US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

A -- ARMY WARHEADS AND ENERGETICS TECHNOLOGY CENTER SOL DAAE30-99-BAA-01 DUE 070799 POC Catherine E. John-Angle, Grants Officer, 973-724-3214 WEB: US ARMY TACOM-ARDEC Procurement Network, http://procnet.pica.army.mil/cbd/SRCSgt/060419992/060419992.htm. E-MAIL: Catherine E. John-Angle, cjohnang@pica.army.mil. Purpose: To assess interest in becoming a member of an Industry/Academia consortium to form a Army Warheads and Energetics Technology Center. A major goal of this consortium will be to improve U.S. industry, Government and university capabilities to sustain U.S. military supremacy in the research, development, engineering and production of warheads and energetics. Background: Warhead technology and conventional Energetics (propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics) and warhead technology and facilities are in serious jeopardy due to reduced Defense spending and the restructuring and downsizing of Government, Academia and industrial capabilities. Conventional energetics and warhead technology is a critical defense science, which is in jeopardy of being lost if positive action to maintain a capability is not initiated soon. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command -- Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center (TACOM-ARDEC) serves as the Army s focal point and authority for lethal mechanisms, development, test and evaluation of warhead designs, optimization of explosive/metal interactions for maximum lethality and extensive development/application of computer simulation and hydrodynamic codes to solve a variety of warhead related problems. It also serves as the Department of the Army (DA) and the Army Materiel Command s (AMC) lead laboratory for energetic materials and has the responsibility to conduct research, development, test and evaluation of new energetic materials and formulations, and transition of the products to the users and ammunition production plants. TACOM-ARDEC has partnered and continues to partner with a number of universities and industries and other government agencies on many diverse activities in the areas of warheads and energetics. TACOM-ARDEC, in partnership with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) ( and possibly other government labs in the future), would like to build upon the partnering activity with academia, industry and other profit and non-profit organizations to address the Army's long range goals in the area of warheads and energetics to improve U.S. industrial, Government and university capabilities to sustain U.S. military supremacy in the research, development, engineering and production of warheads and energetics. Description: The partnership/consortium will perform research, development and engineering activities, in cooperation with TACOM-ARDEC and ARL, which address the Army s long range goals in the area of warheads and energetics. The purpose of this consortium is to define and perform collaborative efforts that advance the technology and scientific and engineering skills in the areas of warheads and energetics that are required to develop and produce munitions which support the Army requirements for the future. The role of the Government will be to directly participate in these collaborative efforts, to provide partial funding, and share expertise and facilities. It is expected that the non- Government collaborators will share in the funding of theWarheads and Energetics Technology and contribute their own resources including personnel, and under special instances, materials, facilities, equipment or instrumentation. It is envisioned that these objectives will be accomplished through the use of a Cooperative Agreement or Other Transaction (OT) Agreement with a partnership or a consortium, wherein each member participates through Articles of Collaboration or similar agreement which defines the purpose, goals and responsibilities of the members including how the members will address intellectual property. The structure of the National Rotocraft Technology Center (NRTC) is one example of how the Army Warheads and Energetics Center could be organized. Information on the NRTC operating structure will be available with the draft BAA. The consortium may consist of industry (large and small businesses), universities including HBCUs, and non- profit organizations working with TACOM-ARDEC personnel and primarily utilizing TACOM- ARDEC laboratories and facilities. The consortium will provide up to 50% of the funding for projects. The level of funding from the Government is estimated to be $3.0M -- $4.0M for the first year. The term of the agreement is expected to be at least five years. A major goal of this consortium is to improve U.S. industry, Government and University capabilities to sustain U.S. military supremacy in the research, development, engineering and production of warheads and energetics, and therefore preference shall be given to a consortium of U.S. only members. The members must have a Secret security clearance and comply with U.S. Army Security, Safety and Environmental requirements. Technical areas in Warheads include blast and fragmentation warheads, Shaped charges, EFP Penetrators, target effects and lethality, Warhead Modeling and Design, Materials and Material Behavior and rapid prototyping. Technical areas in Energetics include Synthesis of Energetic materials, Binders and Plasticizers, Propellant and Explosive Formulation and Processing, Propelling Charge Design, Scale-up to Production, Simulation of Explosive Phenomena, Insensitive Munitions and systems and component failure analyses. Examples of research and development objectives are development and demonstration of explosives with 40% increased energy relative to LX14 and reduced sensitivity, gun propulsion systems to provide 25% lighter and meet IM requirements, develop improved or novel warhead liner materials and material processing, develop more agile production capabilities for energetics with smart processes, continuous extruders and smart enterprise. A draft BAA will be available, upon request, by e-mail from the Grant's Officer, Catherine e. John- Angle, at cjohnang@pica.army.mil within one week after the market survey is issued. TACOM-ARDEC, in conjunction with ARL, intends to host an Industry Day approximately one week after the survey responses are received which will include presentations on capabilities and facilities. The formal BAA requesting proposals will be released within two weeks after the Industry Day, with 60 days to respond. It is anticipated that Agreements will be finalized by 30 November 1999.TACOM-ARDEC would like to receive comments and an expression of interest in the form of a white paper. The White Paper should summarize your proposed approach, role and effort in the partnership/consortium with the Army. In addition it should address the following areas: 1. An expression of interest to include your specific area of interest. 2 .Approach to managing, safeguarding and sharing intellectual property. 3 Liability considerations and proposed approach or limitations. 4. Technology transfer benefits you visualize for yourself and the Government. 5. Special facilities, scientific and engineering knowledge and expertise you could bring to the partnership/consortium. 6. Proposed membership and operating structure to include legal preferences regarding the structure. 7. Questions you may have or additional information that should be presented at the Industry Day briefing preparatory to releasing a Request for Proposal. Please indicate your intent to respond to this announcement, and your interest in attending the Industry Day, not later than 14 days from the date the market survey is issued via e-mail to the Grant's Officer, Catherine E. John-Angle, at cjohnang@pica.army.mil. White Papers are due not later than 30 days from the date the market survey is issued. White Papers are to be no more than 8 pages long and shall be submitted via e-mail to the Grants Officer, Catherine E. John-Angle, at cjohnang@pica.army.mil. White Papers should be in Microsoft Word. The Government will not pay for this information nor is it obligated to award a contract based on your submission. The Government reserves the right to pursue similar efforts using contract instruments or agreements other than OTs and cooperative agreements proposed in this survey. The Market Survey will be used to assess interest in becoming a member of an Industry/Academia consortium to form a Army Warheads and EnergeticsTechnology Center. Information on Other Transactions (OTs) can be viewed on the Internet. The following are two sites which discuss OTs: 1) DARPA information on Other Transactions: http://www.darpa.mil/cmd/pages/other_trans.html and 2) Other Transactions feedback by users/participants: http;//www.arpa.mil/d1793/index.html. Posted 06/04/99 (D-SN339346). (0155)

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