SOURCES SOUGHT
99 -- Market Research and Request for Information (RFI) USMC Joint Precision Air Drop System Capability Solutions
- Notice Date
- 9/4/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 314999
— All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills
- Contracting Office
- M67854 MARINE CORPS SYSTEMS COMMAND Quantico, VA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- M6785409I1131
- Response Due
- 9/21/2009
- Archive Date
- 10/6/2009
- Point of Contact
- Ruby Gillette (703) 432-3526
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- M67854-09-I-1131 Market Research and Request for Information (RFI) USMC Joint Precision Air Drop System Capability Solutions This Request for Information (RFI) briefly describes the current USMC Joint Precision Air Drop System Ultra Light Weight (JPADS-ULW) program/acquisition approach, identifies key events in the JPADS-ULW acquisition program schedule, and requests information to assess industry's capability to provide a materiel solution that will meet the draft JPADS-ULW system requirements. The program office is currently planning to employ an evolutionary acquisition strategy to procure a commercially proven product based on mature technology and variant of the JPADS Family of Systems (FoS) for fielding of a new JPADS solution. Information gathered from vendors to this RFI will be used to help refine USMC JPADS performance requirements. The information provided in this RFI is notional and may change. The Government is under no obligation to revise any aspect of this RFI should any information provided herein change. The Government will provide any additional information and issue any additional requests for information at its sole discretion via the FedBizOpps and/or NECO websites only. Description: Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is conducting an Analysis Of Alternatives for High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) systems that can perform some or all of the core tasks and missions of the Marine Corps Aerial Delivery. One of these missions is the clandestine re-supply of reconnaissance forces or small units in denied areas. This RFI will provide the opportunity for contractors to describe, in detail, the ability of their candidate systems to accomplish this mission. In those situations, where the Marine Corps is operating in areas requiring an autonomously guided aerial delivery system that can deliver critical supplies and equipment when precision and standoff are required due to ground threat, terrain, or winds. HAHO re-supply systems allow aircraft to operate above and offset from potential ground to air threats. The objective of this RFI is to identify potential solutions, technologies, and state of the art approaches to the precision air drop capability to re-supply small units spread across the battle space. Requested Information: Vendors are requested to provide information on the ability of their system to meet the following notional performance specifications: 1. Commercial Item: In accordance with FAR 2.101, vendors will need to confirm their product meets the Commercial Item Definition. Please see FAR web site at http://www.acqnet.gov/far/loadmainre.html. 2. System Characteristics: The system should allow it to be aircraft deployed steerable canopy system, equipped with hardware and software to deliver 250 to 699 pound cargo loads safely and effectively from 24,500 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) through hardware and software altitude control and glide management of system descent and landing. System hardware and software should function up to deployment altitudes in an un-pressurized cabin environment. The system should allow interface and be deployable using either a release-away or break-away static line configuration from fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft such as C-130, C-17, V-22, CH-53 and CH-46. The JPADS-ULW must utilize the A7-A, A-21, and A-22 delivery systems, as described in Field Manual (FM) 4-20.103. 3. Weight Carrying Capabilities: The system must be capable of delivering cargo loads with suspended weights of 250 to 699 pounds. A maximization of cargo capacity and minimization of system weight is a key consideration. 4. Deployment Altitude, Feet Mean Sea Level (MSL): The system when rigged with cargo loads of 250 to 699 pounds should have an operational airdrop range of 2,500 to 24,500 feet MSL. 5. Offset Requirement: The JPADS-ULW should allow for a minimum of an 8 km horizontal offset from the intended impact point. The offset is defined as the horizontal distance from a 24,500 feet MSL release point to a zero MSL landing point in zero wind conditions.. 6. Descent Speed: The system should maintain a stable descent rate, which must result in a descent speed, vertical and horizontal, which will allow cargo to survive. 7. Landing Requirements: The system should deliver cargo on target, in condition for operational use. Rapid de-rigging, with soft landing, is highly desired. 8. Precision of Delivery (Accuracy): The System should have an accuracy of 250 meters CEP of the intended impact point. 9. Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C): The system should have an autonomous GN&C system; i.e., Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), and/or Inertial Navigation to allow the system to independently fly to a specified point. Military Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) Global Positioning Satellite - Government Furnished Equipment (GPS - GFE) compatibility is required. Redundant GN&C is desired. 10. Interface to JPADS-Mission Planner (JPADS-MP): The system must interface to the USAF JPADS-MP. JPADS-MP software delays in implementation create several risks for execution of the ULW program. One risk is the ability to load mission data required by the AGU. As a part of your response, address your method of uploading mission data without a JPADS-MP laptop. This method of uploading mission data required by the AGU needs to address error checking and feedback of data for checks by the Joint Airdrop Inspector 11. Major Components List: The system must consist of a deceleration system Government Furnished Property (GFP), an Autonomous Guidance Unit (AGU), and interface equipment to cargo and cargo aircraft as needed. 