Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL -- Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514

A -- FOLIAGE PENETRATION (FOPEN) RADAR AND ELECTRONIC SUPPORT MEASURES (ESM) SYNERGY FOR TARGETING (FOREST) SOL Reference-Number-BAA-99-09-IFKPA POC Joetta Bernhard, Contracting Officer, Phone (315) 330-2308, Fax (315) 330-7790, Email bernhard@rl.af.mil WEB: Visit this URL for the latest information about this, http://www.eps.gov/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPS?ACode=P&;ProjID=Reference-Num ber-BAA-99-09-IFKPA&LocID=1142. E-MAIL: Joetta Bernhard, bernhard@rl.af.mil. CONTACT: AFRL Program Manager, Paul Gilgallon, email, gilgallonp@rl.af.mil; 315-330-4409; Contracting Officer, Joetta A. Bernhard, 315-330-2308, email, bernhard@rl.af.mil. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate (AFRL/SN) in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) and the Army, is soliciting white papers for innovative approaches in developing a complete Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) radar system testbed concept, including the testbed aircraft, sensors, signal processor and displays. This concept will be further developed into a data collection system that will obtain active monostatic ground moving target indication (GMTI) radar data in a subsequent program. Secondary uses of the testbed are to collect bistatic GMTI radar data and passive electronic support measures (ESM) data. The system to be developed should allow the Government to test and evaluate a wide variety of GMTI radar system parameters (e.g. frequency, polarization, bandwidth, antenna configuration, antenna length, space-time adaptive processing (STAP) configuration and target revisit rate as a minimum), yet not overly stress the risks and costs involved in its design. For example, although low frequencies provide better foliage penetration and wide bandwidths enhance target recognition, the ability to use these might be severely limited in an operational system. Also the cost and risks involved for demonstrating them might prove to be excessive. Thus the FOREST study program should determine the most important data to be collected and the costs and risks involved in obtaining this data. Additional FOREST objectives include demonstrating bistatic operation and the use of GMTI radar components (e.g. the receivers and signal processor) to support ESM operation. The operation of the ESM and GMTI subsystems could be sequential, interleaved or simultaneous, depending upon the operational environment and the sharing of system resources. The ultimate purpose of the FOREST system is to obtain test data, compare alternative system configurations and conduct real-time target detection, tracking and cueing experiments. The primary objective of FOREST is to demonstrate surveillance and tracking in foliage over a large area and to provide cues to a high-resolution imaging sensor such as a FOPEN SAR or IR/EO sensor. The long-term goal of the FOREST program is to develop an integrated FOPEN radar and ESM sensor that can operate on a platform such as HAE UAV. Thus consideration should be given to the type of GMTI and ESM antennas that could be deployed on such a platform. It is envisioned that industry teams might be formed to address the FOREST design. It is the desire of the Government that small businesses and/or Universities perform at least fifteen (15) percent of the study. An information briefing is planned for 10:00AM on 13 Oct 1999 at the AFRL Information Directorate in Rome NY, Building 106. Individuals planning to attend this briefing must contact Mr. Gilgallon not later than 8 Oct 1999. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTESTHE ENTIRE SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerers are required to submit five (5) copies of a ten (10) page or less white paper with a cover letter indicating whether the offeror is a large, small, women-owned small, or small disadvantaged business, or Historically Black College, University, or Minority Institution. The white paper will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Cost of Task, Name of Company; Section B: Task Objective; and Section C: Technical Summary. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to ATTN: Paul Gilgallon, Reference BAA 99-09-IFKPA, AFRL/SNRD, 26 Electronic Parkway; Rome NY 13441-4514. Small business offerers must also send one (1) copy of the cover letter only, by First Class mail (DO NOT SEND CLASSIFIED), to ATTN: Janis Norelli, Director of Small Business, AFRL/IFB; 26 Electronic Parkway; Rome NY 13441-4514. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. White papersare due for FY00 not later than 5 November 1999. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest to the Government. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a contract. Offerors are notified that Lincoln Labs, an FFRDC, will possibly be involved in the evaluation of white papers and proposals. Any offeror who does not want Lincoln Labs to evaluate their white paper or any subsequent proposal should so indicate in their cover letter. Complete instructions for proposal preparation will be forwarded with the invitation for proposal submission. Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following criteria: a) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal, b) The innovativeness of the proposed approach and/or techniques, and c) The reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees. In addition, the Government will consider other factors, such as past and present performance on recent Government contracts and the capacity and capability to perform the requirements of the effort. The criteria used to evaluate proposals will also be used to determine whether white papers submitted are consistent with the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting the proposals. Individual proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability or unacceptability without regard to other proposals submitted under this BAA. Options are discouraged and unpriced options will not be considered for award. Principle funding of this BAA and anticipated awards will start approximately FY00. Individual awards will not normally exceed 9 months in duration, with dollar amounts normally ranging from $1.2M to $1.8M. Total funding for this BAA is $3.0M. Awards of efforts as a result of this BAA will be in the form ofcontracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed. Foreign-owned offerers are advised that they be excluded from participating at the prime contract level. Foreign or foreign-owned offerers should immediately contact the contracting focal point, Joetta A. Bernhard, for information if they contemplate responding. Data subject to export control constraints may be involved and only firms on the Certified Contract Access List (CCAL) will be allowed access to such data. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost in AFR 31.205-18. Depending on the work to be performed, the offeror may require a SECRET facility clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to SECRET information at a time of award. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear significant concerns from offerers or potential offerers 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, (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, 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. 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.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/bp-guide.html. This BAA is open and effective until 30 Sep 00. All responsible firms may submit a white paper, which shall be considered. Respondents are asked to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number with their submission and reference BAA 99-09-IFKPA. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Posted 10/04/99 (D-SN388466). (0277)

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