Inactive 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)

Beta.SAM post for UAS Behavioral Studies Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Classification Code: AC12 Subject: UAS Behavioral Studies NAICS: 541712 Response Date: 28 December 2020 Contacts: - Melani... Beta.SAM post for UAS Behavioral Studies Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Classification Code: AC12 Subject: UAS Behavioral Studies NAICS: 541712 Response Date: 28 December 2020 Contacts: - Melanie Hartenstein, Contract Specialist, NAWC-AD A25210002, Email: melanie.hartenstein@navy.mil Reference Number: TBD The Naval Air Warfare Command – Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Integrated Battlespace Simulation & Test Department (IBST), intends to issue a Sole Source Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract, via Justification & Authorization (J&A) number 21-0075 to Aurora Flight Sciences, 140 Cambridgepark Drive, 4th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02140, for the procurement of UAS Behavioral Studies research services. The contract is a follow-on to existing research and development of UAS behavioral modeling under the NAWCAD CRADA. This effort will focus on three (3) behavior performance areas: 1.) reduced communications in a shipboard recovery environment; 2.) weather avoidance and mitigation; and, 3.) ship motion prediction and flight controls. REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall build on previous work where ship-deck motion is predicted a few seconds in the future to reduce touch-down dispersions by altering the inner loop tracking commands. The Contractor must use their previous experience in the VTOL arena, where ship deck motion prediction over longer time periods is used to align the time of arrival with a “quiescent period” and used to assist the shipboard Landing Safety Officer (LSO) when landing helicopters in high seas. However, extending the prediction period even further using AI/ML-based approaches may prove effective, and allow use of this extra time to enable adjustment of the landing trajectory in the fixed-wing landing scenario. To support the Autonomy Behaviors for Weather Avoidance and Mitigation objective, the Contractor must bring a variety of technologies and past experience to address weather challenges in autonomous operations under EMCON. These include: (1) Real-time constrained route replanning around weather (Figure 1); (2) Autonomous clearance handling based on awareness of airspace (Figure 2) e.g. via pre-planned or burst-communicated aircraft 4D trajectory plans, combined with visual cues; and (3) Advanced multi-vehicle simulation tools for testing hardware-in-the-loop autonomous mission manager (MM) flight hardware. To support the Autonomy Behaviors for Reduced Comms Shipboard Recovery objective, the Contractor must bring a variety of technologies and past experience in the terminal area of ships operations under emissions control (EMCON). The Contractor’s focus shall be on operations between the mission phase of the flight and the final approach fix (including autonomous metering/separation into that fix). The challenge in this flight phase is that various aircraft achieve mission completion at potentially unpredictable times, and may enter the terminal area concurrently during EMCON. The manned and unmanned vehicles must find their way back to the ship, understand all relevant traffic in the area, and compute an appropriate time to head to the final approach fix. THIS REQUIREMENT IS A SOLE SOURCE. THIS NOTICE IS PUBLISHED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETETIVE PROPOSALS. This acquisition is being pursued on a sole source basis under the statutory authority of Title 10, U.S.C. Section 2304(c) (1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. “A determination by the Government not to compete this effort is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a contract, or to be responsible for any monies expended by any interested parties before award of a contract for the effort described above. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals nor will unsolicited proposals be accepted. However, interested parties may submit a capability statement identifying their capabilities in response to this requirement. The primary point of contact for this synopsis is Melanie Hartenstein, NAWC-AD Contracts A25210002, Patuxent River, MD 20670, melanie.hartenstein@navy.mil.