SOURCES SOUGHT
16 -- F-15 COVERT INTER-COCKPIT SIGNALING DEVICE
- Notice Date
- 1/23/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 336321
— Vehicular Lighting Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Combat Command, 366 CONS, 366 Gunfighter Ave Ste 498, Mountain Home AFB, ID, 83648-5296
- ZIP Code
- 83648-5296
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-AWB-RFI-06-0003
- Response Due
- 2/15/2006
- Archive Date
- 3/2/2006
- Description
- F-15 COVERT INTER-COCKPIT SIGNALING DEVICE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION DRAWING PACKAGE AVAILABLE. This is a request for information only as defined in FAR 15.201(e). The government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain information on commercially available covert lighting systems. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Air Warfare Battlelab (AWB), Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, is planning to conduct a study that will evaluate commercial options to solve the following problem: United States Air Force requires F-15 covert lighting designed to be visible to night vision goggles (NVGs) in multi-ship formation. A long-range solution has been identified employing modified wingtip lights. Intent here is an inexpensive, short-range solution that could be employed by end CY06. Companies interested in a copy of the long-range solution should contact Major Cathy Blacklock at cathy.blacklock@mountainhome.af.mil. The AWB is interested in Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products that could be used as-is or slightly modified to solve this problem. The below attributes are either mandatory or desired requirements. (For purposes of this request, the aircraft displaying the lighting will be called the ?wingman? while the aircraft looking at the ?wingman? will be called ?flight lead.? The solution to this requirement will be called the ?device.?): 1. The device should be water resistant. 2. The device should be shock resistant. 3. The device might be carried to the cockpit by the aircrew and removed after flight. If so, the device could be rechargeable and/or have extended battery life. 4. The device might be fixed in / on the aircraft. 5. In a formation of more than two aircraft, the device must enable flight lead to determine which of the wingmen is being observed. It follows that each of the wingmen must be able to identify if they are looking at flight lead or one of the other wingmen. In the event a wingman changes his/her position (for example, from ?Eagle 3? to ?Eagle 2?) in the flight, the device should be re-programmable in-flight (on the ground may be an acceptable alternative) to communicate to flight lead the new position. 6. The device must be bright enough to be visible to an NVG-equipped wingman at a minimum of 5 nautical miles, with visibility at 10 or more miles desired. Visibility from all aspects is desired; special consideration will be given to devices with visibility from side aspects (plus or minus 45 degrees of line abreast and plus or minus 20 degrees of level). 7. Regarding the possibility of interference with the night vision goggles of the aircrew of the aircraft carrying the device: The device will have no gain down, glare or blooming effects in the aircrew?s NVGs when they are looking forward of the 3-9 line. When looking beyond the 3-9 line, there will be minimal gain down and glare in the NVGs. Intent is to maximize visual lookout and minimize aircrew distraction every time the device flashes. 8. The device could be capable of being switched on / off while in flight. 9. The device may be uniquely designed for F-15 MSIP with a separate unique design for F-15E aircraft. 10. Ease of use is paramount. The AWB is seeking the following specific information from industry representatives: 1. The manufacturer?s suggested retail price and/or a schedule of lease pricing for the commercial product. 2. The names of distributors who could sell to the Government. 3. The degree to which the product can meet or exceed the above attributes. Requested information must be submitted NO LATER THAN 15 Feb 06 to Major Cathy Blacklock, Air Warfare Battlelab, 360 Gunfighter Ave, Suite 1, Mountain Home AFB, ID 83648 or Email cathy.blacklock@mountainhome.af.mil. Major Blacklock can be reached at (208) 828-3542. A formal solicitation MAY NOT BE ISSUED as a result of this RFI. Information provided may or may not be included in a formal solicitation. The USAF will not release any information -- marked with a Proprietary legend -- received in response to this RFI to any firms, agencies, or individuals outside the USAF without written permission in accordance with the legend.
- Record
- SN00970818-W 20060125/060123211834 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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