Inactive

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY - This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. T... REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY - This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This notice serves as market research in accordance with FAR Part 10. Responses to this notice will be used as part of the information gathered as market research that will be used to develop the acquisition strategy to satisfy this potential requirement. Solicitations are not available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the United States Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the United States Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the United States Government. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities site (FedBizOpps). It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The US Army Contracting Command-Redstone (ACC-R) is exploring options for contractor performance of a follow-on to contract W31P4Q-15-D-0003, for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Incorporated (GA-ASI) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) engineering and technical services. This acquisition is required to support the Combat Capabilities Develop Command (CCDC) Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC) System, Simulation, Software and Integration (S3I) Directorate with research, development, integration, experimentation, test, evaluation and operation of contractor UAS systems and subsystems. The S3I Directorate is responsible to Service and Joint customers to further develop, refine, evaluate and integrate Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies, platforms and payloads with the potential of improving the Warfighting Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) capabilities of ISR and weapon systems. Aside from sensor payloads, ISR payloads are also construed to include lethal payloads deployable from or with the ISR platform. The S3I Directorate conducts system development, experimentation, integration and testing of systems, capabilities and architectures beyond the boundaries of the typical UAS system. These activities include the integration of unmanned ground systems, unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned combat air vehicles and the integration of manned and unmanned systems and architectures. Performance of the contractor under the performance work statement will include engineering and technical services that will also support the spectrum of contractor furnished UAS systems and architectures across weapon system life cycles of research, development, production and sustainment. The proposed acquisition is a follow-on of an existing contract, W31P4Q-15-D-0003, following the expiration of its period of performance. This contract was originally established to provide this capability for the family of General Atomics UAS Group 5 equipment including Gray Eagle and Reaper UAS Systems. Engineering and technical services will range from concept exploration through specification formation, development, test, integration, training, fielding, operational employment, evaluation and sustainment. The contractor will perform engineering and technical services required to support the S3I Directorate and its customers in the development, integration and operational employment of Class 5 UAS capabilities to include modeling, simulation and training systems and modules in support of systems, processes, capabilities and integrated joint, component and allied tactics, techniques and procedures. The contractor shall provide engineering and technical services required to install, operate, disseminate payload products, maintain, and integrate new technical capabilities. The a United States (U.S.) Group 5 UAS systems are the target UAS category for the purposes of accomplishing and demonstrating required technology integration objectives for this effort. The required period of performance is 60 months with performance up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level. This acquisition is intended to support the mission of the Army Futures Command and its subordinate Army CCDC AvMC in integrating the future operational environment, threat and technologies to develop and deliver future force requirements, designing future force organizations and delivering materiel capabilities. An example of the range of technology integration efforts envisioned for the proposed follow-on contract effort is provided below: A new, hypothetical growth payload is available for integration into a U.S. Group 5 UAS, providing an improved, correlated UAS ISR capability, involving Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) collection that combines Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) collection through airborne payload data processing equipment for transmission of processed data through the U.S. Group 5 UAS datalink for display on tactical UAS command and control ground control station equipment. The integration of this advanced SIGINT payload into the U.S. Group 5 UAS requires two electronically steerable sensor antennas be wing mounted, one per wing, and that are powered and controlled through the SIGINT payload processor that is internally mounted within the U.S. Group 5 UAS fuselage. The target UAS for the SIGINT growth payload initial integration is the Gray Eagle UAS, but due to the payload's potential for providing a greatly improved ISR capability for all U.S. Group 5 UASs, the Government intends to use the initial Gray Eagle SIGINT payload technology integration into the Gray Eagle UAS as a risk mitigation/reduction effort for the SIGINT payload's future integration into the Reaper UAS. Following integration of the SIGINT payload into the Gray Eagle UAS, the contractor tasked with this technology integration effort shall provide UAS engineering and technical services necessary to accomplish: a. aerodynamic modeling and simulation b. information assurance assessments c. flight worthiness and safety of flight analysis and certifications d. test, analysis and evaluation necessary to allow extensive flight testing, and demonstration of the new SIGINT payload capability at CONUS Government test ranges. However, due to current operational requirements for tactical UASs and the limited availability of Gray Eagle tactical UAS assets to support the SIGINT