Inactive

This Army Sources Sought 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 does not c... This Army Sources Sought 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 does not constitute a commitment by the United States Government (USG) to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the USG will not pay for information requested nor compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the USG. The Government may request additional information upon review. The Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Capability Set One (CS1), is a critical Army Aviation modernization priority. The FARA is currently an Acquisition Category 1B, pre-Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) that will develop and field the next generation of affordable attack/reconnaissance aircraft for the Army. The U.S. Army lacks the ability to operate in highly contested, complex airspace. The current aviation fleet has limited capability to detect, engage, and preemptively defeat targets at standoff ranges without reliance on key enablers. The FARA provides the solution to Army Aviation’s top capability gap; a dedicated armed aerial reconnaissance platform for Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO). The FARA will enable the commander to dis-integrate enemy anti-access area denial and integrated air defense systems, and exploit freedom of maneuver opportunities during Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). Since the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior divestiture, the AH-64 Apache has been a suboptimal interim solution for the aerial scout reconnaissance mission. The Army needs an aircraft that can achieve decisive victory against a peer/near-peer enemy. The FARA will provide the Joint Force with increased speed, range, maneuverability, survivability and lethality allowing the Army to penetrate peer/near-peer enemy defenses and present adversaries with multiple dilemmas (mobility, depth, and adaptability). Its ability to deter, fight, and win provides the Army with a decisive and asymmetric advantage in support of the Joint Force. In 2019, Congress provided funding to accelerate the FARA development. Within two months of funds receipt, the Army awarded Other Transaction Agreement – Prototype (OTAP) contracts to five competing vendors. Less than two years later, two remaining performers are over 50 percent complete with prototype builds in preparation for FY23 flights and subsequent source selection to a single vendor for the baseline capability for FARA, Increment 1, Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). Increment 1 is focused on next-generation flight performance, air vehicle design, and establishing the initial FARA ecosystem consisting of FARA teamed with Air Launched Effects (ALE) and Long Range Precision Munitions (LRPM). To meet all MDO requirements and advance the FARA ecosystem, future increments are anticipated. The resultant EMD base contract will include scope for critical weapon system design, six (6) test article builds, associated long lead for six (6) test articles and developmental testing. The EMD contract will also include options for: long lead for two (2) user assessment test articles, two (2) user assessment test article builds and support to a Limited User Test (LUT) / Operational Assessment (OA), additional test article builds with associated long lead if deemed necessary, Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) long lead, LRIP, support to Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E), Intellectual Property (IP) and Data Rights (DR), Contractor Logistics Support (CLS), and transition to subsequent incremental development efforts. The EMD contract will include modularity and openness requirements and the scope to implement the government defined Modular Open System Architecture. It is anticipated that the contract action will be a hybrid mix of Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF)/Fixed Price Incentive (FPI) contract line item numbers. The period of performance (including all options) is anticipated to begin FY 2025 and will culminate with completion of LRIP hardware deliveries. The Army Contracting Command-Redstone (ACC-RSA), on behalf of the FARA Project Management Office (PMO) is seeking to identify qualified sources that can develop, produce and field the FARA Weapon System by 4QFY30. The FARA program intends to utilize results of this inquiry as an element of market research to pursue a Limited Source Justification and Approval in accordance with (IAW) FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), to limit further competition on the follow-on contract for the continued development and production in support of the FARA program of record. Any resultant Justification and Approval will be made publicly available in accordance with FAR 6.305. Sources Sought Requirements – Description of Information Requested 1. Provide the following company information with your submission: a. Company Name, CAGE Code, DUNS and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, Company Address, and Place of Performance Address b. Point of contact, including: name, title, phone, and email address c. Size of company, average annual revenue for the past three years, and number of employees d. Whether the business is classified as a Large Business, Small Business (including Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) and Indian tribes), Veteran Owned Small Business, Service-Disable Veteran-Owned Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business (including ANCs and Indian tribes), or Women-Owned Small Business 2. Provide documentation that clearly demonstrates the ability to furnish a qualified manufacturing/production capability for manned rotorcraft weapon systems. Provide an example of past performance manufacturing a new build manned rotorcraft system that successfully progressed through Full Rate Production for Military use, or a Commercial equivalent, at a minimum production rate of 24 units per year. 3. Provide a detailed description of the available Industrial Base to support rotorcraft prototype build starting in FY25 and an assessment of current Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) IAW the MRL Desk-book version 2.0, found at http://www.dodmrl.com/MRL_Deskbook_2018.pdf. 4. Provide a detailed description of work necessary to achieve MRL 8 by FY29. 