58--Market Survey for Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS)

Request For Information (RFI) Request for Information for Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Overview. The Government is seeking information to determine industrys capability to quickly produce and field PTDS systems and execute the operation & support (O&S) for all current and future PTDS supporting Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The Government is also seeking information to determine industrys capability to produce, field, operate, manage, support, and dispose of a family of aerostat-based persistent surveillance systems. Description of Current Fielded Systems. The PTDS program is a quick reaction capability (QRC) program with nine (9) systems currently fielded in two (2) Theaters. There are currently three (3) PTDS in Iraq and six (6) in Afghanistan. The PTDS provides an inclement weather, day/night, 360-degree detection, surveillance, and target marking capability. It has the ability to maintain persistent surveillance activity in its area of operation for periods exceeding 25 consecutive days. It is capable of receiving target coordinates from Command and Control (C2)/Fire Control Centers so its sensors may be cued to the target and maintain surveillance of it. PTDS is capable of detecting hostile fire, providing target coordinates to appropriate C2/Fire Control Centers, and marking (illuminating) ground targets for rapid reaction forces to engage. It can also provide communications relay and other capabilities, based on the payloads installed. The system sustains a minimum lift AGL of 2000 feet at 6500 feet above sea level at 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The vendor must have a broad technical understanding of aerostat operations to include all air components, ground components and support equipment. The PTDS airframe/platform components consist of but are not limited to a tethered aerostat, an inertial navigation system, Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors, weather sensors, aerostat state of health hardware, and installed mission payloads. Mission payloads provide a variety of sensor and communication functions using equipment such as the MX-20 and Common Sensor Payload cameras, airborne acoustic sensors, SINCGARS and EPLRS communications relay equipment and Joint Synchronized Information Transceiver (JSIT) for video broadcast. The PTDS modular and flexible payload support structure permits substituting other equipment as required. The PTDS ground components include a mobile aerostat mooring platform, ground based acoustic sensors, a ground control shelter (GCS) for command and control, and a test, maintenance and office shelter (TMOS). The Ground Control Shelter is an environmentally controlled 20 foot ISO shelter housing operator personnel, electrical racks permitting ready rear accessibility to components by operator and maintenance personnel, aerostat control and monitoring components, GPS, SD/HD video distribution, monitoring and archiving equipment, Control of Links and Analysis Workstation (CLAW), Joint Services Work Station (JSWS), input/output connections, Flight Termination System (FTS), Air Traffic Control (ATC) radios, tower to hold antennas and weather sensors, weather/lightning detection monitoring equipment, SIPR/NIPR/DSN connectivity. The TMOS is an environmentally controlled 20 foot ISO shelter housing personnel, test equipment, tools and general office equipment. The PTDS also includes equipment that is needed to support the systems operation, such as generators, JLG aerial lifts, fork lifts, and Gator utility vehicles. PTDS includes weather monitoring and lightning detection equipment to provide early warning of impending lightning, allowing operators to recover the aerostat and reduce the risk of damage from a lightning strike. The tether is marked with visible flags and IR strobes that are highly visible to pilots using night-vision goggles, in order to prevent aircraft from striking the tether. PTDS is staffed by contractor personnel trained to operate, maintain, and repair the system, with reach-back support to Continental United States (CONUS) available 24/7. Operators and fielding teams must deploy into theater 45 days before systems are scheduled for delivery. The 45 day period does not account for pre-deployment requirements to include but not limited to CRC, training, and testing. The crews are required to be annually certified as operators of all equipment. A system integration lab (SIL) aids in troubleshooting problems at operational sites. PTDS is capable of being set-up or disassembled within 48 hours. See Attachment A for Lessons Learned on the PTDS program. Family of Systems Description The PTDS family of systems may consist of an indefinite number of lighter than air-system configurations with varying payload capabilities, flight profiles, and operational environments. It is desired that systems in the family will fly above small arms range up to the height of the baseline PTDS, 2000-6500 feet AGL. Small arm calibers include any munitions .50 caliber and below. PTDS family mission payload capabilities may include but are not limited to a combination of the following. These are prioritized in order of importance: " EO/IR systems (single and dual sensor capability), " full motion video dissemination, " communications relay, " acoustic cueing sensors, " broadband data links or other data communications, " radars, " weather monitoring devices. Baseline PTDS systems include site support equipment such as generators, 10K forklift, Gator utility vehicle, JLG aerial lift, and auxiliary fuel bladders. New PTDS family systems design and their support concept may be such that this equipment is not required as part of the system. PTDS family systems will have a desired overall operational availability (Ao) of no less than 95%, with Ao defined as fully-mission-capable time/total time. (Total time does not include beyond-specification weather or battle damage related downtime.) An adequate supply