SPECIAL NOTICE
16 -- LASER-BASED LANDING AID FOR HELICOPTER LOW-LEVEL OPERATIONS (HELO)
- Notice Date
- 10/3/2008
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 334511
— Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Pax River, Building 441, 21983 Bundy Road Unit 7, Patuxent River, Maryland, 20670, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20670
- Solicitation Number
- N00421-09-R-0007A
- Response Due
- 11/3/2008 3:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 11/18/2008
- Point of Contact
- Stephen Lucianetti, Phone: 3017579707
- E-Mail Address
-
stephen.lucianetti@navy.mil
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a specific request for white paper submissions under BAA N00421-09-R-0007 posted on 2 October 2008 for a laser-based landing aid for helicopter low-level operations (helo) from the Naval Air Warfare, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD. There is no solicitation at this time. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this request, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to the Government. The Naval Air Systems Command is seeking information from potential sources for an advanced technology to be developed comprised of critical sub-systems and components that will help to enable an effective and affordable helicopter low-level operation laser-based landing aid system. The capability need for this landing aid, designated “HELO Product 2”, is to provide significantly increased and improved landing capabilities for the survivability of current and future assault and heavy-lift rotary wing aircraft deployed from the sea base to operate in austere, forward areas. This capability will support and improve the efficiency and safety of landing into unprepared Landing Zones (LZs). This capability will add situational awareness to enable enhanced surface feature mapping and obstacle detection in order to apply this technology to dusty LZs or areas where visual cues are unavailable. Helicopters landing in unprepared LZs often encounter “brownout” conditions due to blowing dust. Under such conditions, basic situational awareness may be lost, for example loss of horizon, inability to detect obstacles on the ground, and inability to judge ground speed. These difficulties have led to serious accidents that involved loss of life and aircraft. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is currently developing a laser-based groundspeed/airspeed system to provide information to the helicopter pilot via a hover display. The developmental system provides promising improvement to helicopter operations under degraded visual environment (DVE). The proposed Future Naval Capability (FNC) Landing Aid Science & Technology (S&T) effort would advance such capabilities to include surface feature mapping and to apply this imaging or mapping functionality to dusty LZs and where visual cues are unavailable. Target Platform for Technology: A target platform for this technology to be developed is the CH-53E/K. The CH-53E/K programs enable rapid, decisive operations and early termination of conflict by projecting and sustaining forces to distant access-denied environments. Under current Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) supporting concepts, there is a continuing need for a vertical heavy-lift capability to support “expeditionary” and “sea-based “operations. The CH-53E/K provides the capability to move and sustain highly mobile forces, operating long distances from the sea base and is capable of lifting heavy equipment including the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle and/or the Light Armored Vehicle. The expeditionary nature of the mission requires frequent operations on unimproved landing areas that are likely to degrade visual conditions to a “brownout” status due to the severe rotor downwash of a CH-53E/K. In addition, the loss of visual ground reference during night landings to unimproved, dusty landing zones is one of the greatest safety risks to CH-53E/K aircrew, passengers, and aircraft. The GWOT has necessitated H-53 operations in unimproved landing zones and conditions that may cause loss of visual reference due to dust, snow, fog, smoke, or darkness. The need for improved safety in these helicopter landing zones makes laser based landing aid technology a good transitional candidate for the CH-53E/K program. White Paper responses shall address the following areas: 1) Evaluation Criteria: The need is to provide a laser-based image or detailed contour map of the landing zone for safety of aircrew, passengers, cargo and LZ ground personnel. Other considerations to be made: •Laser-based landing aid to enable all-weather, day and night landing capability in unprepared LZs with zero visual ground reference (brownout/night). •Situational awareness will also be enhanced by rapid updates to include surface feature mapping and obstacle detection, applying this functionality to dynamic and dusty LZs. •Primary risks associated with development of laser-based landing aids are that current technologies are non-responsive in certain relevant areas. There are several key areas to consider for this response as follows: oPenetration of dust, sand, and modulation techniques in signal processing – allowance for a clear image or map through backscatter. oScan/receive/refresh/record rate – needs to be fast enough to support pilot’s needs in a dynamic landing zone, which could include moving vehicles or personnel within this landing zone. Vendor should provide assumptions of vehicle/personnel motion (speed) and reflectance. Onboard record rate, for developmental program, needs to be sufficient to provide adequate data analysis in identification of the demands of the environment. oEye safety – consideration of ground and aircraft personnel eye safety concerns to be addressed with laser use. oModeling – modeling techniques and methods that can describe the DVE effects adequately to support HELO Product 2 development decisions appropriately. oGPS denied environment – capability must consider the potential for the use of this landing aid in a GPS-denied environment. oPriority consideration should be given to single ship, single pass CONOPS. Developmental provisions, such as data transfer, may be considered. oPriority consideration for laser only system configuration. Developmental provisions for future multi-sensor fusion may be considered. •In determining a solution for this particular effort, non-mechanical scanning or other suitable alternate technology that provides very high speed lidar area coverage is desired. 