Munitions Contracting Division (AFRL/MNK), Building 13, 101 West Eglin Boulevard, Suite 337, Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6810

A -- IMAGE STABILIZATION TESTBED (ISTAT) (PART 1 OF 2) SOL MNK-99-0018 POC Ms. Renee Ramirez, Contract Specialist, (850) 882-4294, ext. 3409 E-MAIL: Renee Ramirez, Contract Specialist, ramirezm@eglin.af.mil. (PART 1 of 2) A INTRODUCTION: The Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Advanced Guidance Division (AFRL/MNG) is interested in receiving proposals for the design, fabrication and demonstration of an Image STAbilization Testbed (ISTAT). This program will include detailed system design, fabrication, assembly, characterization, installation, and demonstration. Proposals in response to this announcement must be received no later than 45 days after publication in the Commerce Business Daily (CBD) and addressed to Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Contracting Division, 101 W Eglin Blvd, Suite 337, Eglin AFB FL 32542-6810, Attn: Ms. Renee Ramirez (AFRL/MNK). If the 45th day is on a weekend or holiday then receipt of proposals will be the next business day. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Proposals submitted after the cut-off date specified herein shall be treated in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(c), Instructions to Offerors Competitive Acquisition. Responders should reference the above number (MNK -99-0018). Proposals handled by courier shall be delivered to Bldg. 13, Rm. 337, Eglin AFB FL. Proposals submitted must be in accordance with this announcement. Since this is a Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA), there will be no formal request for proposal or other solicitation regarding this announcement. Offerors should be alert for any PRDA amendments that may be published. The Government reserves the right to amend the due date to allow for subsequent submission proposal dates. If sufficient proposals are received to satisfy the PRDA objectives as a result of the first submission, subsequent opportunities for proposal submission will not be available. B -- REQUIREMENTS: (1) Technical Description: AFRL/MNGG is conducting a program to develop an Image STAbilization Testbed (ISTAT). The intent of this PRDA is to establish contracts to deliver to the government a device capable of simulating missile attitude dynamics beyond the capability of current state-of-the-art Flight Motion Simulators (FMS). In operation this would be accomplished by mounting the missile seeker and any associated inertial measurement sensors to the ISTAT. The ISTAT would provide a dynamic environment representative of the missile airframe environment during flight. The ISTAT will conceivably be used in three test configurations. (a) First, it will act as a stand alone test device for characterization of seeker and algorithm performance under the influence of severe dynamic environments. (b) Second, the seeker mounting plate on the ISTAT would be integrated with the KHILS Vacuum Cold Chamber (KVACC) through a flexible bellows to provide high-frequency motion while maintaining the integrity of the cryo-vacuum environment. (c) Finally, the ISTAT will be integrated with a conventional hydraulic Flight Motion Simulator (FMS) to extend the bandwidth beyond current limitations and to represent high frequency vibration response of the airframe. The ISTAT will be driven by the output of deterministic closed-loop simulations or models and therefore must replicate the time history of the command signals within specified tolerances. The duration of the contract will be 18 months from award. The program will be divided into two phases. The first phase will produce a detailed design to include engineering drawings sufficient for manufacture of the operational device and detailed definition of control system design with supporting rationale and analysis. This analysis should be sufficient to analytically demonstrate expected controlled performance of the integrated ISTAT design including performance trades for the specific design chosen. These performance trades should show the impact of variations in "range of travel", "payload inertia", and "system dynamic response". The second phase will include manufacture, test, and delivery of the ISTAT to the government including the ISTAT motion simulator, a mounting support structure, the control system, and a power supply. Execution of the second phase of the program will be contingent on government concurrence with the design at the Final Design Review. MINIMUM TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS: The purpose of ISTAT is to allow for simulation of dynamic boundary conditions at the base of a missile seeker that result from both airframe vibrations and rigid body motion induced by the vehicle control surfaces or the flight environment. The payload inertia, independent of the Seeker Mounting Plate (SMP), is 400 lb-in-2 or less, and the payload weight will be 20 lb or less. The range of travel of the ISTAT system should be +/- 1.5 degrees to allow for the simulation of rotational motion in both the azimuth and elevation planes. The ability to generate and control other degrees of freedom associated with other boundary conditions at the SMP surface (i.e. roll and/or x/y/z translational motion) is desired but not required. The steady state pointing accuracy of the ISTAT system responding to pointing commands should be better than +/- .00001 radians. The goal of the ISTAT program is to replicate dynamic rotational motion commands up to 800 Hz. The phase of the system response is critical below 200 Hz. Above 200 Hz the phase is increasingly less important. However, the amplitude of the response is important at all frequencies. It is required that the ISTAT command controller be implemented using digital control techniques, and be implemented in software executing within one or more Digital Signal Processor (DSP) units. The user interface for this digital controller shall support as a minimum: System tuning; Local (offline) setup, mode control, and command/response measurement; and Remote (online) mode control, and