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Request for Information (RFI) Title Endurance Uncrewed Aircraft System - Market Research Information RFI Release Date 06/05/2024 RFI Intent This Request for Information (RFI) is issued with the intent... Request for Information (RFI) Title Endurance Uncrewed Aircraft System - Market Research Information RFI Release Date 06/05/2024 RFI Intent This Request for Information (RFI) is issued with the intent of gathering market research from industry regarding current and future Group 4 or 5 Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) designs that could provide an effective, suitable, survivable, and certifiable product to be used by the U.S. Army. This is not a request for proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The Government is not seeking proposals and will not accept or action unsolicited proposals. The Government does not presently intend to award a contract, and only seeks to obtain market information on capabilities to inform future program planning. Further, this RFI does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supplies or services in the future. All information gathered in response to this RFI is voluntary and will be used to inform the U.S. Government of possible system solutions that meet a minimum set of requirements provided below. If deemed necessary, the Government may also use other potential means to gather market research information, such as catalogs, product directories, trade journals, seminars, professional organizations, contractor briefings, in-house experts, vendor surveys, and trade shows. There will be no compensation by the U.S. Government for any cost incurred in providing a response. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The U.S. Army has not made a commitment to procure the item discussed. A response to this RFI is not an offer, and no offer can or will be accepted by the US Government to form a binding contract. Multiple submissions from the same Original Equipment Manufacturer will be accepted and considered for this RFI. The Government may utilize non-Government personnel (support contractors) to review responses to this RFI. If any respondent does not currently have a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that would permit the use of the support contractors listed below, the respondent is encouraged to sign NDAs with the listed support contractors for this purpose. Any markings on the submissions in response to this RFI should reflect that the information is releasable to the identified contractors solely for the purposes stated herein. The companies listed below will be precluded from submitting a response to this RFI. Company Support Contractor Telephone Email Address RFI Technical Summary The Army requires a Group 4 or 5 UAS to serve as an extended range, long endurance, multi-purpose UAS. All Uncrewed Aircraft (UA) engine or propulsion types that can meet the requirements described herein will be considered. This UAS will be required to execute various missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, security, attack, precision strike, intelligence collection, and command and control (C2) support in large-scale combat operations. The UAS will not require rated aviators as operators. The UAS will require the ability to integrate advanced sensor technologies such as Electro-Optical / Infrared / Laser Designator (EO/IR/LD) sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) sensors, multiple intelligence sensors, and Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors. It will also require the ability to carry Precision Guided Munitions, Launched Effects (LE) UAS, and future emerging capabilities. At a high level, the UAS would likely consist of the following major subsystems: an Uncrewed Aircraft, an aircraft Standard Equipment Package (SEP), an expeditionary Ground Control Station (GCS), and ground datalinks systems. The UA SEP consists of aircraft radios (five simultaneous radio channels), an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, Electro/Optical (EO/IR) taxi camera, EO/IR Laser Designator, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ground moving target indicator, meteorological sensor, de-icing system, UA Line of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) data links, independent UA processing systems (separate from flight processing), Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) systems, ground avoidance, and a network digital recorder. To address the challenges across different domains, this UAS will need to leverage on-board, long-range sensing capabilities to maintain appropriate standoff from short- and mid-range Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) threats. When operating in conjunction with manned systems, this UAS would enhance the Army's ability to gather accurate and timely information, intelligence, and significantly reduce the time required to deliver both lethal and non-lethal effects. Whether operating independently or as part of an Advanced Team, the UAS would provide long range and endurance, advanced mission-tailored sensors/munitions, and onboard processing capabilities. This will enable it to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, multi-intelligence collection, attack, precision strike, and mission command support during Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). RFI Submission Details RFI submissions should provide an overview of the candidate UAS system and detail how the system satisfies the minimum set of capabilities listed below. Respondents to this RFI should be prepared to provide response to any additional information requested by the U.S. Government following submission. The Government will consider a range of options to fulfill these requirements including full-developmental proposal strategies providing full Technical Data Packages (TDP) and full Government data rights to Non-Developmental Items (NDI) with limited Government data rights. UAS System Requirements The candidate UAS system should provide the following capabilities: Power, Performance, & Operability Aircraft Characteristics Describe the approach for the aircraft to be FAA Type Rated for Instrument Flight Rules and able to perform due regard using a traffic collision avoidance or similar system. The aircraft should be configured with a de-ice system capable of conducting operations in moderate icing. Aircraft On-Board Power The aircraft onboard power sources shall be capable of simultaneously powering all UA flight essential, SEP, and non-essential equipment while providing minimum of 3000 Watts of power to external payloads throughout the entire operating envelope. The aircraft shall have adequate backup power to maintain aircraft control, initiate emergency procedures, and restart the engine in the event of an in-flight engine failure for ? 