A -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION -- FIXED WING VEHICLE INITIATIVE

Notice Date

August 29, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL -- Wright Research Site, Det 1 AFRL/PK Bldg 167, Area B, 2310 8th Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433-7801

ZIP Code

45433-7801

Description

INTRODUCTION: =20 The Fixed Wing Vehicle (FWV) Initiative is a government-sponsored activity whose mission is to develop military Fixed Wing Vehicle technologies that will enable revolutionary capabilities for DOD warfighters in focused, high-payoff areas. The FWV Initiative evaluates future warfighter capability needs, sets revolutionary system-level goals, identifies critical technology paths, and assesses technology readiness through system-level concept demonstrations. The Government membership of the FWV Initiative consists of: the office of the Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The FWV Initiative is seeking input to this activity from companies with demonstrated ability to develop warfighter capabilities. The Government will invite companies with an Air Force coordinated Advanced Aerospace Technology Plan to participate in the FWV Initiative. The Government will also invite these companies to provide input to the development of government goals and plans necessary to enable the envisioned revolutionary FWV capabilities. =20 PURPOSE: =20 The Government shall use this Request for Information (RFI) to identify prospective industry participants for the FWV Initiative. The Government will invite qualifying industry members to provide insight/perspective into the planning process.=20 =20 Industry participants will support the development of the national FWV Roadmaps along current technology focus areas. The military participants (AFRL and ONR) use these roadmaps each year to build fiscal year program buy plans. Industry participants will also have input into the definition of FWV goals for future focus areas created to enhance warfighter capabilities that the Fixed Wing Vehicle Initiative does not currently address. Additionally, the Government will consider industry participants' input in shaping the roadmaps to achieve these goals. This request for information is for planning purposes only. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: =20 Interested companies must submit two copies of their proposed Advanced Aerospace Technology Plan (AATP) to the technical point of contact identified below by 02 Oct 2001. Proprietary AATPs in contractor format are acceptable, and the Government will protect proprietary rights. The Government will subsequently notify qualifying companies.=20 Foreign sources are not permitted to respond due to ITAR/PL 98-94 requirements and/or security requirements. The Foreign Disclosure Branch has determined that because the effort will contain information on the Military Critical Technology List or involve classified information to the Top Secret level, foreign participation as a prime contractor is excluded. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not obligate the government in any way. This is not a formal request for proposal. Response to this request is on a voluntary basis and failure to respond will not affect any future acquisitions. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Request for Information or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under the contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, "Bid and proposal costs," of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The government will not return any materials submitted in response to this RFI. The intent of the AATP is to exhibit the company's approach to achieve the FWV goals. In each plan, the company should highlight the following items: activities that are company-sponsored and government-funded, congruent with current FWV plans (Focus Area roadmaps), and major programs that demonstrate enhanced war fighter capabilities and technology readiness. The detail in the AATP should include program description and funding levels. For each focus area, current FWV goals, technology areas with descriptions, and technology area roadmaps are available for review at the Fixed Wing Vehicle page on the AFRL Controlled Website, https://aftech.afrl.af.mil/. If you currently do not have access to this controlled website, you may contact Jackie Collins of AFRL/XPTC at (937) 656-9864 to see if you are eligible. FOCUS AREAS AND CONCEPT DEMONSTRATORS: =20 The FWV Initiative is currently comprised of three Focus Areas. These Focus Areas are Sustainment, Unmanned Air Vehicles, and Space Access and Future Strike Systems. =20 (1) Sustainment =20 The Sustainment Focus Area concentrates on developing, demonstrating and transitioning technology to extend and/or enhance aircraft life and reduce the operating costs of fielded systems to meet tomorrow's warfighter needs. Directions emphasized within the Sustainment Focus Area include modeling and simulation to assess or predict responses to changes in the operating environment, capability enhancements to enable air vehicle operations beyond the original design life, and cost reduction methods to control the escalating cost growth of operating and supporting aircraft. (2) Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) =20 The UAV Focus Area concentrates on the research and development of technologies to enable routine operation of high-payoff unmanned air vehicles across the full spectrum of warfare. The primary focus is to develop technology that results in innovatively configured and controlled, affordable and reliable UAV systems. The FWV Initiative is pursuing viable