growth payload integration, analysis, ground test, evaluation and flight demonstration tasks, the contractor performing the integration may be required to provide a contractor owned/contractor operated U.S. Group 5 UAS to accomplish this effort e. continuity of the current U.S. Group 5 UAS Government tactical equipment to interface with and be interoperable with U.S. Intelligence system(s) supporting Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) equipment following completion of the SIGINT payload technology integration effort. Following successful CONUS-based test and demonstration of the UAS integrated SIGINT payload, the contractor may be required to support limited duration OCONUS flight demonstrations of the UAS integrated SIGINT payload in order to allow the Government to assess its military utility, reliability, availability and maintainability in a range of operational environments. The contractor would furnish the necessary U.S. Group 5 UAS engineering, technical and operational personnel, material, equipment, to include, services, and any non-government facilities necessary to perform the integration task to include subcontracting with the SIGINT payload developer/manufacturer. At the conclusion of this effort, the contractor would be required to provide the Government with a horizontal technology integration risk mitigation/reduction analysis, assessing the technical challenges associated with subsequent integration of the SIGINT payload into other U.S. Class 5 UAS equipment, such as the Reaper UAS. In response to this RFI, ACC-R is seeking the following information: 1. Respondents should furnish the following corporate information: a. Corporate Name and address b. CAGE Code c. Present level of facility security clearance d. Present level of facility safeguarding for classified information/material e. DUNS f. Business size classification for NAICS 541330 2. Description of respondent's previous experience in performing engineering and technical services on U.S. Group 5 UAS airborne and ground support equipment necessary to support rapid technology integration of existing and emerging technical capabilities into U.S. Group 5 UAS equipment. 3. With regard to the example SIGINT technology integration effort described above, the respondent should address the following: Detailed identification of the technical information required by the respondent to accomplish the SIGINT payload technology integration task to include: a. contractor or Government models and/or simulations b. drawings c. associated technical lists d. technical specifications e. interface control documents f. standards g. quality assurance provisions h. software source code and documentation i. equipment packaging details 4. If the Government does not possess all or part of the above technical information or the technical information identified by the respondent in 3.a., above, the respondent should identify its current access to the technical information through existing corporate agreements with a U.S. Group 5 UAS equipment manufacturer/supplier. 5. Past examples of successful U.S. Group 5 UAS technology integration efforts performed by the respondent, particularly those involving full command, control, and communication of the technology integration from the existing tactical ground control station, through the UAS data link, and airborne avionics subsystems. 6. Description of the respondent's expertise and access to high fidelity Air Vehicle (AV) Simulations of U.S. Group 5 UAS equipment that incorporates UAS/tactical software in the loop operations and which provide the fidelity required to perform systems qualification testing and pilot qualification training support of all AV system interfaces, system Warnings, Cautions, and Failures (WCAs), and simulating AV internal systems/components. The respondent should demonstrate access to and the requisite technical knowledge and expertise required to immediately and extensively modify this type of simulation as required in order to rapidly maintain currency with operational system performance changes. The respondent should demonstrate the expertise to maintain a technical capability for the integrated SIGINT payload at S3I Directorate in order to support an off-axis technology integration capability. 7. In the absence of available Government U.S. Group 5 UAS tactical equipment, the respondent should identify its access to other contractor U.S. Group 5 UAS equipment necessary to support technology integration of the type described above as well as the currency of that access. 8. Respondent's past experience in supporting the demonstration and evaluation of UAS technology integration through CONUS and OCONUS flight operations involving U.S. Group 5 UAS. 9. Respondent's past experience in supporting horizontal technology integration across a number of U.S. Group 5 UAS tactical equipment. 10. Respondent's past experience and expertise in U.S. Group 5 software development and modification with associated software documentation that supports the preparation and processing of technical analysis and documentation necessary to support safety of flight and air worthiness. 11. Respondent's past experience and expertise in U.S. Group 5 UAS command and control software interfaces required to establish and maintain interoperability with external interfaces necessary to support the dissemination of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information to U.S. Intelligence systems performing the Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) function. The response must be submitted on white papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format and shall be limited to 10 pages based on Font: Arial, Font Size: 12. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To assist the Government's efforts, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified and properly marked. The Government reserves the right to request further clarification to enhance our understanding of the respondent's submittal. The response date for this market research is 25 July 2019, 4:00 pm CST. All questions and industry responses to this RFI shall be submitted via e-mail to Army Contracting Command-Redstone, Judson Alexander-Contracting Officer, at judson.t.alexander.civ@mail.mil and Porsha Bell-Senior Contract Specialist, at porsha.j.bell.civ@mail.mil. No telephone requests will be accepted.