12. System Weight: The weight of the JPADS-ULW Autonomous Guidance Unit will not exceed 44 lbs. 13. Government Furnished Property: A SAASM Global Positioning System receiver must be furnished by the Government. This receiver must be a Autonomous Guidance Unit-Joint Program Office (GPS-JPO) certified receiver such as the GRAM. 14. Guidance Control Unit: Must be capable of being programmed by downloading information from a computer with readily available commercial interfaces. The destination coordinates should be able to be programmed into the GPS unit / navigation package by a user within 5 minutes. The system must be able to accept coordinates in latitude/longitude and military grid coordinates as a minimum. Positive feedback must be provided to ensure that the system is properly programmed. The system must be capable of accepting programming/reprogramming using a standard computer. The system must be capable of onboard computational capabilities to aid in determining course made good, wind speed and direction, control values for optimal performance, and in making go/no go decisions. The navigational package must allow go/no go decisions to be made en-route based upon previously calculated information. Way point navigation is desired. 15. Test and Diagnostic Equipment: Must be provided or built in to the equipment and software to ensure proper functioning of the equipment prior to the actual delivery of cargo. 16. Navigation Package: Must be designed to facilitate repair at the lowest possible level within the DOD system. Where possible the electronics must be modular in nature. The GPS receiver must be easily removable. 17. System: Must be designed to allow receiving personnel to render the JPADS-ULW unusable by the enemy. Unusable must be taken to mean that the system components will no longer perform their intended function or serve as a source of intelligence. 18. Physical Characteristics: The physical dimensions of the JPADS-ULW system must be defined as maximum allowable rigged height when deployed atop a standard A-22 container delivery system (CDS) payload aboard a standard military cargo aircraft. 19. Interface Requirements: The JPADS-ULW system must be capable of being delivered from standard military aircraft, (C-130, C-17), at a drop speed of 130 to 150 knots indicated air speed (KIAS) (threshold) and with rotary wing aircraft such as CH-46, CH-53, and V-22 at a drop speed of to 90 - 120 KIAS (objective) must be compatible with current accepted methods of rigging and dropping. 20. JPADS-ULW System: Must interface to a CDS load in a standard A-22 cargo webbing with a clevis attachment point. 21. Interface Connection between the Navigation Unit and the Laptop Computer: Must be a standard serial, usb or parallel port type connector or wireless connection. The system must be able to receive a signal inside the aircraft with a GPS repeater type system. 22. System: Must be able to receive a signal through an 802.11 receiver from JPADS-MP. 23. Reliability: System must be able to be reused with no major repairs 20 times (threshold) and 30 times (objective) and must meet a 95% reliability rate with 90% confidence. 23. Maintainability: Maintenance of the parachute and suspension system must be accomplished, where appropriate, by personnel in US Army MOS 92R and USMC MOS 0451 positions as necessary/required to maintain operational readiness of the JPADS-ULW system. Paragraphs 3.4.1.5 and 3.4.1.6 also apply. 24. Environmental Conditions: The JPADS-ULW system must be designed for operational use, storage, and transit in climatic variables to include US Navy amphibious shipping. These variables may be hot, cold, and basic temperature ranges as defined in referenced document AR 70-38 as well as defined in MIL-STD-810-F, Method 509.4 (Salt Fog), Method 510.4 (Sand and Dust), Method 520.2 (Temp, Humidity, Vibration and Altitude) and Method 506.4 procedure III and method 507.4 (rain drip). 25. Transportability: System must be capable of being transported by highway, rail, marine, and air modes, world-wide. The applicable transportability criteria are set forth in referenced documents AR 70-47 and MIL-STD-1366. If the JPADS-ULW uses lithium or lithiumion batteries, the batteries must meet the criteria in NAVSEAINST S9310-AQ-SAF-010 "Technical Manual For Batteries, Navy Lithium Safety Program Responsibilities And Procedures" of 19 August 2004 and 49cfr173.185. Responses: In accordance with FAR 15.201 (e), the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses th these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or otherwise obligate the Government to issue any solicitation for proposals. Vendors/interested parties are solely responsible for all costs and expenses associated with their respective response to this RFI. The Government will not reimburse vendors/interested parties for any costs associated with their respective response to this RFI, including, but not limited to any cost associated with any submission or information provided to the Government. Response Format: Vendors that believe they are capable of providing a JPADS-ULW capability solution, as described above, are invited to express their interest by responding to this RFI with a white paper in Microsoft Word for Office 2003-compatible format. RFI responses are limited to 20 pages, including cover and administrative pages, and must be delivered using 10 point font or larger. Please be advised that any vendor proprietary information must be marked as such on a page-by-page basis. The Government will not assume that any of the information provided by a respondent is proprietary unless it is conspicuously marked on a page-by-page basis. Moreover, the Government does not assume any duty to contact a respondent and inquire whether any unmarked information submitted in response to this RFI is proprietary. Additionally, vendors are requested to provide the following information in their RFI response: (a) company name, company address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), cage code, point of contact, e-mail address, telephone number, fax number; and (b) indicate business size (i.e., large, foreign, small disadvantaged, veteran owned, minority owned, etc) to the Government representative listed below. Response Deadline and Submissions: Responses must be submitted both via e-mail to Ruby M. Gillette or mail submittals with email being the preferred method. White Paper responses are due no later than 21 September 2009 at 16:00 Eastern Time. Please note that any submissions received will not be returned. E-mail responses: ruby.gillette.ctr@usmc.mil Mailed responses: Commanding GeneralMarine Corps System CommandATTN: Ruby M. Gillette2200 Lester StreetQuantico, VA 22134 Questions may be submitted until 11 September 2009. Each question submitted will be consolidated and published in an amendment to this RFI request. Questions shall be submitted in writing to e-mail address above. TELEPHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE HONORED.
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