of spare parts will be required to be maintained at operating sites or in theater in order to achieve the required operational availability. Spares should include, but will not be limited to, CSP, MX-20, AMUS, JLG aerial lift, generator, and the aerostat envelope. Recommended RFI Response Format Interested parties possessing relevant qualifications are requested to provide an unclassified white paper describing the following information: 1. Corporate capabilities, past and current performance information, available facilities and assets to support the above task. 2. Provide an approach for executing the PTDS program to include the following: a. Development, testing and production of new systems. i. First unit delivery needs to be 4 months after award of contract. ii. After the 1st unit your delivery rate should be 3 per month. iii. Contract kick off shall be scheduled within 30 days of contract award. b. Operator training. c. Maintenance training. d. Operations and sustainment of up to 15 deployed systems and one SIL system under the configuration provided in Figure 1. e. Assessment of the associated risks and respective mitigation strategies. f. A procurement award using a firm fixed-price contract. g. CONUS reach-back support to solve all equipment problems 7 days a week. 3. Provide a site operations and sustainment staffing strategy, to include the following: a. Optimal crew size necessary to operate and maintain the system 24 hours per day for an indefinite period of time in a combat theater of operation to include contingent of subject matter experts and tiger team members. b. Approach to insure the crew size will not exceed 110% nor fall below 95% at any time. Must account for required R&R period for crew members with a 1 year in theater contract. 4. Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost to accomplish O&S of 15 deployed systems and one System Integration Laboratory (SIL) system as well as procurement and O&S of up to 30 future PTDS systems. 5. General description and performance parameters and ROM cost of alternative aerostat-based persistent surveillance platforms to satisfy the Family of Systems described above. a. Performance parameters should include, at a minimum, aerostat height (AGL), ground elevation (above MSL), mission payload weight capacity, continuous time on station, maximum wind speed for operation, and required number of vehicles for airlift and road march. b. Identification of candidate EO/IR sensor(s). c. Describe your associated equipment required to maintain the system in theater. d. Provide information on systems that do not exclusively use helium, if available. 6. Explain your approach for equipment survivability to remain aloft with minimal or no down time. At a minimum include the following situations: a. Extreme weather conditions (lightning, wind, snow). b. Aerostat punctures due to hostile small arms fire, to include dwell time of aerostat with up to 6 small arm punctures and patch and recovery time. c. Aircraft avoidance, to include physical markings, IR tape, and strobes, all visible to pilots, both fixed and rotary wing, wearing night-vision goggles. d. Describe crew actions, procedures and coordinations to rapidly recover aerostat assembly within 1 mile in the event of a tether breakaway. 7. Explain your approach to field systems to include: a. Site Survey. b. Site Preparation. c. Transportation to area of operations (AOR). i. Shipping support. d. Transportation to site. i. Moving equipment in an austere transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, overpasses and low hanging wires). e. System check out and operational deployment. 8. Provide approach and evidence of capability to achieve overall operational availability (Ao) of no less than 95%. a. Approach should include actual reliability/MTBF data. 9. Provide historical test data and ATEC testing data, if available, on prototypes or deployed systems with capability similar to the baseline PTDS shown in figure 1. 10. For the aerostat family of systems, explain in detail a government lease option and the ROM cost. 11. The government is seeking non-proprietary innovative solutions, options and ideas (not limited to design) for future growth opportunities as required. 12. Name, telephone number, fax number, street address and e-mail address for Program, Technical and Cost points of contact. RFI Administrative Information. This request for information is for planning purposes only; this is not a Request for Quotations (RFQ) or Proposals (RFP). No solicitation document exists and a formal solicitation may or may not be issued by the Government because of the responses to this RFI. The Government may conduct an Industry Day on or about late OCT/early NOV 2009 to discuss prospective capabilities per the responses to this RFI. The Government will not be liable for payment of any expenditures incurred for response preparation purposes. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. All interested firms that possess the capabilities and capacities addressed herein are encouraged to respond to the notice by providing the information specified below, on or before 1700 hours on 2 October 2009. Information is preferred in soft-copy form in either Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft PowerPoint. If a soft-copy cannot be provided, written information will be accepted. Information may be provided through mail, or via e-mail. Telephone or email requests for additional information will not be honored. You may forward your UNCLASSIFED responses to PM Robotic & Unmanned Sensors, Attn: SFAE-IEW&S-NV-RUS (E. Ciaffi), Bldg 1201E, Ft. Monmouth, NJ 07703; and submitted electronically to Mr. Ettore Ciaffi (+1 (555) 000-0000) at contact@example.gov. Responses to this Notice should be unclassified. Sources responding to this notice should indicate whether or not they are a small business. Questions regarding this RFI may be addressed to Ettore Ciaffi at contact@example.gov EMAIL contact@example.gov ADDRESS contact@example.gov DESC CECOM POC Tom Kosinski, X23098