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Request for Information (RFI) / Market Survey Cold Weather Glove System The Product Manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PdM SCIE), located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, is conducting a ... Request for Information (RFI) / Market Survey Cold Weather Glove System The Product Manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PdM SCIE), located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, is conducting a request for information / market investigation to identify domestic products, suppliers and manufacturers of a Cold Weather Glove System (CWGS). PdM SCIE has identified a need for a new modular and scalable hand wear protection system for extreme cold weather operating environments. The PdM SCIE has the responsibility to maintain, develop, and improve Soldier clothing and individual equipment to include gloves as the life cycle manager of these items. The U.S. Army is interested in identifying emergent technologies and capabilities that will meet or exceed the following parameters: 1) Environmental Protection in the temperature ranges of 40oF to -40oF Threshold (T), 40oF to -60oF or below Objective (O). Rationale: Soldiers operate worldwide to include extreme cold environments. Soldier will need a hand wear system that will provide extreme cold protection for long durations. 2) The CWGS shall provide flame resistance and not melt or drip when exposed to heat or flame at the next to skin level (O). Rationale: Exposure to the elements, environment and physical injuring during all types of missions are a constant threat to the Soldier, especially hands. Gloves are the Soldier's first line of protection from the environment in a variety of conditions. Gloves provide temporary protection while conducting tasks requiring intricate manipulation, to protection in extreme elements where there is little to no activity. The ability to adjust protection is critical in order for the Soldier to stay operationally effective across the full spectrum of operations and environmental conditions. 3) Hand Dexterity to allow the Soldier to write clearly, easily adjust or use radios and other equipment (optics) with small knobs or levers in temperatures 40oF to 14oF (T), 40oF to -20oF (O). Gloves must not restrict the ability to place the trigger finger cleanly inside the trigger guard at 40oF to -20oF (T), 40oF to -60oF or below (O) of individual issued or crew served weapon systems. Rationale: Soldiers must be able to accomplish routine Soldier tasks while in their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and uniform. During missions, Soldiers need to have the dexterity and the flexibility to change equipment settings, write, and adjust their night vision optics, and fire weapons quickly and easily. Stopping to remove gloves or exposing the hands to hazards or injury while attempting to adjust equipment can reduce survivability. 4) Capacitive Touch that is compatible with capacitive touchscreens or resistive screens in temperatures 40oF to 14oF (T), 40oF to -40oF (O). Rationale: Soldiers use technologies including touchscreens such as with NETT Warrior, Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below/Blue Force Tracker (FBCB2/BFT) Joint Capability Release (JCR) during military operations. 5) Made of materials that contain no health hazards or Toxic Industrial Chemicals/Toxic Industrial Materials (TICs/TIMs) Threshold=Objective (T=O). Rationale: The CWGS may be directly next to the Soldier's skin. It must not cause distraction to Soldiers resulting from irritation. 6) Don & Doff of any component of the CWGS in less than 8 seconds. Rationale: Gloves must be able to removed and put on quickly, depending on the situation. Soldiers in combat situations can find themselves in a position of needing to remove gloves quickly in order to increase dexterity and tactility of the hands. Soldiers may also find removal of the gloves necessary moving from one event to another. 7) A camouflage pattern or solid color "over-white" capability to potentially replace the current Army over-white mitten shells (NSN 8415-01-481-3434). Rationale: The CWGS must blend with and not stand out from the rest of the Soldier's personal protective equipment (PPE) and uniform. 8) Back of the hand comfort fabric that is a flexible pile-like fabric, which remains soft in cold conditions and shall not generate electrical static charge when rubbed. The comfort fabric will not freeze with ice and readily shed frost when shaken, and will not ignite, melt or drip in proximity to open flame. The comfort fabric shall contribute to the insulation of the cold weather glove system to protect against cold conditions and be dimensionally stable to laundering. Rationale: Soldiers currently utilize the extreme cold weather mitten exterior fabric to warm the sensitive cold skin on the face and wipe the nose as needed. Ice and snow build up will scratch the face or cause damage to the skin. 9) System durability for a minimum of 270 (T), 365 (O) days of operational use, in the systems intended environments/conditions without weakening of inner and outer components or separation of any parts of the CWGS. Rationale: Soldiers require a CWGS that maintains functionality in intended environments and conditions when needed. Soldiers should not be using the CWGS when specialty gloves, e.g., barbed wire gloves, electricians or welder's gloves are required. Soldiers need durable, reliable equipment for the hands in combat operations. 