SOURCES SOUGHT
58 -- Airborne Demonstrator Payload for the near-real-time detection of IEDs, surface and buried minefields and home made explosive (HME) materials
- Notice Date
- 9/18/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334511
— Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U. S. Army Materiel Command, US Army C-E LCMC, Acquisition Center - Washington, US Army C-E LCMC, Acquisition Center - Washington, ATTN: AMSEL-AC-W, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22331-0700
- ZIP Code
- 22331-0700
- Solicitation Number
- W909MY-08-Q-0005
- Response Due
- 10/15/2008
- Archive Date
- 12/14/2008
- Point of Contact
- Patricia Davis, 703-325-1713<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The CECOM LCMC Acquisition Center Washington, on behalf of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Communications Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (RDECOM CERDEC), Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), Countermine Division, is seeking technologies for an Airborne Demonstrator Payload for the near-real-time detection of surface and buried IEDs, surface and buried minefields and home made explosive (HME) materials. The demonstrator payload is targeted for the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) and will include multiple imaging sensors, aided target detection algorithms and processing hardware. Technically mature (Technology Readiness Level, TRL, 5 or higher) systems, subsystems, components and integration approaches are being sought to provide target detection capabilities. Principal subsystems required to support the payload development are envisioned to include: (1) A Sensor Payload (SP) which includes up to three of the following spectral imagers {multi-band Long-Wavelength Infrared (LWIR), Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR) hyper spectral and Short-Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) hyper spectral} suitable for the specific target detection mission; (2) an Aided Target Recognition (AiTR) module that includes target detection algorithms and associated software for minefield, IED and HME manufacturing detection, in addition to an analyst interface and tools for analyst confirmation and reporting of suspected targets and; (3) an Onboard Demonstrator AiTR Processor that can be flown on the Shadow TUAV with the SP to demonstrate autonomous near-real-time detection of select targets where the imagery will be processed on the TUAV and target detection reports will be transmitted to the ground for analyst review and confirmation. Ancillary subsystems needed to support the development and demonstration of the capability are envisioned to include: (1) a developmental Data Acquisition System (DAS) to support Sensor Payload command, control and data recording during manned aircraft developmental testing and; (2) a Developmental AiTR Workstation to host the AiTR module and provide a ground-based capability to efficiently support AiTR development, performance analysis and verification. We are interested in Sensor Payload concepts that include: (a) the three spectral imagers identified above and a color zoom camera and (b) two of the three spectral imagers {e.g. 3-Band LWIR & VNIR HSI or 3-Band LWIR & SWIR HSI} and a color zoom camera. The concepts must comply with the size, weight and power constraints, while providing sufficient data to meet the target detection performance requirements when operated at mission altitudes greater than 5000 feet and speeds greater than 65 knots. Capabilities and guidelines for the demonstrator payload include: 1. General size, weight and power constraints for the SP are defined as: (a) size max height less than 15 inches, where half is inside and half below the TUAV fuselage through the 10.3 inch diameter payload hole; (b) weight must be less than 50 pounds and (c) power must be less than 300W average and 600W peak. A portion of the size, weight and power must be allocated to the onboard processor. 2. The SP should be capable of effectively pointing at nadir to support the necessary scan approach (e.g. pushbroom) to accomplish the defined target detection missions and achieve a target location error less than 20m R95 at 5000ft. 3. The aided target detection approach can be tailored for each target type where spectral and spatial processing may apply to all target sets. Pattern recognition techniques may apply to minefields. Change detection techniques may apply to IED detection. 4. Capabilities to provide day-night situational awareness and potential traditional reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities are desired (without impacting defined primary target detection missions). Threshold performance of 90% probability of recognition of APC sized target (3.5x3.5m, 4C delta temperature) at 3km slant range threshold and 5km objective. The ability to point off-nadir and image with the high resolution color zoom camera and possibly the 3-band LWIR camera (or additional MWIR camera) should be considered. Specific sensor parameter guidelines for the 65 knots and 5000 feet altitude mission profile include: 1. 3-band LWIR imager: Ground Sample Distance (GSD) less than 7in; swath coverage greater than 250ft; spectral band 1 = 8.15-8.35m; spectral band 2 = 9.1-9.3m; spectral band 3 = 10.6-10.8m; NETD less than 50mK between 23-35 deg C scene background temperature with integration time less than 0.5ms for all three bands. 2. VNIR HSI: GSD less than 3.5in (at NADIR); swath coverage greater than 250ft; wavelength coverage 400-850nm; Spectral Resolution less than 10 nm, frame rate sufficient to support square pixel generation. 3. SWIR HSI: GSD less than 15in (at NADIR); swath coverage greater than 500ft; wavelength coverage ~900-1700nm; Spectral Resolution 4-10nm. 4. Color zoom: GSD ~2-8in (at NADIR); swath coverage for 2in GSD greater than 170ft. 5. MWIR: GSD NFOV 3.75in (at NADIR); NETD less than35mK between 23-35 deg C scene background temperature. This is NOT a request for proposal. Contractors who can satisfy the Government's requirements are urged to provide documentation supporting the company's ability to fulfill the requirements described above by 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, 15 Oct 2008. Each respondent should also provide point of contact information to include: company name, contact name, company address, website (if applicable), contact phone number and contact email address. Responses should be emailed to pat.davis@us.army.mil, with a copy to ronald.rupp@us.army.mil. The subject of the mail message shall be: W909MY-08-Q-0005 Market Research Response, Your Companys Name. If the submission cannot be made via email due to size constraints, the package may be mailed to: US Army CECOM Acquisition Center Washington 2461 Eisenhower Ave, Room 1126 Attn: AMSEL-AC-WB-B (Ms. Patricia Davis) Alexandria, VA 22331-0700. All questions of a technical nature should be addressed to Mr. Ronald Rupp, Project Leader, at ronald.rupp@us.army.mil. All contractual questions should be addressed to Ms. Patricia Davis, Contracting Officer, at pat.davis@us.army.mil. NO TELEPHONIC QUESTIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The Government may elect to conduct one-on-one discussions with industry based on its analysis of the RFI responses, the quality of submission, and the level and specification of the information provided. Please note the Government is under no obligation to conduct these sessions. The information provided in response to this RFI will be used to support on-going initiatives within NVESD and may ultimately result in the Government developing and issuing an RFP for respondents. The above information is provided for information only and is not a Request for Proposal or announcement of a solicitation. Neither this Request for Information nor any follow-on one-on-one meeting constitute an invitation for bid or Request for Proposal, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a contract or order. The Government will not pay for any effort expended or any material provided in response to this announcement nor will the government return any data provided. It is desirable that data be received with unlimited rights to the Government. However, we recognize that proprietary data may be included with the information provided. If so, clearly mark such proprietary information and clearly separate it from the unrestricted information as an addendum.
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- Place of Performance
- Address: US Army C-E LCMC, Acquisition Center - Washington ATTN: AMSEL-AC-W, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria VA<br />
- Zip Code: 22331-0700<br />
- Zip Code: 22331-0700<br />
- Record
- SN01675347-W 20080920/080918223755-0b58124df1ddb12fcb5c7b11cf97533f (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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