U.S. Army Materiel Command, Natick Contracting Division, Attn: AMSSB-ACN, Natick, MA 01760-5011

84 -- IMPROVED COLD WEATHER FACE MASK & ACCESSORIES DUE 090499 POC Peggy Dube WEB: Business Opportunities at U.S. Army Soldier & Biological, http://www3.natick.army.mil. E-MAIL: To contact Contract Specialist, pdube@natick-notes02-army.mil. The U. S. Army Natick Research and Development Enterprise at the Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, Natick, MA is conducting a market investigation to identify domestic products, suppliers and manufacturers of cold weather face masks and accessories. The U. S. Army is interested in locating firms with capabilities to provide commercial cold weather protective face masks and/or oronasal, respiratory (breath) heat/moisture exchangers that might satisfy the military requirement for an improved, extreme cold weather face mask. Product performance improvements over the current Extreme Cold Weather Mask (NSN 8415-01-006-3468) and/or Oronasal Shield (NSN 8415-01-006-1035) and the Extended Cold Weather Hood Balaclava (NSN 8415-01-310-0606) are being sought. The face mask must be easy to don and doff, fit snugly to the head, provide maximum area protection when worn with combat headwear and clothing, be lightweight and low bulk, comfortable and stable to movement when worn, be water and wind resistant, provide insulation to resist frostbite to the wearer at extremely low temperature (i.e., minus 60F), and be easy to clean. The oronasal, respiratory heat/moisture exchanger must be effective in providing warm/moist air to the wearer during inhalation, meet respiratory standards/regulations, be easy to clean, be non-toxic, not require any power source to operate, and interface/interoperate with the appropriate face mask. Neither the face mask nor the oronasal, respiratory heat/moisture exchanger shall impair the wearer's speech, hearing, visibility (with or without eyeglasses), or breathing. Interested sources must, respond with information on their product(s)no later than 4 September 1999. Interested sources shall include information detailed in the CBD Note 25 regarding a firm's experience, personnel, and facilities. Information should include product cost, literature and illustrations, relevant company background/experience, and a sample. Firms responding shall indicated whether or not they are a small business. The sized standard which could be 3479, 3089, 3089, or 3999 (depending on manufacturing materials used) for this industry is 500 employees. Any information submitted will not be returned. If a firm chooses to submit samples, no payment will be made by the Government for such samples. Responses to this notice are to be sent to Mr. Christopher Pentheny, U. S. Army Natick Research & Development Enterprise, ATTN: AMSSB-PM-RST-E(N), Natick, MA 01760-5019. This notice is for market research only. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. No solicitation document exists. The information received under this announcement may be used to purchase items for Government testing and/or prepare a solicitation package for development prototypes. Posted 08/04/99 (W-SN363028). (0216)

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