TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS FOR 3RD GENERATION INFRARED SEARCH AND TRACK SYSTEM

Notice Date

March 1, 2001

Contracting Office

Contracts Group, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Bldg 2272 Suite 353, 47123 Buse Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670-1547

ZIP Code

20670-1547

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the contracting officer via (hansfordbj@navair.navy.mil)

Description

CBDNET SPECIAL NOTICE Description: The Naval Air Warfare Center-Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD invites qualified U.S. industry contractors to participate and assist the Navy in its effort to develop a Specification and Statement of Work (SOW) package. The developed Spec/SOW package may be used in a future full and open competition for an Office of Naval Research program entitled "3rd Generation Infrared Search and Track System" (3rd Gen IRST). This is a good faith effort to create an opportunity for industry contractors to participate in the development and definition of this competitive Specification/Statement of Work. The Government is willing to provide matching funding of approximately $100,000, depending on the number of interested participants. The overall objective is an improvement in the ultimate quality and performance of the end product (the "3rd Gen IRST") by incorporation of industry insight into the state of the art of the requisite component and system technologies as well as industry's understanding of the system trades with respect to the intended applications. The competitive procurement specification will be developed via non-procurement award instruments called Technology Investment Agreements (Other transactions and cooperative agreements). These instruments are not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation but instead are governed by the DOD Grants and Agreement Regulations (DODGARs). The DODGARs and a description of Technology Investment Agreements may be found at http://alpha.lmi.org/dodgars. Technical Background: The primary purpose of the 3rd-Gen IRST Program is to develop, test, integrate, and demonstrate an advanced development model that provides long range airborne IRST capability against theater missiles. A secondary objective is the detection and tracking of dim targets such as subsonic aircraft and cruise missiles (CM). The overall intent is to demonstrate the critical component and system technologies sufficient to ensure a timely, low risk transition to full-scale development of a system for the E-2C surveillance aircraft. The 3rd-Gen IRST is to provide passive angle-angle search and track capability. However, it is also the intent of this effort to explore the design impact of a subsequent incorporation of a multifunction laser for ranging and Non-Cooperative Identification (NCID) capabilities. This procurement is being conducted in an effort to assist with the development and transition of a superior product by drawing in the nation's best researchers and experts in infrared sensors and Theater Air Missile Defense (TAMD). This effort will focus on the use of distributed aperture (DA) infrared (IR) and turreted IR sensors for providing a "Baseline" as well as "Advanced" IRST capability for the E-2C. The Baseline system will address a TBM detection and tracking capability that provides the most affordable, lowest risk approach to providing such capability. This phase will demonstrate system capability to perform long-range, multi-target acquisition against TBMs in boost phase and post-boost phase of missile flight. The demonstrations will be conducted both in the laboratory and on an avionics testbed aircraft. Lab demonstrations will evaluate sensor capabilities with respect to sensitivity and ability to perform search and track on multiple targets. Airborne tests will demonstrate performance against actual missiles and aircraft. The "Advanced" 3rd Gen IRST effort notionally includes the development and demonstration of enhancements to the Baseline IRST sensor and processing that provide the following enhanced capabilities: (1) Improved ability to detect and track multiple simultaneous missiles (2) Non-Cooperative Identification (NCID) of TBMs (3) Increased detection range against dim targets (4) Improved track accuracy (5) Passive angle-angle ranging against TBMs The preliminary specification for this system described herein defines a notional set of explicit performance and verification objectives. It is the objective of this program that information exchanged during development of a specification under cooperative agreement(s) will help provide the military with the best system achievable subject to financial, schedule and risk constraints. A Preliminary Specification Parameter Table for 3rd-Generation 3-D IRST is available upon request. Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) Tasking: The Government may establish biweekly working meetings at which the appointed contractor will present results of analyses or other studies and recommendations for the SOW/Spec as well as to comment on Navy (or Navy funded) analysis material relevant to writing an appropriate draft SOW/Spec. Such meetings may be conducted as video teleconferences. The initial meetings will focus on discussion and development of top level IRST design and performance objectives as they relate to Missile Defense scenarios and targets as described in documents to be provided by the Navy upon initiation of the cooperative agreement. The discussion objectives include but are not limited to the following: (1) Discuss preliminary Missile Defense Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) Concept of Operations and Performance Objectives; (2) FNC requirements analysis and system engineering studies; (3) IRST Requirements Analysis; (4) Modeling and Simulation; (5) Preliminary 3rd Generation