Inactive

THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE, BUT RATHER A SOURCES SOUGHT that will allow the Government to identify interested sources capable of meeting the requirement. The information sought here... THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE, BUT RATHER A SOURCES SOUGHT that will allow the Government to identify interested sources capable of meeting the requirement. The information sought herein is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a request for quote (RFQ), Request for proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or as an obligation or commitment on the part of the Government to acquire any product or service. There shall be no basis for claims against the Government as a result of information submitted in response to the Sources Sought. The Government does not intend to nor will it be required to award a contract on the basis of this Sources Sought. The Government will not pay for any costs incurred by any respondent associated with providing information in response to this request. This notice is for market research purposes only and is not indicative of a full requirement. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Technology Application Contracting Office (TAKO) is interested in identifying potential vendors who have the necessary capabilities to provide turreted, electro-optical sensor systems for various rotary wing aircraft. The sensor solutions shall provide imaging in the following spectrums: daylight, SWIR, and MWIR; the system shall also have sensitivity in the NIR spectrum for viewing existing aircraft and ground force beacons, strobes and markers. In addition, the sensor shall provide a laser pointer, a laser illuminator, an eye-safe laser range-finder, and a laser spot tracker. Targeting versions of the turret will need to provide a laser designator with boresight capability resident on the turret. Potential suppliers will provide substantiation to demonstrate their sensors meet or exceed the requirements in MIL-810-G, MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-704 for manned rotary wing aircraft. No development will be funded by the government. Three types of aircraft will be using the sensor system, and will be configured in either targeting or non-targeting variants. The preference is for a single common turret form factor with two configurations; one designating and one non-designating that will be used on all aircraft. However, based on weight and performance requirements of various aircraft, a second turret form factor may be required. In order for the solution to be a single common turret form factor for all aircraft types, then the proposed system must weigh under 75 pounds, be 15 inches or less in height, and 19 inches or less in width. The MWIR for this turret will have a Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) of 45mK or better, and a cut-off spatial frequency of 14.0 cycles/mrad or better. One targeting aircraft variant is driving the overall system performance requirement. This one platform could accept a system weight of up to 150 pounds, and a height of up to 19 inches, if the required performance for resolution, sensitivity and designation is not capable in a 75 pound package. The other platforms, both targeting and non-targeting, drive the weight and size limits. These platforms could accept a lesser designation capability, an NETD of 65mK or better, and a cut-off spatial frequency of 11.0 cycles/mrad or better. USSOCOM intends to perform a formal flight evaluation of potential turrets on a representative aircraft in the summer of 2019. The government will provide facilities for informal ground and flight evaluation prior to the summer of 2019 for any vendors willing to provide hardware at no cost to the government. In order to participate in the evaluation, suppliers will need to provide operational and/or lab test reports sufficient to substantiate an Air-Worthiness Release (AWR) for a test flight on the aircraft. The government will provide interface requirements, a test plan, and the test platform (including the display). The potential suppliers will provide the sensor system, controller and operator. Potential sources are requested to submit a brief summary of their capabilities along with their systems capability, size, weight, power and interface information. All interested, capable, and responsible sources that would like to respond to this sources sought are encouraged to provide a statement of interest along with supporting data via email to Aaron Martin at aaron.b.martin12.civ@mail.mil no later than 1600 Eastern Time on 26 January 2018. Once the sources sought requirement has closed, the Government will contact individual responders for any further information required.