5. Provide performance estimates for each of the system attributes listed below for the proposed FARA solution. Provide validation status of the performance estimate to include documented, demonstrated performance. System Attributes includes: a. Maximum Cruise Airspeed b. Combat Radius c. Payload (volume and weight capacity) d. Maximum Takeoff Gross Weight e. Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) 6. Provide a list of critical technologies and the associated technology readiness levels (TRL). 7. Provide a detailed description of the proposed FARA solution describing the approach to design, develop, deliver, and support an Air Vehicle and Mission Systems Digital Backbone (DB) capable of support Army Aviation’s MOSA objectives. Provide validation of the technical maturity of DB components and software; to include DB documented system performance analysis, testing, and DB Open Systems demonstration. 8. Provide a detailed program schedule that highlights the following milestones: a. All Critical Technologies, listed below, matured to TRL 7 by 4QFY24 1) Rotors and Drive Systems 2) Airframe and Structures 3) Flight Controls 4) Power Systems (generation and distribution) 5) Data Systems (Air Vehicle and Mission Sys Digital Backbones) 6) Software 7) Propulsion 8) Crew Systems and Avionics 9) Mission Systems b. Completion of a system-level Critical Design Review c. Delivery of a flight ready test aircraft by 1QFY28 and eight (8) total test aircraft by 3QFY29 d. Delivery of 44 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) aircraft over a 36 month period e. Ramp to 24 aircraft deliveries per year by Production Year 4 f. Delivery of a full Technical Data Package which enables full provisioning, Physical Configuration Audit, full Organic Field and Depot level Sustainment 9. Certify all the responses to the information requested above is applicable to the FARA proposed design and manufactured by the company providing the response. The Government reserves the right to perform site visits and assessments to verify contractor statements/assertions provided in the resultant responses. Due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic and DoD travel restrictions, this activity may be requested virtually in lieu on on-site. Any questions regarding this posting must be directed to the following FARA U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal PEO AVN Mailbox. FARA email: usarmy.redstone.peo-avn.mbx.fara-sources-sought@army.mil. No questions will be accepted telephonically nor will any responses to questions be provided telephonically. Proprietary information should be clearly marked. No classified documents shall be included in your response. Please be advised all information submitted in response to the Sources Sought becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. All information received in response to this Sources Sought marked “proprietary” will be handled accordingly. The Government will utilize non-Government personnel (support contractors), as identified below, to review responses to this Sources Sought in support of the FARA PMO. If the respondent requires a Proprietary Information Agreement (PIA), Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), or equivalent with the companies below prior to support contractors reviewing the submissions, the Government requests that the respondent obtain the PIA/NDA from the company Points of Contact (POC) and provide the PIA/NDA or a list of known existing PIA/NDA or written wavier of the requirement with their submittal to the FARA email address listed on the last page of this Sources Sought. Support Contractors: •Iron Mountain Solutions •AXIENT •Torch Technologies, Inc. •Tecolote •PeopleTec •Ranger Defense •Reliant •Modern Technology Solutions Inc. The participating support contractor companies will be precluded from submitting a response to this Sources Sought or any potential subsequent solicitation for this effort. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed total email file size of 9 megabytes. Responses exceeding this limit will not be accepted by the Government. Responses shall also not exceed 25 single-spaced pages on 8.5 x 11 size paper with one-inch margins. Title page, table of content, graphic chart pages, technical specifications, and product sheets may be included as deemed necessary and will not count against the 25-page limit listed above. Font size shall not be smaller than Arial 10. All responses shall be submitted via email to the FARA email listed below. All information must be readable by Microsoft (MS) Word 2013, MS Excel 2013, or Adobe Acrobat and shall be provided with proper markings (No CLASSIFIED information). This Sources Sought will be open from date of publication through 15 April 2022. The Government encourages participation by small business (including ANCs and Indian tribes), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business (including ANCs and Indian tribes), and women-owned small business concerns. All responses must be delivered by 1600 Central Daylight Time on 15 April 2022 to the FARA USARMY Redstone Arsenal PEO AVN Mailbox. Email: usarmy.redstone.peo-avn.mbx.fara-sources-sought@army.mil.