SOURCES SOUGHT
58 -- Ground based Air defense (GBAD) Directed Energy (DE) on the move (OTM)
- Notice Date
- 4/5/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334511
— Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- N00178 NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER Dahlgren Division 17362 Dahlgren Road Suite 157 Dahlgren, VA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- N0017812Q3907
- Response Due
- 4/27/2012
- Archive Date
- 7/31/2012
- Point of Contact
- Kim Carter,
- E-Mail Address
-
0-653-6810
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This Request for Information (RFI) is being posted to both the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) page located at http://www.fbo.gov and the Navy Electronic Commerce on Line (NECO) site located at https://www.neco.navy.mil. While it is understood that FBO is the single point of entry for posting of synopsis and solicitations to the Internet, NECO is the alternative in case FBO is unavailable. Please feel free to use either site to access information posted by the Naval Sea Systems Command. This is a Request for Information (RFI) by the Naval Surface Warfare Center “ Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). This Request for Information is published in accordance with FAR Part 15.201, and is for PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment by the U.S. Government, nor should it be construed as such. Respondents are advised that NSWCDD is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. There shall be no basis for claims against the Government as a result of any information submitted in response to this RFI. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or reimburse the costs incurred by providing the information requested under this notice. If a solicitation is released at a future date, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. NSWCDD serves as the lead system integrator for the development of a high energy laser (HEL) engagement capability as part of a Marine Corps Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) Directed Energy (DE) On-the-Move (OTM) Future Naval Capability (FNC). The FNC is a multi-year program to build and demonstrate an agile, cost-effective, short range air defense (SHORAD) system with a primary focus on close-in low altitude air defense of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) assets defending forward combat areas, maneuver forces, vital areas, installations and/or units engaged in special/independent operations. The Marine Corps ultimately intends to vehicle mount integrated kinetic and non-kinetic weapons to provide continuous OTM low altitude air defense of the MAGTF. GBAD DE OTM will demonstrate an Enabling Capability of laser engagement of close-in, low altitude threats in defense of the MAGTF. This RFI is seeking responses that provide a GBAD OTM Joint Engagement Sequence (JES) consisting of OTM command and control (C2), sensor, communications and high energy laser (HEL) weapon to provide continuous low altitude air defense. The JES consists of six air defense steps that must occur to successfully engage a target: 1) Surveil; 2) Detect; 3) Track/identification; 4) Threat evaluation and weapons assignment (TEWA) and Alert; 5) Act; and 6) Assess. During the execution of the air defense kill chain the integrity of each individual link is vital to the success of the whole chain. The GBAD OTM FNC focuses on three components: a target detection sensor, such as surrogate radar, a C2 system and a weapon system. The weapon system may include a gun, missile system, which complements the high energy laser (HEL). For the purposes of this RFI, the only weapon of interest is the HEL. Targets are detected and tracked using radar or other volume search sensor, target information (e.g. location and track covariance) is passed to the C2 system for evaluation and a potential decision to engage. The C2 system communicates the target location as well as any command to fire to the weapon system. The weapon system performs local track using Electro-Optical (EO) and/or Infrared (IR) imagers, engages the target and assesses the damage. For the purposes of this RFI, the OTM surveillance sensor, C2, and weapon system may be located in separate areas or vehicles. It is critical to clarify the dependencies of the other kill chain links within the context of GBAD OTM JES. The ground based OTM sensor provides full fire control quality solutions for the GBAD HEL weapon. The sensor monitors the low to medium altitude three-dimensional volume of airspace. Surveillance enables the GBAD C2 OTM operator to assign air threats to the GBAD HEL weapon for engagement before the air threat can effectively threaten a friendly asset. The sensor contributes to building a coherent common tactical air picture with sufficient fidelity to detect and display the location of friendly, enemy and neutral air tracks. Evaluation of the engagement is envisioned to be conducted by high resolution EO and/or IR system mounted on the weapon vehicle. To support this program, NSWCDD is seeking information on portable OTM systems, mature concepts, and technologies that support this mission. GBAD OTM must be able to interface and access the common tactical picture in real time via a wireless C2 system. The platform is envisioned to be a light tactical military vehicle that can carry a HEL-based weapon which can acquire and track targets OTM, and engage targets OTM or at the pause. The system must be able to operate in light or darkness and in good or bad weather conditions. The system will utilize open architecture to the extent practical. Information is requested on system/subsystem components, including: 1.Target acquisition sensor. Information is requested on vehicular/portable systems, concepts, and technologies for target acquisition sensors. The role of this sensor system is to provide track data for acquisition of threats by the sensor package on the weapons platform. The system should provide three-dimensional target tracks to ensure proper transformation into the local coordinate frame of the beam director, as well as have an inertial navigation system capable of sensing position and attitude of the system. It must be able to detect and track high or low altitude threats and other short range air defense targets at ranges which limit the ability of the target to perform detection, identification or recognition of friendly assets. The system must be lightweight, resilient, electronic-warfare resistant, and can reliably search, detect, track, record, and communicate target data before, during and after the weapon engagement in support of initial targeting, aim-point updates, and battle-damage/kill-assessment. Accuracy of the track must be sufficient for pointing of the HEL weapon system. It should be small, efficient, and reliable. 