Advanced Skirt Technology for current Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and Sea Base-to-Shore Connector (SSC) craft that may employ an air cushion system. REVISION ONE (1)

THIS SYNOPSIS WAS ORGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OR ABOUT 14 NOVEMBER 2005 (DON-SNOTE 051116-001). THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVISION IS TO UPDATE AND ADD THE FOLOWING INFORMATION: 1. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST APPLIES TO THIS ACTION AND ANY RESULTANT AWARD AS DEFINED IN FAR SUBPART 9.5, ORGANIZATIONAL AND CONSULTANT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; AND 2. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS OF PROPOSAL ARE ACCEPTABLE. ADVANCED SKIRT TECHNOLOGY Introduction: This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2). A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWC PC) will not issue paper copies of this announcement. NSWC PC reserves the right to select for award all, some or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. NSWC PC reserves the right to fund all, some or none of the proposals received under this BAA. NSWC PC provides no funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. It is the policy of NSWC PC to treat all proposals as sensitive, competitive information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation. Background: This program supports one of the Seabasing Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) programs, High-Speed Sea Base-to-Shore Connector Technologies (HSSBSC), managed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). One area of interest in this FNC program is the enhanced Sea State capability of the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) and the Sea Base-to-Shore Connector (SSC). The earliest LCACs will reach the end of their 30-year service life beginning in 2014. The LCAC replacement, the SSC, is in the initial stages. Since the Seabasing Capability Based Assessment is still under development, a spiral development approach may be needed to accommodate this timeline. The SSC will be similar in width to the present LCAC and operated from the legacy amphibious fleet while the length may vary from existing to 1.5 the current length. Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM) concepts as well as tactical operational experience has dictated that the replacement LCACs have an increased sea state operational c! apability while still being able to enter/operate/exit an existing amphibious ship's well deck. Under this BAA, NSWC-PC is soliciting proposals for advanced skirt technology (skirt, seals, fingers, etc.) for current Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) and SSC craft that may employ an air cushion system. The cushion must allow the vessel to transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo, and personnel from ship-to-shore and over the beach in up to a significant wave height of 6.2 feet (threshold)/10.6 feet (objective) (SS4/5) environment. In a typical mission, the craft will embark equipment, troops, and/or supplies; launch from amphibious ships (LHA, LHD, LPD-17, etc.); transit at high speed to the beach under assault; transit the surf zone and beach; proceed inland to a suitable offload site; offload rapidly; and return to the amphibious ship for reload and follow-on sorties. The objective of the advanced skirt is to allow current LCAC and future connector craft the ability to perform Sea Base-to-Shore missions in significant wave height of 6.2 feet (threshold)/10.6 fe! et (objective) (SS4/5) while still being compatible with legacy amphibious ships whose well decks were designed to accommodate craft up to the height and width of a current LCAC on cushion (49 ft wide and up to 25-10 high). This will require advances in skirt technology, as the LCAC was designed to be capable of performing ship-to-shore missions only up to sea state 3. One possible concept for increasing sea state capability while maintaining well deck compatibility is a variable geometry skirt that will enable the craft to enter/operate/exit the well deck in one configuration and to use a different configuration for at-sea operation and beach landing. Program Plan: Three phases of development are envisioned for the advanced skirt technology. Phase I is the base phase with the government's option to award Phase II and Phase III. The first phase of the program would consist of multiple awards requiring the following tasks: advanced skirt preliminary designs, trade study, feasibility study, full-scale skirt material selection and evaluation, operational design parameters for the variable geometry, and computer simulations of vehicle motion, air cushion pressures and flow, material static and dynamic loads, and craft performance and drag. Phase I will also require 2-dimensional model testing to be conducted at the vendor's facilities. The 2-dimensional testing will be a 1/5 model-scale athwartship section