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UPDATED 9/15/2022: Posted Questions and Answers, and extended response date to 30-Sep-22. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ USAF-A... UPDATED 9/15/2022: Posted Questions and Answers, and extended response date to 30-Sep-22. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ USAF-AFSFC -Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) The Air Force Security Forces Center (AFSFC) at Joint Base Lackland is performing market research and seeking industry input, feedback, and potential sources for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). AFSFC is seeking potential replacements for their current sUAS fleet. AFSFC is seeking the following salient characteristics in a potential replacement: Salient Characteristics The sUAS shall have Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) capability. The sUAS shall have a flight endurance of at least 45-60 minute at a density altitude of 8000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL). The sUAS shall have a minimum operational range of 3 Kilometers (1.9 Statute Miles) Line of sight (LOS) without the use of relay. The sUAS shall have an operational altitude from 0-10,000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) and Density Altitude. The sUAS shall maintain a commanded altitude within +/- 10 feet whether the altitude is commanded by the operator or autonomously by the auto pilot. The sUAS shall have obstacle avoidance as to prevent loss of the sUAS and prevent collision with other aircraft. The sUAS will be capable of operating in buildings and at a minimum distance from the operator of 40 feet horizontal and 20 feet vertical. The sUAS shall provide real time Electro Optical (EO) High Definition full motion video formatted as H.264 elementary stream video encapsulated within a MPEG2 stream to the operators ground control station (GCS). Captured shall not be stored on the sUAS aircraft. The sUAS shall provide real-time Infrared (IR) High Definition full motion video formatted as H.264 elementary stream video encapsulated within a MPEG2 stream to the operators ground control station (GCS). Captured shall not be stored on the sUAS aircraft. The sUAS video latency shall be 250ms or less for safe operation of the SUAS. The sUAS shall be able to detect adult human sized target in daylight from 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) with a slant range of 300 meters at a 90% Probability of Detection with a Confidence level of 90% (500 feet AGL with a slant range of 600 meters at a 95% Probability of Detection with a Confidence Level of 95%. The sUAS shall be able to detect adult human sized target in low/no light from 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) with a slant range of 200 meters at a 90% Probability of Detection with a Confidence level of 90% (500 feet AGL with a slant range of 450 meters at a 95% Probability of Detection with a Confidence Level of 95%. The sUAS shall be able to detect ground vehicle target in daylight from 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) with a slant range of 400 meters at a 90% Probability of Detection with a Confidence level of 90% (500 feet AGL with a slant range of 800 meters at a 95% Probability of Detection with a Confidence Level of 95%. The sUAS shall be able to detect ground vehicle sized target in low/no light from 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) with a slant range of 300 meters at a 90% Probability of Detection with a Confidence level of 90% (500 feet AGL with a slant range of 600 meters at a 95% Probability of Detection with a Confidence Level of 95%. The sUAS shall have a Target Location Error (TLE)/Center Field of View (CFOV) error not more than 25 meters with a slant range between 0 and 250 meters. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select a Loss of Link (LOL) mode that will induce a return to home safe flight profile/path. The sUAS aircraft autopilot will commanded the return to home feature when the system loses link: (1) with the sUAS aircraft when the LOL time parameter is exceeded or (2) the LOL time meets or exceeds the LOL timeout parameter when the LOL time parameter is exceeded the sUAS aircraft is in a finish the commanded flight path as programmed in the LOL setting during preflight. The sUAS shall provide sUAS location accuracy within 3 meters of the Center Field of View (CFOV) coordinate when the payload is positioned in a Nadir (-90° tilt) aspect. The sUAS system controller shall interface to the sUAS via Digital Data Link (DDL) and ATAK integration. The sUAS shall operate in dust in accordance with Ingress Protection Rating (IP)-58. The sUAS shall operate in winds up to 30 knots; 45 knots desired. The sUAS shall be IP 68 rated on payload and fuselage including motors and be able to operate in rainfall up to a minimum rate of one inch per hour with less than 50% flight endurance and mission radius degradation. The sUAS shall maintain a Mean Time Between System Abort (MTBSA) not less than 12 hours. The sUAS shall complete 100 hours of Operational relevant missions before maintenance other than operator is required. The sUAS shall be inaudible to human perception while at a steady state cruise speed or hover at an altitude of 200 feet AGL with background noise of 65 dBA. The sUAS shall be transportable in or on a rucksack type pack that is organic to the unit. The sUAS shall implement an open system architecture and integrate with ATAK in order to facilitate