Munitions Contracting Division (AFRL/MNK), Building 13, 101 West Eglin Boulevard, Suite 337, Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6810

A -- MUNITIONS TECHNOLOGY SOL BAA-99-0001 POC Linda Weisz, Contract Specialist, 850-882-4294, ext. 3206 E-MAIL: Dr. Mike Valentino, Program Manager, valentin@eglin.af.mil. The Munitions Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin AFB FL is interested in receiving research proposals in the areas of: High Surface Area Electrodes, Flight Vehicles Integration,Autonomous Target Recognition, Biomimetic Signal Processing and Control, Hardware-in-the-Loop Technology, Navigation and Control, Weapon Design and Analysis Methodology, and Laser Radar and Components. Proposals should describe scientific study and experimentation to increase knowledge and understanding in these areas. This Broad Agency Announcement consists of three parts: PART I -- Research Interests, PART II -- Proposal Evaluation, and PART III -- Proposal Preparation. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract. It is, however, an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. Companies responding to this announcement are cautioned that only a Contracting Officer may obligate the Government to any agreement involving expenditure of Government funds. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) constitutes a solicitation for proposals under the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. The BAA describes research requirements and methods for preparing and submitting proposals. PART I -- RESEARCH INTERESTS A. INTRODUCTION This is the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) of the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN) under the provisions of paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Proposals submitted in response to the BAA that are selected for award are considered to be the results of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. For purposes of this announcement, research is defined to be scientific study and experimentation directed at increasing knowledge and understanding in relation to long term national security needs. It is an enhancement to related exploratory and advanced development programs. AFRL/MN contracts with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and private industry for research in armament technology. This BAA is intended to cover, in general nature, all research areas of interest to this Directorate. Persons contemplating submission of a proposal to AFRL/MN should not only carefully examine this BAA, but are also strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate AFRL/MN scientist identified in this publication to ascertain the extent of interest which AFRL/MN may have in a specific research project. Proposals may be submitted at any time during the period the BAA is open. However, prior to submitting a formal proposal, offerors are required to submit a two to three page white paper on their proposed research topic to key AFRL/MN staff members who have been identified and contacted for each area of interest. The purposeof the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest under this BAA. Those offerors submitting white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA will be invited to submit a proposal. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a subsequent contract or assistance instruments (grant, cooperative agreement, or other transaction). Proposals submitted may be evaluated as they are received. A contract or assistance instrument could be awarded as a result of this BAA, as appropriate. We expect most awards with universities and non-profit organizations to be grants. Note that there is no inherent funding associated with this BAA, and any contract/assistance instrument will depend on availability of funds from other sources. Our goal is to award ten percent (10%) of the contracts to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and thirty percent (30%) to small businesses, which includes ten percent (10%) to Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) and Woman-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), over the life of the BAA. The SIC code for this BAA is 8731 with a Small Business size standard not to exceed 500 employees. In the event sufficient acceptable proposals are not received to fulfill these goals, awards will be made to those proposals received which are acceptable regardless of source. This BAA will remain open for one year from date of publication. It will be reissued annually and may be amended at any time. The descriptions of the technical areas are organized by scientific discipline, and the reader will note some overlap between sections. To contact a AFRL/MN staff member by mail, include branch or division symbol and write: Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN), 101 W. Eglin Blvd., Eglin AFB FL 32542. B. MISSION The Munitions Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary Air Force organization concerned with conventional munitions. The Munitions Directorateplans and executes research, development, and test of conventional munitions, and supports conventional munition System Program Offices. There are three divisions within the Munitions Directorate which conduct research and development. They are the Assessment and Integration Division, the Ordnance Division, and the Advanced Guidance Division. ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION DIVISION (MNA) The Assessment and Integration Division is responsible for assessment of lethality, effectiveness, and utility of weapon technologies, and evaluation of expected weapon performance by simulation. The Division directs and conducts research and exploratory and advanced development in weapon/missile airframes, submunition dispensing, and weapon carriage and release concepts. The division also integrates optimal subsystems, performs tests, and conducts flight demonstrations. MNA maintains in-house facilities and capabilities in the areas of aeroballistics, weaponry aerodynamic performance analysis, and mechanical integration. The Division consists of the Computational Mechanics Branch (MNAC), the Lethality and Vulnerability Branch (MNAL), and the Flight Vehicles Integration Branch (MNAV). ADVANCED GUIDANCE DIVISION (MNG) The Advanced Guidance Division conducts research and directs exploratory and advanced development in electrooptical, millimeter-wave, and radio-frequency seekers for air-to-air and air-to-surface conventional weapons and submunition guidance. The Division performs laboratory, field, and captive flight tests of seeker concepts. The Division also operates and maintains a hardware-in-the-loop seeker evaluation facility, an image processing laboratory, a radio-frequency signal processing laboratory, a laser radar facility, and an electrooptics laboratory. The Division consists of the Seeker Image and Signal Processing Branch (MNGI), the Guidance Simulation Branch (MNGG), the Navigation and Control Branch (MNGN), and the Seeker Branch (MNGS). ORDNANCE DIVISION (MNM) The Ordnance Division directs and conducts research and exploratory and advanced development of fuzes, warheads, bombs, submunitions, ammunition, aircraft guns, feed systems, and explosives. Air launched munitions should consider fighter, bomber, and UAV aircraft as the launch platforms. MNM operates high-explosives R&D facilities that support munitions programs. MNM also provides technical evaluation and consulting services to other government agencies and industries concerned with munitions technology. MNM consists of the Energetic Materials Branch (MNME), the Fuzes Branch (MNMF), the Ordnance Integration Branch (MNMI), and the Damage Mechanisms Branch (MNMW). C. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS To support the missions of AFRL/MN, research is required in the areas described in this section. These descriptions are not meant to exclude other research topics which are consistent with the mission of the Munitions Directorate and its Divisions. These descriptions furnish specific examples of areas of interest and Directorate focal points associated with these technology areas.FLIGHT VEHICLES INTEGRATION RESEARCH The goal of this work is to perform flight vehicles integration research in the areas of: weapon airframe design, alternate flight control, submunition design dispensing technology, and compressed carriage missile design. Applications include high angle-of-attack missile and air-to-surface weapon airframes, rapid response weapon concepts for use on time-critical targets, hypersonic platform and space operating vehicle weapon integration/dispensing, and uninhabited combat air vehicle (UCAV) weapon integration/dispensing. Research interests also include advanced carriage and release equipment design for application to both internal and external carriage, especially as applied to small size and weight munitions on high speed advanced aircraft. Also of interest is active and passive control of air vehicles through the use of innovative technologies such as adaptive smart structures, microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems, micro blowing, synthetic jets, etc. Emphasis is on gathering a fundamental understanding of the unsteady flow field with and without the presence of flow control devices with an ultimate goal of increasing the load-out, improving performance and improving high angle-of-attack capabilities of missiles. Dr. Mike Valentino, AFRL/MNAV, 850-882-4651 ext 3475, Fax: 850-882-2201, email: valentin@eglin.af.mil END OF PART ONE. Posted 02/01/99 (W-SN293316). (0032)

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