REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION; no award will be made as a result of this request. This request for information is for informational purposes only; this is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). All interested parties are encouraged to respond to this RFI. The Government will not pay for information and materials received in response to this RFI and is in no way obligated by the information received. **Questions & Responses Added - Updated w/additional Q&As 11/19** 1. SCOPE. Background: The mission of the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is to rapidly increase mission capability while reducing risk to Soldiers and others by equipping operational commanders with off-the-shelf (government or commercial) solutions or near-term developmental items that can be researched, developed and acquired quickly. The REF receives requirements from operational commanders in war zones setting forth the capabilities needed. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain potential solutions to provide mast mounted surveillance cameras. The REF believes that Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN) in Iraq and Afghanistan will require the use of mast mounted day/night cameras in order to accomplish these efforts. Alternative solutions submitted by companies responding to this RFI will also be considered. Experience and information obtained from this request for information will be provided to Army Product Manager REF who will evaluate the information and feasibility of issuing a procurement action to resolve the stated problem. 2. REQUIREMENTS. The REF has a need for a mast mounted day/night camera that will increase situational awareness and surveillance operations. The system will operate during day, night and all weather conditions. 2.1. The system should be able to sling loaded or air deliverable. 2.2. The system must have a night/thermal and day camera attached to a mast. 2.3. The mast must have the ability to be raised and lowered. 2.4. The mast must have the ability to be raised and lowered to height between 20 and 50 feet. 2.5. The camera must have the ability to detect targets at four kilometers. 2.6. The camera must have the ability to identify targets at two kilometers. 2.7. The camera must have an internal laser range finder and be capable of returning an azimuth and direction from a target at the identifying range (2km). 2.8. Must have an installation time of less than 30 minutes. 2.9. The system must have the ability to be powered by attached solar panels, an external generator, or an alternate power source. 2.10. The system will be trailer mounted. 2.11. The system will have the ability to be integrated with other mast mounted camera systems (same salient characteristics) and all systems can be linked to a centralized node. 2.12. Each system will have a minimum of one viewing monitor. 2.13. The system must be significantly robust to operate in a rugged environment. 2.13.1. Operating Temperature Range: -24 Celsius to +50 Celsius. 2.13.2. Must be able to sustain extensive dust, sand, snow and wind. 2.14. The delivery timeline will be NLT 60 days ARO. 2.15. System must be an off-the-shelf (government or commercial) item. Questions & Responses Q1. Is the detection computerized as it pans the target area or is it manual assisted with human interface? A1. Manually assisted with human interface. Q2. What does the government mean by 'sling loaded or air deliverable'? A2. The system must have at least four lifting shackles attached to the trailer to give it the ability to be sling loaded by helicopter. Q3. Regarding requirement 2.11, 'and all systems can be linked to a centralized node;' does the government mean using IP cameras? How far is the single node from each individual mast? A3. Yes, the government means using networked cameras. Cannot provide the distance from the single node to each individual mast. Q4. What is the target size is for detection at 4km and identify at 2km? A4. Vehicles and Personnel. Q5. How many systems are you seeking for delivery of 60n days ARO? A5. The REF is seeking two systems for delivery of 60 days ARO. Q6. Is the expectation that cameras will be able to see items placed in a culvert (i.e. at the opening) or that the cameras will have video analytics to be able to detect someone placing an item in a culvert? A6. No. Q7. How will the output from the laser range finder be used, are there existing capabilities that will use this information or is it just to provide ground personnel the location of a target? Q7. Provide ground personnel the location of a target. Q8. Does the camera need to be controlled locally at the mast and at a centralized node? A8. The camera needs to be only controlled at a centralized node. Q9. How will the cameras be utilized, ie focused on a fixed area until there is a need to pan, tilt, zoom? A9. The cameras will be used to focus on a fixed area until there is a need to pan, tilt, zoom. Q10. The RFI references a need for situational awareness, is there situational awareness required other than video analytics such as a COP with geospatial overlay? A10. No. Q11. Are you looking for any features at the viewer such as motion sensing or exclusion zones? A11. No. Q12. Assuming the solar powered component, how long does the unit need to run if there is not adequate sunlight? IE is there a battery runtime requirement? A12. At least 24 hours. Q13. Is there any requirement for the centralized node to be accessible via a satellite connection? A13. No. Q14. Requirement 2.12 references a monitor, is this required to be located on each unit? A14. Just the CP node area with two monitors (minimum one monitor per camera). Q15. Is there a video recording requirement on each node or on the centralized node? A15. No. Q16. Are there any specialized encryption or security requirements for the data transmission / video streaming? A16. No. Q17. Is there any type of deployment or survival wind speed requirements? A17. 50 kts. 3. DELIVERABLES Specific information on industry capability to produce a system that can meet the requirements identified in paragraph 2 above, or otherwise solves the problem of identifying and detecting objects being emplaced. This is NOT a Request for Proposal. Companies who desire to participate in this market survey are encouraged to submit a white paper which supports the companys claim that it presently has the technology, qualifications, and capabilities to satisfy one or more of the performance and technical objectives described above. The white paper should discuss the companys ability to develop and or provide existing technologies to detect items placed in culverts in Iraq and Afghanistan and should provide a ROM (rough order of magnitude) price and its anticipated delivery for the solution proposed. The white paper should also discuss related company experience and include point(s) of contact. The white paper should be prepared in MS Word, limited to ten (10) pages, and submitted electronically to the contract specialist at
contact@example.gov. The company shall be responsible for any costs associated with preparing responses to this market research. All requests for further information must be made in writing or via email; telephone requests for additional information will not be honored. The government will review RFI submissions as they are received. The government reserves the right to close this RFI once they have received adequate response(s) to this RFI.
