14 -- Zuni 5-Inch Rocket System

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, desires information which will serve as a market survey and assist the Government in determining the feasibility and affordability of providing a family of guided rocket solutions to be integrated into the current 5-inch Zuni rocket system for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Weapon solutions should provide a lethal capability against fixed and moving targets in clear, obscured, and adverse weather conditions.The Government desires approaches that provide a low cost guided rocket capability that meets a fielding requirement of FY12 after a development start in FY09. The concept is to utilize the 5-inch Zuni unguided rocket as the basic airframe. It is anticipated that a Semi Active Laser seeker would be a baseline requirement to provide the clear weather capability. Additional information for other guidance modes to address the adverse/through the weather capability is also requested. It is further anticipated that the basic configuration would initially utilize the MK32 Mod 0 anti tank/personnel and MK63 high explosive warheads and MK 71 Mod 2 rocket motor. It is anticipated that a launcher redesign would be required to accommodate the additional length of the guidance package. The All Up Round must be capable of being delivered at the component level (guidance section, rocket motor, warhead, and fuze). The system must provide backwards component compatibility with the current Zuni rocket products as much as possible. The Government is considering two approaches: The first is a low-cost approach to develop a guidance and control package utilizing existing rocket motors and warheads, for integration on the F/A-18 C/D for shore-based operations only. Minimal aircraft software and no aircraft hardware modifications are required. This approach should provide the architecture for future growth of weapon capability and platform integration. The second approach is to develop a guidance and control package, improve the IM performance of the rocket motor and warhead, incorporate a - smart rocket launcher to provide the ability to set weapon laser codes from the cockpit and communication to and from the weapon, and allow for land and ship board operations (to include MIL-STD-1901 and MIL-STD-1316 compliance), all for integration on the F/A-18 C/D & E/F as an all inclusive program. Responses should address the following areas: 1. Technical Approach 2. Lock On After Launch/Lock On Before Launch trade offs 3. Impact of design alternatives on aircraft integration 4. Maximum Range Performance 5. Minimum Range Performance 6. Probability of hit (P/hit) and accuracy 7. Impact of design alternatives on warhead lethality and reliability 8. Guidance and control reliability, maintainability, and supportability 9. Aiming requirements and other operational considerations 10. Weapon build-up, maintenance, and testing requirements 11. Schedule and non-recurring and recurring cost implications 12. Assessment of risk and technology readiness levels Additional Information: Responses to this RFI shall also include, but are not limited to: (a) A brief description of your company including name and address of firm, ownership, year firm established, its size, major products, primary customer focus; (b) A discussion of your company's past experience and performance at designing and producing guidance systems; (c) Customer Contacts, including Contracting Officer's and Technical points of contact names and telephone numbers in order for NAVAIR to validate your statements; (d) Any other technical information respondents deem necessary to aid the Government in making an informed assessment. Responses should be limited to 25 pages of documentation. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review. Submitted data will not be returned. Foreign Participation. This program will require a development effort in certain critical technologies/data that are not releasable to foreign firms. To participate a foreign firm may be required to team with a U.S. firm that possesses a U.S. facility clearance with technologies/data safeguarding capabilities, inclusive of the authority to receive critical technology and/or data required to execute this program and subsequent product improvements. Any resultant contractor teaming or license agreements between U.S. firms and foreign firms, to include employment of foreign nationals by U.S. firms, shall be in accordance with current U.S. export laws, security requirements, and National Disclosure Policy and shall require the prior approval of the contracting officer and foreign disclosure officer. The U.S. Government will provide foreign disclosure guidance to the U.S. firms. Technical References: Additional technical information will be made available to potential respondents of the RFI upon request. Information available includes product specifications and top-level assembly drawings for Zuni components. Important Information: Unless otherwise stated herein, no additional written information is available, and no formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation regarding this announcement is currently available. Requests for the same will be disregarded. There is no commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, to make an award or awards, or to be responsible for any monies expended by any interested parties before award of a contract for the effort mentioned above. Information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a contract. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in the Fed Biz Ops (FBO) http://www.fedbizopps.gov/index.html). It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based on responses hereto. It is anticipated that an additional RFI may be released within 6 months of receipt of responses to this RFI that will provide further programmatic detail. Written responses, either via email or fax, must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. 19 February 2006. Responses should be submitted in hard copy and in electronic format compatible and accessible using Microsoft Office 2000 software. Responses and any questions about this RFI should be in writing and sent to the following address: NAVAIRSYSCOMHQ, Contracts AIR-2.4.4.4, Attn: Rod Powell-Salas 47123 Buse Road, Building 2272, Suite 453, Patuxent River, MD 20670 or via email to michael.powell-salas@navy.mil. Any information that the submitter considers to be proprietary should be marked accordingly. Any information that is not marked as proprietary will not be considered as proprietary and may be subject to disclosure to third parties. Questions regarding this RFI can be addressed to the undersigned. Technical questions or requests for technical information should be directed to: Charles Paras, (NSWC-IH) e-mail address charles.paras@navy.mil and Michelle McBride, e-mail address michelle.mcbride@navy.mil. Procurement Point of Contact (POC) for this synopsis is Contract Specialist, LCDR Jadon Lincoln, e-mail address jadon.lincoln@navy.mil, tel. #(301)-757-5913; and fax #(301) 757-5973.