned Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9. The Standard Industrial Classification code is 8731 with the small business standard of 500 employees. No portion of this BAA has been set aside for HBCU and MI participants, though their participation is encouraged. White papers should be submitted by the due dates cited in the BAA to: Office of Naval Research, Undersea Weapons Technologies BAA, ATTN: Kevin Comer, ONR Code 333, BCT-1, Room 507, 800 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217. Technical questions should be addressed to the point of contact for each area are listed below. The email address for each functional area is the prefix listed followed by @onr.navy.mil. Guidance & Control, Dr. Kam Ng, (703) 696-0812/2558, ngk; Torpedo Defense Ms. Sharon Beermann-Curtin, (703) 696-0869/2558, beermas; Propulsion, Dr. Rich Carlin, (703) 696-5075/6887,carlinr; Warheads & Explosives, Dr. Judah Goldwasser, (703) 696-2164/2558, goldwaj; Torpedo Silencing, Dr. Kam Ng, (703) 696-0812/2558, ngk. Business questions regarding this BAA should be directed to: Office of Naval Research, Attention Terry Young (ONR 25), Room 720, Ballston Towers One, 800 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22217-5660, (703) 696-5389, E-Mail address youngt @onr.navy.mil. Posted 08/03/98 (W-SN231600). (0215)

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