17 -- ADVANCED AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SYSTEM

Notice Date

November 21, 2000

Contracting Office

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Contracts Department, Building 129-2, Highway 547, Lakehurst, NJ 08733-5083

ZIP Code

08733-5083

Solicitation Number

N68335-01-RFI-001

Response Due

December 11, 2000

Point of Contact

Barbara Petrzilka, 732-323-2067, or Amy Hayward, 732-323-2921

Description

This is a Request for Information and Notice of Conference. There is no solicitation available at this time. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this RFI, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to the Government. The Naval Air Systems Command is seeking information from potential sources who can design, develop, manufacture, integrate hardware and software, test and support an Advanced Arresting Gear Engine (AAGE). The AAGE is intended to be the Navy's newest shipboard recovery system capable of recovering the present and future naval fixed wing aircraft along with Unmanned Air Vehicles. The AAGE is being developed for backfit into the CVN-68 class aircraft carrier, with applications for future aircraft carriers. The major design objectives for the AAGE are: improve arresting gear safety margins and service life, provide Total Ownership Cost (TOC) savings by reducing both operational and maintenance costs, and provide new operational capabilities, including the ability to safely and efficiently recover both heavier/faster aircraft and lightweight unmanned air vehicles. Proposed performance parameters for the new AAGE are: Maximum Energy Absorption; 60 Mft-lbs at 390' (57000 lb aircraft), Minimum Energy Absorption; Threshold 11 Mft-lbs, Goal 6 Mft.-lbs, Maximum Engaging Speed; 155 knots, Minimum Engaging Speed; Threshold 80 knots, Goal 65 knots, Maximum Cable Load; Threshold 95 kips, Goal 85 kips, Runout Distance; 345'for 68 class ships/ 390' forward fit, Cycle Time; Threshold 45 sec, Goal 40 sec, Peak-to-Mean; Threshold- Heavy 1.31, Goal -- Heavy 1.24, Threshold- Light 2.58, Goal- Light 2.43, Three wire system Ao, 0.90, MCBCF, 2600, MTTR, 1 hr, MLDT, 133 hr., Maximum Skew of Approaching Aircraft from Centerline, 6 deg., Maximum Aircraft Offset from Centerline, 20 ft., Maximum Cable Bounce During Aircraft Roll over, 1 ft., Maximum Cable Envelope Above Deck, 2-5.5 in., Sustained Sortie Recovery Rate; 150/220 aircraft during a 12 hr day over a 30-day cycle, Surge Sortie Rate; 240/310 aircraft during a 24 hr operating period over 4/6 continuous days, System Weight (ship set installed); Threshold 262 Tons, Goal 212 Tons, System Volume (ship set installed), Threshold 2,450 ft , Goal 1,950 ft , Peak Sortie Rate; Threshold 1 aircraft/minute, 15 minute cycle, Goal 24 A/C in 20 minutes, Max Aircraft Hook Load; Threshold Hookload limit for all Navy A/C, Goal 90% Hookload limit for all Navy aircraft. The AAGE program will reflect a system-level acquisition approach for a new arresting gear system to replace the aging MK 7 Mod 3 system. The Navy's goal is to develop and procure an entire recovery system (new arresting gear engines, new sheave dampers or other dynamic phase load control devices as required, and a new recovery control system and associated interfaces.). However, an EVOLUTIONARY ACQUISITION STRATEGY that fields a core arresting gear system, with modular open structure that provides for additional future preplanned product improvement (P3I) block upgrades may be necessary. The government intends to structure a program that is economically feasible while meeting the needs of the fleet. This may result in the contractor(s) pricing out the core AAGE Basic System and the specific AAGE P3I System block upgrades incrementally. The AAGE BASIC SYSTEM for an aircraft carrier is composed of four AAGE engines (three Pendant Engines + One Barricade/Pendant Engine), and one basic operational control system that will require only 7-8 arresting gear system operators to conduct normal recovery operations. The AAGE Basic System will interface with the current Sheave Damper system, Fairlead and Deck Sheaves system, Purchase Cable and Cross Deck Pendants, and will be able to incorporate P3I upgrades with minimal redesign. The AAGE P3I SYSTEM will be comprised of the following P3I block upgrade options. In order of preference: (1) Option: Enhanced control system for the basic AAGE system with the following capabilities: Conditioned based maintenance; Automated diagnostic troubleshooting & prognostic capability; Reachback maintenance