30 minutes. Note: If the candidate UA is not capable, describe current capabilities and potential for improvement. Include this as a cost in overall estimate. Aircraft Operating Altitude The aircraft should have the capability to operate at altitudes greater than 20,000 ft Mean Sea Level (MSL), with 30,000+ MSL preferable. Note: If the candidate UA is not capable, describe current capabilities and potential for improvement. Include this as a cost in overall estimate. Airspeed Describe airspeed capabilities in knots to include stall, loiter, and dash speeds. Climb Rate Minimum climb rate of the aircraft shall be 500 feet per minute. Aircraft Performance Requirements All aircraft performance requirements shall be demonstrated during a Standard Day (as defined by the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976). During all phases of flight, excluding flare prior to landing, the aircraft shall maintain airspeeds that provide no less than 10% margin above the stall and minimum controllable airspeeds. All performance requirements shall be demonstrated while the aircraft is carrying quantity two (2) external payloads with frontal area dimensions of at least 22 inches x 22 inches. The weight of each external payload shall be 500 pounds (lbs) (total combined weight of the external payloads shall be 1,000 lbs). Takeoff Performance Describe the UA takeoff capabilities. The aircraft shall execute automatic takeoffs on a prepared or unprepared surface and clear 50 ft tall obstacles within an area of 4,500 ft x 100 ft at a runway altitude of 6,000 ft MSL. Describe features that allow Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capability from prepared and unprepared surfaces. When the aircraft is ? 1000 ft Above Ground Level (AGL) the climb angle shall be > 3° for obstacle avoidance. Note: The use of flaps is acceptable to achieve a > 3° climb angle. Describe sustained crosswind and tailwind component for takeoff. Landing Performance Describe the UA landing capabilities. The aircraft shall execute automatic recovery operations on a prepared or unprepared surface and clear 50 ft tall obstacles within an area of 4,500 ft x 100 ft at a runway altitude of 6,000 ft MSL. When the aircraft is executing automatic landings the approach glideslope shall be ? 3° for obstacle avoidance. Note: The use of flaps is acceptable to achieve a ? 3° descent angle. Describe sustained crosswind and tailwind component for landing. Range At a minimum, the aircraft shall have a range of ? 500 nautical miles at 20,000 ft MSL with a time on station of ? 6 hours with external payloads, and ? 8 hours without external payload(s). Describe how the candidate system will provide persistent coverage of a target for periods of time exceeding single UA time on station. Note: If the candidate UA is not capable, describe current capabilities and potential for improvement. Include this as a cost in overall estimate. Autonomy Describe approach to the following: UA automated take-off and landing capabilities. Ability for the UA to land at previously unsurveyed sites. Ability to operate autonomously during day/night-time, weather, and with zero ceiling/visibility. Ability to support automated target detection, identification, recognition. Ability to support sensor fusion with on-board processing and the ability to off load characteristics. Emergency recovery and return home features. Communications. Describe capability to meet the following: Dedicated VHF/UHF Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications. Radio relay from/to ground in VHF/UHF bands using SINCGARS, HAVE QUICK II, SATURN and APCO P-25 voice/data and unsecure/secure modes. Receive and transmit UHF/L-band mid-tier mobile ad-hoc networking system narrow band/wide band waveforms. Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) from the UAS ground element. High Frequency (HF). Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)/Surveillance in accordance with DoD AIMS 17-1000 to include ADS-B In. Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing (APNT) Describe capability to meet the following: Ability to operate in a High Risk PNT threat environment as defined in DoDI 4650.08. MSO-C145b at a Class 3 Operational Level. The PPS requirements in MSO-C145 shall be met using M-Code GPS as the primary position source. Position accuracy of <10m 95% of the time. GPS Anti-Jam capability to include alerts and jamming source direction finding. Precision Landing System capability. Integration of alternative PNT inputs/sources. Sensors and Payloads Describe capability to meet the following: Engage traditional and non-traditional air, ground, and maritime moving and stationary targets. Launching and/or releasing authorized variants of Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) (e.g.: Hellfire II, JAGM, etc.), Launched Effects Family of Systems (FoS) (e.g.: Altius 600, RedWolf, etc.) and other long-range munitions, high energy lasers, and electromagnetic munitions. Perform engine running weapons reloading/reset. Integrate advanced sensor technologies such as Electro-Optical / Infrared / Laser Designator (EO/IR/LD) sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) sensors, signals intelligence sensors, and Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors. Classified data storage and retrieval system with the ability for remote access on appropriately managed networks. Real time streaming data for exploitation and dissemination via multicast exploitation systems through supporting networks to other Army or Joint organizations. Ability to sanitize classified data from all storage systems at unit organizational level. Datalinks Describe capability to meet the following: Support a minimum of two through six simultaneous full-duplex Line of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of sight (BLOS) data links. Support encrypted using National Security Agency (NSA) Type-1 encryptors. Ability to prohibit unintended RF radiation, including when in maintenance mode. Note: If the candidate UA is not capable, describe current capabilities and potential for improvement. Include this as a cost in overall estimate. Datalinks Operating Modes LOS Capabilities Describe waveform(s) and band(s) used in datalink system. Data Rate: 256 Kbps minimum, selectable during operation up to 40 Mbps. Range: ? 