command/ response measurement. The controller must be able to generate synthetic waveforms, and allow for position or velocity command streams at a 10kHz data rate. Additional features such as hosting missile structural response tables is desired but not required. The ISTAT motion platform should be mountable on any surface with a standard ISTAT base-plate bolthole pattern to be provided by the government. The device should be constrained to work within the volume of an 18-inch diameter by 12-inch high cylinder. These dimensional constraints will allow the ISTAT to be operational in all three of the test configurations mentioned above. The diameter of the ISTAT motion platform (including the torque generation devices, attachment arms, motion sensors, etc.), should be no more than 18 inches. The distance from the top of the seeker mounting plate to the bottom of the ISTAT base plate should be no more the 12 inches. The SMP should be 14 inches in diameter. This SMP should have no obstructions around its outer edge so as to accommodate the flexible bellows required for KVACC operation. The design and installation of the flexible bellows is not part of the ISTAT program, but must be considered in the ISTAT design. A clear volume of 6 inches in diameter by 8 inches deep must also be maintained directly below the centerline of the SMP. This volume is needed to maintain an open area below the seeker mounting surface for seeker support hardware (cables, power supplies, cooling lines, etc.) for use in test configurations (a) and (b). The SMP delivered under this ISTAT development contract shall have no through penetrations. This requirement is necessary in order to maintain the KVACC vacuum while the ISTAT unit is in operation. Additional information concerning requirements will be provided under separate cover as described later in this announcement. PHASE I: The offeror shall complete the detailed design of the entire system. The Offeror shall produce analysis of the expected controlled performance of the integrated ISTAT design including performance trades. Detailed component and assembly drawings shall be produced. The offeror shall ensure that the design is sufficiently complete and contains the level of detail required for component/sub-component fabrication, assembly, and testing. The offeror shall address and fully characterize the following aspects of the design: Dynamic response, performance trades, system assembly and layout, dynamic pointing error analysis, tuning procedures, mechanical interface, control system design, and risk assessment. Leveraging off of off-the-shelf proven actuators, controllers, and other components is strongly encouraged. Phase I will be completed with approval by the government of the final design. PHASE II: The offeror shall fabricate the ISTAT as designed during Phase I. The offeror shall assemble and characterize the ISTAT system. Results will be documented and delivered to the government at an interim Data Review. The ISTAT system will be delivered to the government and tested with an approved acceptance test procedure. The government will be trained on the maintenance and adjustment procedures associated with the system. A final report will be delivered including system description, performance trades, adjustment procedures, maintenance procedures, and pre- and post- delivery test results. A priced Option is requested to design and deliver a KVACC compatible movable stands for mounting the ISTAT. DATA DELIVERABLES: The Offeror shall deliver a monthly status report including a brief description of technical, cost, and schedule status. In addition, program review presentation material, and assembly and dimensioned component level drawings are required. A final report will be delivered, including system description, performance trades, adjustment procedures, maintenance procedures, and pre- and post- delivery test results. Contractor format is acceptable. (DI-MGMT-80368/T, DI-ADMN-81373/T, DI-DRPR-81002A, and DI-MISC-80711/T) MEETINGS: The government anticipates the following program reviews and meetings: Kickoff within two weeks of award; Preliminary Design Review halfway through Phase I; Final Design Review at the end of phase I; Data Review of test results prior the system delivery; and a Final Data Review at completion of acceptance testing at the government facility. All meetings except the Final Data Review will occur at the contractor facility. Meetings will be informal. C -- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) Anticipated Period of Performance: 4 months for Phase I and 14 months for Phase II; (2) Expected award date: June 1999; (3) Government Estimate: $400K, for the entire 18-month effort. This is an estimate only -- not a promise of funding availability. The government intends to initially award one contract, but reserves the right to make no awards or multiple awards. (4) Type of Agreement: Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) is anticipated. (5) Government Furnished Property (GFP): It is the offeror's responsibility to identify any equipment to be used whether contractor-owned and furnished or Government-owned and furnished. The Government will assist in providing Government-owned property as appropriate if available. (6) Government Furnished Information (GFI): For the purpose of proposal preparation the government intends to provide a data package describing in more detail the required characteristics of the ISTAT. This information may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager,Lt Ben Smallwood, (850) 882-4446 ext. 2622, or E-mail smallwoo@eglin.af.mil. (7) Size Status: For the purpose of this acquisition, the size standard is 500 employees (SIC 8731). (8) Notice to Foreign-Owned Firms: Such firms are asked to immediately notify the Air Force technical point of contact cited below upon deciding to respond to this announcement. Foreign contractors should be aware that restrictions might apply which could preclude their participation in this acquisition. (Continued in Part 2) Posted 03/11/99 (W-SN307287). (0070)

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