AFMC, Air Force Research Laboratory/IFK, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514

A -- DIGITAL RADIO FREQUENCY TAG (DRAFT) SOL BAA 99-03-IFKPA POC Dr. William A. Jeffrey, DARPA Program Manager, 703/696-2315; David Ferris, AFRL Program Manager, 315/330-4408; Joetta Bernhard, Contracting Officer, 315/330-2308 WEB: Click here to go to the BAA 99-03-IFKPA web page., http://www.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/baa/baa9903.html. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Contracting Officer., bernhard@rl.af.mil. The DARPA Tactical Technology Office (TTO) and Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, Information and Intelligence Exploitation Division are conducting research and development into Digital Radio Frequency Tags. The DARPA Digital Radio Frequency Tag (DRaFT) program will enable data exfiltration between ground sensors and airborne radar systems -- both synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Moving Target Indication (MTI) need to be considered. The DRaFT system will consist of small, low-cost devices that can be emplaced in theater and remain hidden until queued by a radar system. The DRaFT system should be digital in logic, enabling programmable shifts in phase and amplitude of the return signal. There should be minimal/no impact on the emitting radar system -- either in functionality or concept of operations. PROGRAM SCOPE: Program participants will have to consider, design and develop DRaFT systems to satisfy two main classes of operational utility. The first class is a data relay between a ground system and an airborne platform. Any data accumulated by the ground system will be transmitted as a modification to the reflected radar waveform at a level commensurate with the local background clutter signal. In this case, the embedded signal should have minimal/no impact on the radar processed SAR image or MTI map. A separate processing chain is envisioned to detect and extract any information contained within the returned radar waveform. The additional processing load to extract the embedded signal should be minimized. The second class is a decoy to spoof enemy airborne radar systems. The returned waveforms must be sufficiently high fidelity to add confusion and enhance the "fog of war" for the adversary. The airborne radar platforms to be considered consist of the Joint Stars (MTI and SAR modes), the U-2 flying the ASARS Improvement Program, and the Global Hawk. All three of these systems operate in the X-band. A classified report will be provided to the selected contractor(s) providing details on these radar systems. An additional platform of interest is Discoverer II. Since Discoverer II is not yet well defined, the initial focus of this effort will be with the airborne platforms. Additional work associated with Discoverer II will be handled via the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process. In addition to the X-band radar systems listed, each contractor must assess how their tag design could be modified to work with a Ku-band radar and with VHF/UHF foliage penetrating radar. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria in descending order of importance: (1)overall scientific and technical merit; (2)potential contributions/relevance to DARPA and DoD; (3)Capabilities and experience;(4)Plans and capabilities to accomplish technology transfer; and(5)Total cost and cost realism. (NOTE: Cost realism will be used as an evaluation criterion only in proposals, which have significantly under, or over estimated the cost to complete the effort). In addition, the Government will consider other factors, such as past and present performance on recent Government contracts and the capacity to perform the requirements of the effort. The total value for all awards under this BAA shall not exceed $18,000,000. All awards made in response to this BAA will be subject to availability of government funds. Evaluations and selection or non-selection of proposals for funding will be made on the basis of the evaluation criteria listed and the overall balance considered most advantageous to the DARPA DRaFT Program. GENERAL INFORMATION: DARPA has budgeted approximately $2.0 million for FY 1999, $5.0 million for FY 2000, $4.0 million for FY 2001, $4.0 million for FY 2002, and $3.0 million for FY 2003. Offerors should prepare proposals with a baseline period of performance of up to 6 months to get to a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) with an approximately 11 month option to reach a Critical Design Review (CDR), and a 29 month option that will include the construction of a brassboard, testing of the brassboard and construction of a prototype. It is anticipated that further testing and field demonstrations will occur after the prototype is fully tested. This testing and demonstrations will be accomplished via an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP). The proposals are due on or before 3:30 PM (EST), 23 April 1999, in order to be considered for FY 1999 funding. Nondisclosure notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled for administrative purposes by employees of SRS Technologies, Inc. Only government evaluators will make selections under this BAA. This CBD notice, in conjunction with the pamphlet BAA 99-03 Proposer Information Package (PIP), constitutes the Broad Agency Announcement as contemplated by FAR 6.102(d)(2). The PIP is available on the web at the following address: http://www.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/baa/9903pip.doc. Most awards are expected O/A 15 June 99. Work to be performed may require SECRET/NOFORN facility clearance and safeguarding capability. Therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to SECRET/NOFORN information at the time of award. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. PROPOSALS ARE REQUESTED. Offerors are required to submit an original and (5) copies of their proposal (technical and cost) to AFRL/IFEM, ATTN: David Ferris, 32 Brooks Road, Rome, NY 13441-4114 by 23 April 1999. Technical proposals are limited to a total page count of seventy-five (75) pages and shall be double-spaced with a font no smaller than 12 pitch. INDUSTRY BRIEFING: DARPA will present an industry briefing on the DARPA Digital Radio Frequency Tags (DRaFT) program on Thursday, April 1, 1999 from 0900 -- 1630 in the Kossiakoff Center at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723-6099. Directions to JHU/APL may be obtained via the World Wide Web at http://www.jhuapl.edu/public/visit/locat.htm. Check-in will begin at 0800. There is no registration fee, but there will be a charge of $10.00 per person for a deli-buffet lunch. This charge will be collected at check-in on the morning of the briefing. Due to the large response anticipated for this briefing, each company (to include large corporations) is limited to a maximum of 5 representatives. Pre-registration is required to avoid long delays in registering on-site the morning of the briefing. Contact Ms. Terry Thompson at (703) 528-2470 (TEL),(703) 528-4715 (FAX), Terry.Thompson@wg.srs.com (EMAIL) to pre-register. Provide the following information for each person attending the briefing: Name, Company/Division, Mailing Address, E-Mail Address, Tel #, Fax #. Following the briefing, DARPA intends to make public the list of attendees to the industry briefing. A briefing package, including complete instructions for proposal preparation, is available to all attendees via the PIP web address. Foreign participation at the prime contractor level is not authorized for this acquisition. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost in FAR 31.205-18. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear significant concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. Routine questions are not considered to be "significant concerns" and should be communicated directly to the Contracting Officer, Joetta A. Bernhard, and (315)330-2308. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Contracting Officer or Program Manager, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Vincent Palmiero, Deputy Chief, Contracting Division, AFRL/IFK at (315) 330-7746. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of the proposals or in the source selection process. This BAA is open and effective for eighteen (18) months from the date of the publication of this notice. To receive a copy of the AFRL "BAA & PRDA: A Guide for Industry," Sep 1996 (Rev), write ATTN: Lucille Argenzia, AFRL/IFK, 26 Electronics Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514, or fax her at FAX 315-330-4728, or the guide may be accessed at: http://www.rl.af.mil/div/IFK/bp-guide.html. The government solicits proposals from qualified sources, such as universities, research and development institutions and consortia, FFRDC's or partnerships of the above with industry. The government encourages non-profit organizations, educational institutions, small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, government laboratories, and HBCU/MIs, as well as large businesses, to submit research concepts for consideration. All responsible firms may submit proposals, which shall be considered. Respondents are asked to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number with their proposal(s) and reference BAA 99-03-IFKPA. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. Posted 03/19/99 (W-SN310444). (0078)

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