300 kilometers (km). BLOS SATCOM Mode (SAT) Describe waveform(s) and band(s) used in datalink system. Orbit: GEO, MEO, pLEO. Data Rate: 256 Kbps minimum, selectable during operation up to 40 Mbps. Ground Control Station and Support Equipment Describe Ground Support Elements (GSE) and control architecture system. Describe Graphic User Interface (GUI) to display applicable UA, sensors, Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), munitions, and friendly/enemy (type/location) mission data without requiring a separate interface or GUI. Describe expeditionary capability (ruggedization, set up / tear down time, physical size). Cyber Describe experience with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF), IAW AR-25-1. System Maturity/Readiness Level Provide current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for each major subsystem (UA, GCS, Ground Datalinks Systems). If not currently at TRL 9, provide estimated development costs and schedule to achieve TRL 9. Provide current Integration Readiness Level (IRL) for the integrated system (UA, GCS, Ground Datalinks Systems). If integrated system is not at IRL 9, provide estimated development and test costs and a schedule to achieve IRL 9. Provide current Manufacturing Readiness Level for each major subsystem (UA, GCS, Ground Datalinks Systems). If not currently at MRL 9 or 10, describe the activities required, with cost and schedule, to achieve an MRL of 9 or 10. If currently in production, describe quality management system used in production. Airworthiness Requirements Describe approach and experience meeting airworthiness requirements as defined in AR 70-62 and MIL-STD-882E. Sustainment Reliability, Availability, & Maintainability (RAM) Describe approach to reliability and provide previously fielded system metrics. Describe overall maintenance/maintainability/supportability approach that addresses: System Manpower/Personnel requirements (level operator/maintainer skills required). Level of system maintenance required (e.g. field/sustainment, Soldiers/FSRs, etc.). Tools and test equipment required to support the system (e.g. does the system utilize standard Army aviation tools and support equipment for maintenance) Built in Test capabilities for automated and manual fault detection/isolation. Transportability / Deployability Describe transportable/deployable characteristics of the system using sea, ground (including rail), and/or air transportation (C-17, C-130). Describe ability to transport the UA in a rapid deployment scenario and facilitate assembly within 4 hours (minimum of one (1) UA with necessary equipment for operations in a C-130, and two (2) UAs with necessary equipment for operations in a C-17). Describe how all other system equipment (including ground support equipment) is transportable in standard Army containers (e.g.: ISU 90, cradles, etc.). Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) Describe the UA MOSA strategy to include the following: Rapid payload integration. C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS). Size, Weight, Power, and Cooling (SWaP-C). Concerns with current SOSA, VICTORY, MORA, and APIs supporting interoperability between payload cards from one manufacturer to the next, noting any gaps that may exist in current standards that will prevent, or have the potential to prevent interoperability, portability, and modularity from one payload card manufacturer to the next. Intellectual Property. Environmental Describe approach to meeting environmental requirements outlined in AR 70-38 & MIL-STD-464. Cost Unit Costs Vendors should provide unit costs for the system (UA, GCS, Datalinks systems), along with production lead times after receipt of an order, how many systems have been produced to date, and note whether or not the system is currently fielded in support of any DoD programs in a tactically relevant environment. Unit costs should be provided with quantity breakouts: UA GCS Datalinks Operational Costs Vendors should estimate operating and support costs (O&S) based on the quantity breakouts above for the following elements: Unit Level Manpower Unit Level Operations Maintenance Sustaining Support Development Costs Vendors should rate the entire candidate system TRL as it currently exists. Provide estimated cost and schedule to deliver a prototype system (UA, GCS, Datalinks systems) to the requirements set forth in the RFI. RFI Submission Instructions Interested companies who believe they are capable of providing all or part of the information requested above are invited to provide their response to the POC listed below no later than 07/19/2024. Interested parties are encouraged to respond early. E-mail is the preferred method of receipt. Paper submissions, electronic media (preferred), or physical samples may be sent to the Contracting Office Address provided below. Response shall include: Company name Company address Cage code (if applicable) Business and Technical POCs name, email, and telephone number. Responses may be submitted in respondent's preferred format and consist of no more than 20 pages with a 10-pt, Arial font. Abbreviations should be defined either on first use or in a glossary. Charts and graphics should have quantitative data clearly labeled. Assumptions should be clearly identified. Proprietary and other sensitive information should be so marked with requested disposition instructions. Submitted materials will not be returned. Submitted responses shall be UNCLASSIFIED. If deemed necessary, the Government will contact each vendor individually for additional follow-on questions. All information must be submitted by 1700CST on the specified date. As noted previously, this market survey is solely for information gathering purposes only and does not constitute a commitment by the Government to procure any items/services in the future or to pay for the information received. No solicitation will be issued based on this notice. Contracting Office Address: Army Contract Command-Redstone Arsenal ATTN: Adana Quanshau Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898 Point of Contact: Adana Quanshau, adana.p.quanshau.civ@army.mil