A -- : INSENSITIVE HIGH EXPLOSIVES TECHNOLOGY

This is a Request for Information (RFI) from potential sources capable of providing an insensitive high explosive fill suitable for insertion into an Insensitive Munitions (IM) compliant general purpose bomb. Responses to this RFI will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. There is a desire to move away from trinitrotoluene (TNT) based fills since there is no longer a CONUS producer of TNT in existence. Therefore, it is desirable to develop General Purpose (GP) bombs (500 and 2000 pound class), which contain a non-TNT based high explosive fill that also meets all of the IM criteria as specified in MIL-STD-2105B. Respondents to this RFI should submit one or more white papers providing the following information: a) description of the explosive fill; b) the cost, CONUS availability, and ease of the raw materials production used to formulate the explosive; c) anticipated performance (desirable to meet or exceed current tritonal-filled GP bombs) of the explosive (i.e., blast pressure and the metal acceleration of the high explosive fill) should be substantiated by modeling and simulation and/or actual test data; d) degree of compatibility with current melt-cast GP bomb Load/Assemble/Pack (LAP) procedures; e) compatibility with inventory bomb components such as fuzes and booster trains; f) preservation of current GP bomb mass properties thereby minimizing flight recertification; and g) the amount of incremental improvement in vulnerability to unplanned stimuli of the new explosive material versus PBXN-109. (If available provide results of the environmental and the IM tests specified in MIL-STD-2105B.) Respondents to this RFI may be requested to provide additional information/details based on their initial submittals. It is requested that only publicly releasable information be submitted. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only, does not constitute a formal Request for Proposals (RFP), and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. All information contained in this RFI is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is in no way binding on the Government. Responses to this notice shall be mailed to the Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Contracting Division, AFRL/MNK, Bldg 13, 101 west Eglin Blvd., Suite 337, Eglin Air Force Base, FL 32542-6810, ATTN: Vicki Keider, or sent electronically to contact@example.gov. Please provide electronic responses with this subject: RFI for INSENSITIVE HIGH EXPLOSIVES TECHNOLOGY. Responses must be received no later than 3 PM CDT on April 26, 2002. For technical questions, please contact Dr. Patrick Goguen, at +1 (555) 000-0000 x116 or by email at contact@example.gov.