IRST System Definition; (6) Technology Survey and Risk Area Identification; (7) Sensor Design Trades; (8) Aircraft Platform Trades; (9) Transition Risks to E-2C Data provided under this TIA shall be non-proprietary and shall focus on specification for the 3rd Generation IRST and not represent a proposal or specific IRST design concept. The contractor is expected to provide specific recommendations for the paragraphs and parameters of the SOW/Spec as well as results of analyses performed to support such recommendations for the development, integration and testing of the 3rd Generation IRST Baseline and Advanced systems. The analyses will attempt to define specific requirements and trade-offs, based on the cost, system performance, and risk-reduction goals of the program. In developing recommendations for the SOW/Spec the contractor is expected to perform analyses, which address: (1) Timelines for target detection and tracking; (2) Range performance objectives; (3) Role and requirements for precision 3-D tracking and its impact on IRST design and concept of operation. (4) NCID approach and capability; (5) Distributed array sensor and turreted sensor approaches and capabilities; (6) Approach and capability for detection of CM's and aircraft; (7) Baseline and advanced IRST system integration and notional development timelines; (8) Associated technology and E-2C transition risk assessment; (9) Rough cost analysis. Responding to this Announcement: Proposers must be a for-profit company or have at least one for-profit firm on its team. The Government reserves the right to enter into any number of agreements, however, due to limited funding, it anticipates entering into two or three agreements. Interested offerors are required to submit two (2) copies of a proposal, which is not to exceed twenty (20) pages, on their proposed approach. The proposal should be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, period of performance, estimated cost of effort, and name of company, Section B: Task objective including the following: 1) Discussion/certification of availability of funds for cost sharing purposes, 2) Company history and capabilities regarding IRST or Infrared Theater Missile Detection and Tracking as well as TBM engagement modeling deemed relevant to this activity, 3) Company position regarding interest in submitting a proposal for competitive procurement of the Naval Airborne IRST or Infrared Theater Missile Detection and Tracking, 4) Primary points of contact and titles for personnel that will be available for interaction with the Navy, Section C: Technical summary 1) Ability to handle classified material to at least the SECRET/NOFORN level. 2) Summary of anticipated contributions relative to anticipated tasking. Those proposals found to be consistent with the intent of this announcement and of interest to the Government may be invited to participate in an agreement or other transaction. The cost proposal shall be submitted in a format in accordance with FAR 15.403. Companies may be required to provide a one-hour oral briefing to the Government outlining the information contained in the proposal. Criteria for Selection of Agreement Holders: The selection of one or more sources for entering into an agreement will be based on the technical merit of the proposed approach compared to the cost of the proposals, in view of the availability of funds. The merit of the proposal shall be determined by the following criteria: 1) The contractor's demonstrated understanding of the technical issues related to the specification of an IR sensor for the E-2C, 2) The contractor's capabilities, facilities which are integral factors for achieving the proposed objective, 4) Past participation in IR sensor development, and 5) Proposed matching contributions. The scope of agreements will be tailored appropriately to the number of acceptable responses. The Government will select potential participants to enter into agreement(s) based on review of the proposal and evaluation of subsequent proposal submissions in response to this announcement, including oral briefings as outlined above. Respondents should have extensive experience in the development of tactical infrared imaging and airborne target detection systems. Furthermore, it is expected that contractors who are chosen to participate would subsequently provide proposals responsive to the SOW and specification during the competitive procurement conducted by the Navy. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to enter into any agreements or to pay for any response preparation costs. The cost of proposal preparation for response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMMITED TO ISSUE A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR ANY SOLICITATION TO RESPONDERS TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. In order to meet critical acquisition milestones, proposal submissions must be provided by 30 March 2001. Early submission of the proposal is encouraged. Agreements may be made at any time up to 3 months after publication of this announcement. Any negotiations that may be necessary will be conducted between the offeror and the contracting officer. Offerors are cautioned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. The proposals should be submitted to Ben Hansford, AIR 251443 at: Department of the Navy, Attn: Contracts Building 588 Suite 2, 47253 Whalen Road Unit 6, Patuxent River MD 20653-1161. The point of contact for questions is Ben Hansford, who can be contacted via e-mail at hansfordbj@navair.navy.mil. The technical point of contact is Jeff Noel, who can be contacted via e-mail at noeljj@navair.navy.mil.

Web Link

Click here to access the synopsis utilizing the NAVAIR (http://www.navair.navy.mil/business/ecommerce/index.cfm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010305/SPMSC009.HTM (W-060 SN50E9C2)