10) Suspension & adjustability feature at the wrist that is capable of being adjusted using the free hand wearing the other glove and the capability to secure the hand wear within close proximity to the hands after removal (T=O). Rationale: Soldiers in extreme cold weather environments must have a way to tighten their hand wear around their wrist to prevent the hand wear from falling off. Soldiers have typically used a cord routed around their neck to suspend the hand wear when they removed to keep them in close vicinity of their hands for quick retrieval and to prevent gloves from getting lost. 11) Constructed of quick-drying materials to allow for drying time within 4 hours (T), 1 hour (O) under standard lab conditions in a heated environment. Rationale: Water absorption is an undesirable characteristic as it adds to the weight to the glove system during wear or tactical stowage and will cause extreme discomfort and negatively affect the Soldiers ability to perform duties. A heated 10-man Arctic Tent is commonly used to dry gloves during periods of rest and recovery. 12) Provide a slip-free grip palm and fingers, while affording sensitivity during delicate tasks in the temperature range 40oF to 14oF (T), secure grip for tools and weapons during extreme weather conditions in the temperature range 14oF to -20oF (O). Rationale: Soldiers need protection to conduct precise technical work such as operating electronic equipment or doing tasks requiring intricate manipulation requiring a sensitive touch, while at the same time protecting of their hands from the cold weather environment. In colder temperatures a glove with additional protection is needed that allows the Soldier to conduct tasks while conducting combat patrols in cold weather such as load, firing and reducing a stoppage of the individual or crew served weapon. Also, tasks such as shoveling, driving stakes into the ground, and erecting tents will be cold weather essential tasks. 13) Compatible with all equipment and items issued to the Soldier as individual equipment or PPE (T=O). Rationale: Soldiers must have clothing and equipment that does not interfere with one another. This ensures each piece of Soldier equipment or clothing, current and future will be an integrated, component of the total system and allow the Soldier to tailor their clothing and personal equipment to the mission. 14) Accommodate unisex hand sizes XX-Small, X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large. Rationale: Soldiers require availability of all sizes to ensure proper form, fit, and function for all Soldiers who wear the CWGS. 15) Resistance to water, wind, petroleum, oils, lubricants, and detergents at a level equal to existing cold weather gloves. Rationale: Petroleum, oils, and lubricant products are a hazard present on the battlefield from transportation to weapon systems and exposure can result in Soldier illness, which directly reduces the unit mission readiness. The gloves must be able to minimize or avert skin expose while remaining durable. Liquid absorption is an undesirable characteristic as it adds to the weight to the gloves during wear or tactical stowage. Soldiers should not be using the CWGS when specialty gloves, e.g., fuel handler's gloves are required. 16) Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) rate of greater than 7.0 grams/hour (T), greater than 10.0 grams/hour (O). Rationale: Soldiers require cold-wet weather protective systems, which includes breathable gloves that enables moisture movement away from the body while preventing moisture from entering into the system. Moisture management contributes to warmth and comfort for the Soldier in adverse weather conditions. The U.S. Army is conducting this market investigation to acquire information on the types and sizes of businesses that will be able to compete on future contracting actions, potential costs, as well as production and delivery capabilities. The Government is interested in determining Industry's capability to manufacture a CWGS in sufficient quantities to support: 1) a Limited User Evaluation, and 2) a requirement for 194,000 CWGS to be fielded by FY23 with an initial fielding beginning in early FY21. The LUE is planned for January 2020. In order to adequately evaluate material solutions and reduce risk to the CWGS program schedule, 7,000 CWGS would need to manufactured and delivered ideally by the October-December 2019 timeframe. PdM-SCIE is interesting in understanding potential vendors' monthly manufacturing capacities and surge capabilities to meet both the January 2020 LUE and FY21-FY23 fielding requirements. This request for information is not a formal solicitation nor requires that a formal solicitation be issued (FAR 15.201(e)). Interested firms are requested to submit relevant information on their company within 21 days following the publication of this RFI. Information submitted shall include unit production cost, literature and illustrations, component material(s) of construction, technical parameters, manufacturing location, relevant company background/experience and any documented test/analysis information that would indicate the results of performance tests. Interested parties may submit glove samples, accompanied by corresponding technical data reflecting the performance results of any independent laboratory testing as specified in this announcement, business size statement and information. Firms responding to this announcement shall indicate whether or not they are a small business. Any information submitted will not be returned. If a firm chooses to submit samples, be advised that no payment will be made by the Government for such samples or any information submitted in response to this notice. Any relevant company background/experience, business category, costs, and any other information that the company believes demonstrates their value / ability to meet the aforementioned requirements should be included. All information and evaluation results will be controlled and used for Governmental purposes only. Responses to this notice shall be sent to the Product Manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, Attn: Mrs. Brenda Lay, at Brenda.m.lay.ctr@mail.mil. This notice is for informational purposes only. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. NO solicitation document exists for this action (FAR 15.201(e). The primary POC for this request is Mrs. Brenda Lay at Brenda.m.lay.ctr@mail.mil.