future interoperability and upgrades while allowing agnostic interchange of payloads from other sUAS aircraft types. The sUAS shall use an open source communications protocol. The sUAS shall use an open source video protocol. The sUAS shall use an open source autopilot software. The sUAS shall only store information on the ground control system (GCS) or non-removable storage devices but not on the sUAS aircraft. No captured imagery, metadata, or flight data will be stored on the sUAS aircraft to prevent unauthorized removal of information, data, and imagery when the aircraft is not in possession/control of the sUAS aircraft. The sUAS shall only transmit, store, and display unclassified information. The sUAS shall encrypt all data states (at rest, in transit, in use) and digital data produced from analog and electrical signals IAW Committee on National Security Systems Policy (CNSSP) 28 and National Institute of Standards (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 (NIST FIPS 140-3) The sUAS shall prohibit any signals via unauthorized channels. The sUAS shall not exceed 0.5-19 lbs. The sUAS shall be manpackable within a maximum volume of 576 cubic inches while being transported in or on a rucksack type pack. The sUAS shall integrate with a government furnished common controller hardware and software. The sUAS payload shall be a modular design that allows the operator to swap payloads during day or night. Payload change will not exceed 10 seconds when disconnecting a payload and reattaching a different payload. This requirement does not include the power-up and built-in-test (BIT) or from a storage status. The sUAS shall be compliant with NIST FIPS 140-2 (NIST FIPS 140-3) The sUAS shall operate within all of the following frequency bands: 1625-1725, 1780-1850, 2025-2110, 2200-2290, 2310-2390, and 2400-2500 MHz. The sUAS shall take 2 minutes or less to assemble and disassemble. This does not include time allotted for the ground preflight that will be under 1 minute or the in-flight function check after launch that will be under 30 seconds. sUAS aircraft configuration changes will be less than 2 minutes. Time for assembly, disassembly, and configuration changes include from a “storage status” to a “ready for flight status.” The sUAS shall have an operator’s manual, with specific emergency procedures for the user to perform. Purpose: (1) mitigates/negates equipment damage/loss, (2) supports safety of flight, (3) counters unintended airspace compliance violations, and injury/death to personnel prevention The sUAS shall include training material. Training material will be system specific without DoD procedures. The sUAS shall be capable of operation by a single operator. Including the operator ability to control multiple sAUS aircraft simultaneously safely without controlled aircraft colliding or adding any feature of flight path that is counter to safety of flight for aircraft or personnel. Multiple aircraft controlled should be able to be sequenced in launch, in-flight function check, landing approach, and landing sequence when the launch/recovery area landing zone is minimum. The sUAS shall switch between EO and IR cameras with less than 50ms of latency. The sUAS shall have an automatic launch and land mode that is not reliant on a global positioning system (GPS) feature. The sUAS shall have an operator defined loss of link timeout parameter that requires the aircraft to return to the launch origin or another operator programmed location. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select Loss of Link (LOL) mode and climb to an operator programmed altitude to attempt to regain link with the ground control station (GCS) while returning to the operator identified safe landing location. The parameters to execute the aircraft’s flight path back to the aircraft’s origin point will be automated with a feature to manually input parameters. If manually inputted parameters do not support a safe flight path, the data will be rejected by the sUAS with a reason identified to the operator. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select Loss of Link (LOL) mode that directs the aircraft to go to a loiter position and altitude, which loiters at the current position instead of an automatic aircraft return to the operator identified safe landing location. One a programmed LOL timeout parameter is exceeded or a specific voltage (identified by the aircraft sensors pertaining to how much voltage is required to return to the aircraft to the operator identified safe location), the aircraft will then proceed to the operator identified safe landing location. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select Loss of Link (LOL) mode that directs the aircraft to continue current mission flight path when the system loses link and the time meets or exceed the loss of link timeout parameter. Continue mission flight path will be terminated by the autopilot after a continuous LOL with the ground control system (GCS) is persistent and the voltage calculate by the aircraft needed to return to the operator identified safe location is met. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select Loss of Link (LOL) mode that directs the aircraft to land immediately, with an object avoidance means, is the programmed LOL timeout parameter is exceeded. The sUAS shall operate in snowfall up to a rate of 0.25 inches per hour with less than 50% flight endurance and mission radius degradation at an altitude of 8000 feet mean sea level. The sUAS, including its Field Repair Kit (containing operator level repair items that sustain a minimum of 6 repair actions per item repaired) The sUAS shall be powered by rechargeable batteries that allow for 300 plus minimum charges before rapid degradation of the rechargeable battery. Slow degradation of the rechargeable battery will not reduce the flight endurance of the aircraft when operating at 8000 feet of density altitude after the 300th complete recharge. The sUAS shall be able to be hand launched by a single operator from both static locations and while moving in a service vehicle at 40 mph without risk of injury to the operator. The sUAS shall be able to do sUAS aircraft “on station (in-flight)” autonomous transfers to a replacement sUAS (low voltage state requiring the aircraft to return for a power supply replacement) without losing the active target being tracked by the original aircraft being replaced. The sUAS shall perform a mission without a required data link to the ground control station (GCS). Performing an operator programmed flight path that altitude flight path is verified safe by the sUAS. See-and-avoid/object avoidance with an aircraft location signal are required features during an autonomous flight. Location signal shall be selectable to being active or inactive by the operator prior to the autonomous flight. The sUAS shall allow the operator to select a stationary or moving target to autonomously track. The sUAS shall have an operator selectable follow target flight mode in which the altitude, bearing, and distance between the sUAS and target is programmable. The vendor will establish and report the accuracy and limitations. The sUAS shall have an operator selectable “follow me (ground control station (GCS))” flight mode in which the altitude, bearing, and distance between the sUAS and target is programmable. The vendor will establish and report the accuracy and limitations. The sUAS shall be Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone remote ID compliant in accordance with Registration Identifier Number (RIN) 2120-AL31. The sUAS shall be able to disable the FAA drone remote ID by the operator with a warning to the operator that the feature has been disabled (two step deactivation on safety of flight features). The sUAS shall warn the operator if battery level is approaching point in which it cannot to the operator programmed safe location. This warning appears after the initial warning to the operator that the required voltage needed to return to the operator identified safe location has been met. The sUAS shall pair to the controller in no more than 10 seconds from command to initiate pairing. System audible warnings and alerts volumes can be controlled by the operator, including a means of headset use that is agnostic to military headset use. The sUAS shall be capable of swapping batteries and be ready to relaunch the sUAS aircraft within 30 seconds without losing current mission data. This does not include the time needed after the 30 seconds to accomplish a preflight check under 1 minute and an in-flight function check under 30 seconds. The sUAS shall include a DoD Form 1494 for all Radio Frequency (RF) equipment with a J/F-12 assignment and the ability to achieve a PHASE 4 (Operational) status. The sUAS shall use Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) encryption for any Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Wi-Fi capability. The sUAS shall be able to configure data link settings without the use of special equipment and have the ability to select specific radio frequencies to half Mhz within a given band. The sUAS shall be able to go from stowed to deployable while maintaining a walking pace. The sUAS shall have an operator selectable reduced power mode that reduces the sUAS total power consumption by 20%. The sUAS shall operate without degradation throughout a temperature range of -32° F to 130° F. The sUAS shall have field replaceable parts, such as propellers, motors, and antennas, to repair common unintentional crash damage that will sustain the system for 90 days. The field repair kit shall include special tools to the minimum extent possible and will sustain the system for 24 repair actions of each operator level repair item. The sUAS shall be operated by an operator at full protective ensemble Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) IV. The sUAS tactical packaging shall prevent water intrusion while containing the sUAS components while submerged in water for a duration of not less than 2 hours at a depth of not less than 2 meters. The sUAS tactical packaging shall be stackable (including method to prevent load shift during transport) and prevent damage to the system from falls up to 5 feet. The sUAS shall include unlimited warranty up to first 1000 flight hours. [RDAGUAA1] [RDAGUAA1]This has probably never been done before. Warranties usually stipulate a time period. I think a usage metric would be useful for the AFSFC enterprise because we are not sure how long these SUAS will be on the shelve before flight. How to Respond Interested vendors please provide the following information in your response: Capabilities information sUAV systems with salient characteristics Brochures, pamphlets, websites, or other applicable info Company Information Name Cage Code Size Standard/socioeconomic categories Primary Point of Contact THIS IS ONLY A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES. NO FORMAL REQUIREMENT IS DEFINED OR ESTABLISHED. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.