2.Command and Control. Information is also requested on vehicular-mounted systems, concepts, and technologies for C2. It must be secure, resilient (e.g. self-forming and self-healing), electronic-warfare resistant against typical ground and air-based threats, and can reliably pass track information to support engagement, system states, videos, still images, commands, and other information between the GBAD components. It should be a non-deterministic, multi-node capable system which is small, efficient, reliable, low-latency and operates at tactically significant ranges in good or bad weather, and must not cause Electro-magnetic interference to other components in the system. 3.Overall system control. It is desired that installation of the integrated subsystems will result in a compact demonstrator that will require overall system/subsystem control with system operation parameters being logged, automatic or man-in-the-loop acquisition, keep-out zones, no-fire zones/spots and predictive avoidance functions. This software will control and monitor all subsystems of the demonstrator and support manual control, decision-based control, and a pathway to autonomous control. 4.Laser subsystem. The laser subsystem is expected to be a modular packaging design that lends itself to scaling to significantly higher output powers. Specific attention to overall system efficiency and size/weight must be noted. Key attributes include high laser efficiency (desired to be approximately 35% electrical to optical efficiency), high specific power (approximately 150 W/kg), high power to volume ratio (approximately 80 kW/m3) and ruggedization for suitable use in a ground vehicle off-road environment (maximum profile at installation interface is approximately -3.8 g to 4 g with peaks centering around 1.5 to 10 Hz for severe courses, but it is envisioned that semi-active or fully active suspension will dampen some of the motion). 5.Beam Director/Beam Control subsystem. The desired area of coverage of the beam director is 360o in azimuth. The elevation angles of coverage must be sufficient to engage the targets of interest. Light weight designs without central obscuration of the laser are desired along with traditional Cassegrain approaches. The beam control system includes the following subsystems: inertial sensors, EO/IR sensors, optics, optical bench(es), control software, interfaces, controllers and image processors. While there is interest in complete beam control systems that include all the aforementioned elements, specific and highly relevant component technologies are also sought that would increase performance in the areas of inertial sensing and aimpoint maintenance. It is desirable that the beam director and beam control system be capable of residual line of sight pointing error that is a fraction of the diffraction limited performance of the tracking sensors. 6.Thermal Management subsystem. The thermal management subsystem (TMS) must maintain the temperature of laser weapon system within its operating temperature range and absorb heat generated by the laser system during engagements. The operating temperature range of the weapon system will be specific to the selected system design. Heating/cooling required to maintain the system within acceptable limits depend on the system packaging and the outdoor environment (temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar loading). Please refer to the sections on Packaging and Environment for more details. The heat generated by the laser system includes heat from the laser, power subsystem, and losses in the beam transfer system. Combinations of spray cooling, recirculators, phase-change materials, thermal reservoirs, and refrigeration units may be considered. Refrigeration units must be able to dissipate the heat to the outdoor environment. Please refer to the section on the Environment for more details. Size, weight and power trades are important in the thermal management subsystem design, and should be commensurate with the weapon ™s vehicle platform. 7.Prime Power. The prime power system must meet the total power requirements of the laser weapon system, including the powering the laser, thermal management subsystem, beam director/beam-control subsystem, target acquisition sensor, battle damage assessment sensor, and command and control system. Powering the laser and thermal management impose peak demands on the electrical power system. The other system components (target acquisition sensor, battle damage sensor, C2 system) will have steady-state power requirements. A combination of batteries, ultra-capacitors and on-platform generation may be considered for meeting the steady-state and peak demands. Engine-generator sets, if used in the prime power system, must be capable of running on both diesel and JP-8 fuel. The steady state and peak power requirement must be available even after derating for JP-8 fuel, and at the worst case operating conditions of temperature and altitude described in Section 10 (Environment). The prime power subsystem shall meet the military ground platform requirements of MIL-STD-461 for conducted emissions (CE), radiated radio frequency (RF) emissions, and susceptibility. All power interfaces with the 28VDC electrical system of the host vehicle platform shall meet MIL-STD-1275D. On-the-move electric power delivery capability is required from the prime power system, and it shall meet the ground transportation shock and vibration requirements of MIL-STD-810F. Size and weight should be commensurate with the weapon ™s vehicle platform. 8.Damage Assessment. Also requested is information on vehicular-mounted systems, concepts, and technologies that can provide an assessment of the damage/disruption to a target at the engagement ranges. 