capability; Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals; Continuous system status condition monitoring & BIT/BITE; Embedded operator training; and other enhancements. (2) Option: Redesigned sheave damper system (may be an active control system) with capabilities compatible with the enhanced AAGE control system. (3) Option: New high-strength, light-weight Purchase Cable/CDP. The AAGE program will be conducted as a multi-phase acquisition program. The first phase to be executed is the Concept Exploration & Development phase. The Concept Exploration and Development phase will assess alternatives, develop program documentation, and solicit a development contractor. Industry will be invited to support this effort as appropriate in the form of reviewing and providing inputs to draft specifications, RFPs, and other program documentation and acquisition issues. A single contract will be awarded for the System Development & Demonstration (SDD) phase (formally Engineering and Manufacturing (EMD) phase) through full and open competition for a full size, fully integrated, production representative system for Technical and Operational Evaluation. (plus additional subsystems/components required to support environmental and shock qualification of the system). The SDD system will initially be surfaced mounted at the NAWCADLKE Jet Car Track Site for testing with deadloads. Following successful completion of an initial Developmental Test (DT) program, the system will be moved and installed below ground in the Runway Assisted Landing Site (RALS) for follow-on Developmental Testing, Technical Evaluation (TECHEVAL), and Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) with aircraft. Following a successful TECHEVAL/OPEVAL at the land based test site, a sole source contract for production quantities will be awarded to support CVN-68 class ship availability's and possible CVNX class installations. The Concept Exploration & Development (phase I) will begin in FY 01 and continue into FY 02 (18 months). The System Development & Demonstration phase (phase II) will begin in mid FY 02. The Phase III contract will be a sole source, fixed price incentive (FPI) contract for production units including technical and logistic data to support CVN 68 class installation availability's. Options will be included to support CVNX construction schedule. The Navy will host an Industry Briefing at NAWCAD Lakehurst, New Jersey on 04 January 2001 to discuss the program goals and technical requirements, present government information and background and to answer questions. Draft copies of the program plan and operational requirements document will be available prior to the meeting upon request. At the conclusion of the meeting the government will request technical "white papers" be provided by interested participants within 30 days describing potential technologies and system solutions which may meet the Navy's needs. The government will evaluate the submitted white papers as industry's definition of potential solutions covering the stated problems and technologies for inclusion into the Analysis of Alternatives (AOA). The AOA will resolve which technical approach is most feasible and will provide the basis for establishing program thresholds, cost and performance trade-offs, as well as formulate the analytical basis for program decisions. The RFP will be written around the alternative that best meets the Navy's operational needs and budget. It is recommended that the white papers include as much technical/engineering information and cost data as possible in order for the government to properly evaluate the feasibility of the technologies proposed. The Specific meeting location and agenda will be provided pending receipt of participant's request to attend. If you plan to attend the industry brief, please submit a fax to the Contracting Officer at (732) 323-4822 with the company name/address, names and positions of attendees, and citizenship of attendees. Attendance is limited to U.S. citizens only. Your request must be received not later than 4pm on 11 December 2000 to obtain access. In order to facilitate the question and answer period, you are requested to submit preliminary questions to the Contracting Officer no later than 20 December 2000. Note that information to be provided is subject to export controls. Please ensure a certified DD Form 2345 is completed prior to attending the conference, in order to receive information. See CBD Note 8.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001124/17SOL001.HTM (W-326 SN5071V6)