A -- TOWED ARTILLERY DIGITIZATION (TAD) PROGRAM The Office of the Joint Program Manager Lightweight 155mm Howitzer, in coordination with the Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat and Support Systems and the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command -- Armaments Research Development and Engineering Center, will host an Industry Day for interested contractors to review the requirements and system performance specifications for a "Towed Artillery Digitization" (TAD) program. TAD will have application to Army and USMC XM777 (LW155) howitzers and may also be applied in whole, or in part, to the M198 howitzer, the M119 howitzer, and the Army's Future Direct Support Weapon System (FDSWS). The primary element of the TAD program is a "Digital Fire Control System" (DFCS). Other automation enhancements will be applied to specific platforms, including laser (or some other primer-less) ignition system, powered or power-assisted projectile ramming, an ammunition handling device, and powered or power-assisted cannon tube elevation and/or traverse drives. The DFCS shall be a fully integrated system capable of providing position location, cannon tube pointing and quadrant elevation, and navigation information, ballistic computation, muzzle velocity measurement, receiving and applying meteorological data, multiple fire mission storage and sequencing, system command and control functions, communications, electronic crew controls and displays, and some level of Situational Awareness. The DFCS will include an on-board power supply and power distribution system. The DFCS will also include a Direct Fire Sight with range-finder and night vision capability. The DFCS must be able to interface with the Interim Fire Support Automation System (IFSAS), the Battery Computer System (BCS), the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), and other DFCS-equipped howitzers. The DFCS shall also provide control of the system's electrical power distribution system. The DFCS shall interface with the host platforms and their prime movers. Modifications to the prime movers could include DFCS interfaces for power and data transmission, and allow navigation on the move. Prime movers for the XM777 and M198 howitzers include the Army's M1083 and M1093 Medium Tactical Vehicles and the USMC's Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, as well as the current M900-series 5-ton trucks. The prime mover for the M119 howitzer is the M1097 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The prime mover for the FDSWS has not yet been defined. Industry Day will be held at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000 on 25 May 1999 in the Command Conference Center on the first floor of Building 1 from 8:30am to 11:30am, to reconvene from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Draft solicitation DAAA21-99-R-0409 will be made available in Internet site http://procnet.pica.army.mil on or about 26 April 1999. Parties interested in selected technical areas are encouraged to attend for the purposes of identifying themselves for potential subcontracting opportunities. Interested contractors are requested to send an e-mail to dimatteo@pica.army.mil listing the names, nationality, name of firm, telephone number, and e-mail address of all proposed attendees no later than 13 May 1999. Requests for additional information can be sent via e-mail to the above address. Contact Ms. Denise DiMatteo (973) 724-3912 or Mrs. Judy Szabo (973) 724-5373 if clarification is needed. WEB: US ARMY TACOM-ARDEC Procurement Network, http://procnet.pica.army.mil/cbd/SNotice/040919992/040919992.htm. E-MAIL: Denise L. DiMatteo, dimatteo@pica.army.mil. Posted 04/13/99 (D-SN319430).

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