9.Packaging. The Demonstrator may be integrated as a self-contained palletized unit that will be mounted on the bed of a tactical vehicle, such as a variant of the JLTV or similar. Refrigeration units may be mounted separately from the weapon system package. The objective system will be integrated with a tactical vehicle to be selected at a later date. 10.Environment. The Demonstrator will be expected to operate in the following environment: Temperature, - 46C to +71 C; Altitude Operations, up to 10,000ft MSL; Relative humidity, 10% to 99%; Solar loading, 0 to 1100 W/m-2; Wind, 0 to 80 kts; Salt fog, IAW MIL-STD-810G; Blowing sand, 2.2p/m3 +/- 0.5g/m3, sized 150-850 µm at 18-29 m/s Fine sand/dust, 10g/m3 +/- 7g/m3, sized up to 150 µm at 1.5 to 8.9 m/s Rainfall, up to 4.0in/hr Ice Glaze, up to 19mm coating Shock/vibration/acoustic noise profile, TBD based upon vehicle; Ability to withstand and be decontaminated in a CBRN environment IAW MIL-STD-7179 In addition, the Demonstrator is expected to survive (stored mode) with the additional requirements of the following: Wind, to 120 kts while in helicopter transport; Altitude storage, up to 1,000ft below MSL; Salt Spray, 5% salt atmosphere; Long-term storage, minimum 7 months shipboard storage. The objective system will be specified in JCIDS documents, to be issued at a later date. The timelines of interest are systems, concepts, and technologies that, with reasonable funding, can be integrated into a weapon system for a meaningful field demonstration within three years and fielded within an additional two years (five year total). Additional details with regard to mission, targets of interest, anticipated system capabilities, and performance metrics are available to responders upon request and after subsequent validation; points of contact information are provided below. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS: Responses to every area and all questions are not required. Address only those areas and questions that are appropriate, based on your capabilities and knowledge. 1. Responders are requested to provide a high-level description of their research, development, and integration capabilities in high power lasers, predictive avoidance, damage assessment technology, command and control (C2) systems integrated with the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), Joint Composite Tactical Network (JCTN), and Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) through the CTN, pointing & tracking technologies, compact power systems, fire control systems, small military vehicles, EOIR sensors, image intensifiers, optics, and information assurance. Responders should also provide their capabilities for packing these technologies in a militarily useful configuration and their capabilities for doing system level trades and assessments for application of these technologies in integrated weapon system concepts. The capabilities provided should be as specific as possible and should identify unique technical development experience and qualifications in specific areas that relate to the objective of this RFI. 2. Responders are requested to provide an overview of the concept and capabilities that can support the mission stated above and the current maturity of that concept. Include technology development efforts and system demonstrations that provide NSWCDD the pertinent information relative to the capabilities and system maturity of the concept. 3. Provide a description of the development effort required and rough order of magnitude cost and schedule to meet the technical goals of a program to perform a field demonstration within three years and potential fielding of a system within five years. 4. General information is requested in response to the following specific questions: a)What is your concept/approach? b)What's new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? c)What are the risks and the payoffs? d)How much will it cost? e)How long will it take? f)What are the midterm and final "exams" to check for success? How will progress be measured? 5. Responses to this RFI shall not exceed ten (10) pages, including cover letter, discussion and contact information. Subject response must contain: 1) company name and address; 2) point of contact; 3) phone/fax/email; 4) Cage Code; 5) NAICS Codes; 6) business size and status, type of small business if applicable (e.g. 8(a), women-owned, HUB Zone Small Business, etc.), and; 7) Capability statement sufficient to demonstrate performance acumen directly related to any or all of the technical domains; (8) Specific customers and descriptions of the referenced instruction provided; and; (9) Other material relevant to establishing core competencies of the firm. NSWCDD may request further information regarding the capabilities of respondents to meet the requirements and may request a presentation and/or a site visit as deemed necessary. At no cost to the government, responding vendors may continue technical dialogue via this market survey ™s Contract Specialist after the initial response is provided. Eligible partners who may respond to this synopsis include: companies, public and private foundations, non-profit organizations (including universities), and state or local government organizations. NSWCDD requests your responses by 1500 EST, on Friday 27 April, 2012. Submissions will be accepted after this date, but feedback may not be as timely or contribute to NSWCDD strategic planning. All communications with industry must be coordinated through the cognizant Contract Specialist, Kimberly Carter. Information should be e-mailed to kim.carter@navy.mil or mailed to Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, 16732 Dahlgren Road Suite 106, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5110; and labeled with the sources sought number and title. Information provided will be treated as Business Sensitive and will not be shared outside of Government activities and agencies without the permission of the provider. All information shall be provided free of charge to the Government. All responses will be unclassified but may, as necessary, contain a classified addendum. Page count of classified addendum should not exceed 5 pages, and is not included in the overall page count. Reference this synopsis number on both the mailing envelope as well as on all enclosed documents. Due to heightened security requirements, additional mailing time may be required for receipt of responses. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. Proprietary Data: All information submittals containing proprietary data shall be appropriately marked. It is the respondent ™s responsibility to clearly define to the Government what is considered to be proprietary data. Classified Data: All information submittals containing classified data shall be appropriately marked and shall be delivered to NSWCDD, 6146 Tisdale Road, Suite 237, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5158, (no attention line to be used). Responses or questions concerning this announcement should reference synopsis number N00178-12-Q-3907 and should be directed to Kim Carter at 540-653-3223 or to kim.carter@navy.mil.
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