Bid Office, SPAWARSYSCEN, Code D21B, 53570 Silvergate Avenue, Bldg. A33, Room 0061, San Diego, CA 92152-5112

A -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COMPOSITE FEED THROUGH BUSHINGS DESIGNED FOR VERY LOW FREQUENCY/LOW FREQUENCY (VLF/LF) OPERATION DUE 022800 POC Linda Mulligan (619) 553-4538 WEB: Business Opportunities Home Page, http://e-commerce.spawar.navy.mil. E-MAIL: Contract Negotiator, mulligan@spawar.navy.mil. The US Navy operates 11 high power very low frequency/low frequency (VLF/LF) transmitting stations that support strategic communications to deployed submarines. Most of these stations are very old, in excess of 30 years. All of the stations use a high voltage-high current feed through type porcelain bushing to provide power from the antenna tuning elements in the helix house to the outdoor antenna structure. As many of these bushings are near or past their operational service period, a replacement program is warranted. The Navy is seeking solutions to replace these specialized porcelain bushings for VLF/LF communications with commercially available composite materials consisting of a fiberglass tube and a hermetically sealed silicon rubber coating, pressurized with SF6, a dielectric insulating gas for the center conductor. In preparation, the Fixed Very Low Frequency (FVLF) Program at SPAWAR Systems Center in San Diego (SSC-San Diego) is compiling information about advanced composite technologies that can be applied to VLF/LF communications. The desired operating requirements would be 220 +kV rms and 1500 amps rms at 30 kHz. Initial interest would be for bushings with 600 mm nominal diameter or greater. The bushings would be standardized into two categories depending on the transmitter site. Approximately 20 bushings would be procured. The respondent should provide as a minimum: (1) physical and functional description (i.e. design drawings) of the item being offered (size and external description); (2) performance description and specifications of the item (estimated operating voltage and current values at 30 kHz); (3) if possible, include cost of item or technology now and anticipated in the future with further development; and (4) if not yet in production, provide the development status and anticipated schedule for completion. This announcement is a request for information and no contract will be awarded pursuant to this announcement. The requested information is for planning purposes and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement will be issued. However SPAWAR and the Navy will utilize the information for technical and acquisition planning. It is recognized that cost information which is provided by the contractor is a preliminary estimate for planning purposes; the contractor will not be bound to these estimates. Subsequent acquisitions may follow in the ways which best meet Navy needs. The government invites comments related to possible purchase or acquisition strategies. If there is a GSA or other contract vehicle already available for the technology being proposed, please include this information in the response. All data received in response to this RFI marked or designated as corporate or proprietary information will be fully protected from release outside the government. It is not the intent of SSC-SD to reimburse providers for the cost of submitting information in response to this RFI. Please direct any questions via e-mail to the POC, Ms Linda Mulligan (mulligan@spawar.navy.mil). To be beneficial, interested parties should submit any applicable information by February 28, 2000 via electronic transmission to the POC, or via two (2) complete sets of hard copy materials to the above address. Posted 02/02/00 (W-SN421085). (0033)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0009 20000204\A-0009.SOL)