2)Cost/Schedule/Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Off-the-shelf technologies have failed to provide an acceptable solution for this problem; therefore, this effort is for a developmental program. TRL-3 is the minimum desired starting point for this effort with potential to mature to TRL-6 by 4Q, FY12. Please provide a ROM/cost estimate as part of your response. 3)Technical Areas/Exit Criteria: Currently, NAVAIR has developed the following technical parameters of interest for this capability, which will be refined during the further development of the technology and through concept design review. These technical areas and exit criteria should also be addressed in your response to this request: (O = Objective; T = Threshold) •All capabilities required in reduced visual cue environments. Ability to see through sand, dust, fog, rain, snow (O) and ability to see through sand and dust (T). Modeling and simulation shall provide evidence of effectiveness where demonstration cannot reasonably be achieved. •Operational in a GPS-denied environment. •Brownout pilot aid capable of allowing landing in conditions of zero visibility and winds from 0 to 45 kts from any direction from a range of 500 ft (O) and 150 ft (T). •Mapping of surface features with sufficient resolution to: oDetect wires –1” diameter at 500’ altitude (O); 3/8” diameter at 150’ altitude (T) oDetect LZ surface features such as crevices, ditches, and slopes 6” in diameter and 6” high in 4 rotor diameters (320’) LZ at 500’ alt (O); slopes 6” in diameter and 6” high in 2 rotor diameters (160’) LZ at 150’ alt (T). oDetect LZ obstacles as small as 0.5 ft in width and 0.5 ft in height. •Provide a real-time visual display of the LZ with the following capabilities: •Display update rate 30hz (O) and 25hz (T) •Class IA eyesafe mode available •Data update rate – 100hz or better •Low-airspeed measurement system accurate to +/- 1 kt (O) and +/- 2 kt (T) +/- 5 deg azimuths at airspeeds below 45 kts, and +/- 0.3 kts (0.5 ft/sec) (O) or +/- 0.6 kts (1 ft/sec) (T) below 10 kts with +/- 2 deg azimuth. •Groundspeed measurement system accurate to +/- 0.25 kt (O) and +/- 1 kt (T). •Brownout pilot aid capable of passing ADS-33 handling qualities assessment in conditions of zero visibility and winds of up to 45 kts from any direction. •Ground speed measurement from 0 kts to 250 kts (O) and 50 kts (T), with an accuracy of +/- 1 kt and a display resolution of 1 kt. •Altitude measurement (AGL) from 0 feet from landing gear to 150 feet (T) and >500 feet (O) with a resolution accuracy of +/- 1 foot. •Maximum pitch +/-15 (O/T) and maximum roll +/-30(O/T). •Minimum field of view 1 rotor diameter (80’) at 25’ AGL (O/T). •System weight: 12 lbs (O) and 25 lbs (T). Vendor feasibility comments on weight thresholds are requested. While weight is a consideration on the H-53 platform, vendors should consider that a weight reduction timeline for future packaging may be an acceptable course of action. •Operation with sling load – system will provide all capabilities with or without the presence of a sling load. Submission Information: Respondents to this request (N00421-09-R-0007A) should prepare all submission in accordance with Section 5 Phase I of the referenced BAA N00421-09-R-0007 and mark submissions clearly with “HELO Product 2”. The complete BAA can be found at http://www.navair.navy.mil/doing_business/open_solicitations. Additionally, respondents to this request should respond with email submissions no more than 15 pages in length by NO LATER THAN 3 November, 2008 to Mr. Stephen Lucianetti (stephen.lucianetti@navy.mil), NAWC-AD, Code 2.5.1.4 Bldg 441, 21983 Bundy Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670. All respondents will provide one complete copy of the submission to Mr. Lucianetti as electronic files fully compatible with Microsoft Office applications. Please limit total file size of submission to fewer than 10MB of information. We will not be able to accept.zip files. Although the BAA submission requirement indicates the potential release of proprietary data to non-government personnel, due to the nature of this technology, the Government will not release any information marked with a proprietary statement to any firms, agencies, or individuals outside of the U.S. Government without written permission in accordance with the proprietary statement. Only submissions that are clearly marked “HELO Product 2” will be able to be protected by this special instruction for the handling of proprietary data. To participate in this program, a foreign firm may be required to team with a U.S. firm that possesses a current and valid U.S. facility clearance with technologies/data safeguarding capabilities, inclusive of the authority to receive critical technology and/or data required to execute this program. Any resultant contractor teaming or license agreements between U.S. firms and foreign firms, to include employment of foreign nationals by U.S. firms, shall be in accordance with current U.S. export laws, security requirements, and National Disclosure Policy and shall require the prior approval of the contracting officer and foreign disclosure officer. It is the contractor’s responsibility to provide evidence of any such agreement and/or license to this office for review and this shall be verified prior to release of any controlled documents There is no commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award or awards, or to be responsible for any monies expended by any interested parties in support of the effort mentioned above. Information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a contract.
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