UAV technologies that enable systems for combat and surveillance roles. Currently, envisioned air vehicle systems/concepts for potential technology application in this focus area are Combat UAVs, and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance UAVs. =20 (3) Space Access and Future Strike Systems =20 The Space Access and Future Strike Systems focus area develops and validates technologies to increase responsiveness and reduce the cost of operating a full spectrum aerospace force with a comprehensive range of capabilities to control and exploit the seamless aerospace environment. The primary focus at this time is on basic research to enable on-demand launch of military access-to-space missions and to greatly enhance the ability of high-speed aerospace vehicles to project power from CONUS bases against heavily-defended global targets. Affordable, responsive aerospace access and effective global power projection will be attained not by development of any single critical technology but by the successful maturation and integration of a number of advanced air vehicle and propulsion technologies, including the development of highly-efficient computational tools to accurately predict aero-thermal, structural, and propulsion responses and more importantly, multidisciplinary design and optimization methods to predict interactions. Currently, envisioned air vehicle systems/concepts for potential technology application in this focus area include Reusable Launch Vehicles with aircraft-like operability and the next generation of Long Range Strike Aircraft (LRSA). Concepts will be developed for the Air Force's first responsive Reusable Launch Vehicle, entitled the Space Operations Vehicle (SOV), that provide a highly flexible, reusable space launch vehicle capable of performing a broad range of military missions in and through space. The SOV must provide swift response, affordable cost, assured access to space, global coverage, and reduced vulnerability to enemy defenses; employing either an orbital or sub-orbital profile. Missions include providing launch-on-demand, providing ISR and space control by deploying the Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) with assorted ISR/space control packages, deploying the CAV to perform conventional global strike missions, and coupling with the SMV to perform limited on-orbit repair. Concepts will be developed for the Long Range Strike Aircraft (LRSA) that provide the Air Force with the ability to project military power from CONUS anywhere around the globe and respond rapidly to enable combat operations even when it has no permanent military presence or only limited infrastructure in a region. MEMBERSHIP: =20 The Government expects that qualifying industry members will participate in the activities required to obtain the FWV objective. The FWV objective is to achieve and track progress of the national goals through sufficient planning and execution of the technology programs on the roadmaps. To achieve these objectives, the Government will invite participating industry members to attend Leadership Integrated Product Team meetings and establish an active role in the FWV Integrated Product Team (IPT). =20 Leadership Integrated Product Team (LIPT): =20 The Leadership Integrated Product Team is comprised of government Senior Executive Service and Military Directors, and others as deemed necessary by the committee. The Government will invite each participating company to send a representative to attend the semi-annual Leadership Integrated Product Team meetings. The duties of the committee are: =20 1. Review, guide and support the efforts of the IPT. =20 2. Promote and advocate the program. =20 3. Provide strong leadership to continuously inspire the team; articulate the team's position at executive levels; and insure a strong focus on the goals. =20 FWV Integrated Product Team (IPT): =20 The IPT, which is the main working group of the program, is comprised of government planners/technology focus area leads and industry's technology directors. The duties of this team are: =20 1. Develop and promote a national aeronautics strategy and technology investment plan for the FWV Initiative. =20 2. Provide technical and managerial expertise and insight to the objectives of the program. =20 3. Provide technical and programmatic information on current and future research activities within their organizations. =20 4. Serve as champions and focal points for the program within their respective organizations. =20 5. Support and inform the LIPT. =20 6. Propose the objectives and goals of the program to the LIPT for guidance and concurrence. =20 7. Form and dissolve Focus Area Working Groups, under the policies and guidance promulgated by the government's Focus Area leaders, to support the needs of the IPT and the LIPT. =20 8. Form and dissolve Cross-cutting Technology Working Groups (technology which crosses Focus Area lines) to support the needs of the IPT and LIPT. =20 POINTS OF CONTACT: =20 Technical Point of Contact: =20 Captain Patrick Hernandez =20 Air Force Research Laboratory/Air Vehicles Directorate AFRL/VAOT, Building 45, Room 146 2130 8th Street Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7542 =20 Voice: (937) 656-4001 =20 Email: patrick.hernandez@wpafb.af.mil =20 =20 Contracting Point of Contact: =20 Mr. Douglas Harris =20 Air Force Research Laboratory =20 Det 1 ADRL/PK (AFRL/VAK) =20 Building 167; 2310 Eighth Street =20 Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7542 =20 Voice: (937) 255-3427 =20 Email: douglas.harris@wpafb.af.mil =20

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010831/SPMSC020.HTM (D-241 SN50W396)