of the skirt, including both the port and starboard sides. The section will be inflated on a model hull section that is unconstrained in the vertical direction and operates over a static solid and water surface. These tests will ver! ify and demonstrate the variable geometry functioning of the skirt, using variable lift airflow, mechanical retraction, or whatever other means the design concept will employ in order to operate in the well deck. The tests will also verify the inflated skirt balance and stability and provide an opportunity for design refinements before incorporation into a complete 3-dimensional skirt system. Phase I is anticipated to last for 7 months. The government has the option and anticipates selection of the two or three most promising concepts and award Phase II contracts. The Phase II effort will develop the advanced skirt concept from the previous phase into a 3-dimensional design and construct a sub-scale skirt that will be tested on an appropriate tow tank test model identified by the government. A sub-scale skirt scalable to the existing LCAC will be constructed, and a skirt scalable to 1.5 times that of the existing LCAC may also be required (depending on the results of the analysis from Phase I). The government will select an appropriate test facility (or facilities) and conduct head-to-head tow tank and possible surf zone testing of the competing designs with contractor involvement. Phase II is anticipated to last for 8 months. It is anticipated that the government would then select one or two Phase III awards for full-scale prototype design and fabrication of an advanced skirt system for installation on an existing LCAC (or LCACs). The contractor will also be required to install skirt system on existing LCAC (with assistance from NSWC-PC) at an appropriate facility and assist the government in testing. Phase III is anticipated to have a period of performance of 9 months. Under this solicitation, the government requires a detailed cost proposal for Phase I, along with rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimates for Phases II and Phase III. The deliverables for Phase I and II will include a firm price cost proposal for the subsequent phase. As part of the Phase I and Phase II design process, the government will require the awardees to demonstrate/calculate how the prototype could be scaled up from the existing LCAC length to a length up to 1.5 times that of the current LCAC. Desired capabilities of the Advanced Skirt System: The following is a list of requirements and the desired thresholds/objectives for the Advanced Skirt design: Requirements List: 1. The skirt system must allow the LCAC to enter/operate/exit Navy Amphibious Ship Well Decks (L-Class Ships). In well deck entry/exit mode skirt maximum on'cushion width would be 49 ft, and the maximum length would not substantially exceed the current Deep Skirt length of 91-9; LCAC maximum height with skirt would be 25-10 threshold and 24-4 objective. 2. Advanced Skirt must be compatible with current Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) and be scalable to a vessel up to 1.5 times the length of the current LCAC (i.e. approximately 138 ft). 3. Advanced skirt outer attachment points will be the same as the current LCAC. Inner skirt attachment points have the potential for relocation. 4. Advanced skirt system will utilize current LCAC lift fans and ducting: For information, each of the four double-discharge, double width, double inlet (DWDI) lift fans of the existing LCAC were designed to produce static pressure of 165 psf gauge at a nominal lift air flow rate of 2028 cfs, at design point ambient conditions of standard atmospheric pressure and air temperature of 80oF. 5. Advanced skirt to be capable of wet well emergency LCAC recovery with the ship ballasted to 5 ft of water at the well deck sill, without the skirt snagging or catching on ship structure or otherwise impeding recovery. Thresholds/Objectives: Notional Requirements Threshold Objectives Sea State Capability SS4 SS5 (at approx 35 kts) (Significant Wave (Significant Wave Height Height 6.2 ft) 10.6 ft) Application and Submission Information: Proposals shall consist of two separately bound volumes; Volume I shall provide the technical proposal and management approach and Volume II shall address cost. Volume I length is limited to 35 pages exclusive of the Statement of Work (section G, below) which is limited to 20 pages. Pages are to be 8.5 x 11 inch, single-sided with 12-point font size. Volume II has no page limit. Succinct proposals are desired. Electronic submission is also acceptable. Volume I shall include the following sections: (A) Cover page, including BAA number, proposal title, technical and administrative points-of-contact along with the telephone, facsimile numbers, and e-mail addresses, followed by a letter signed by the authorized officer specifying the proposal validity period (at least 120 days). (B) An Executive Overview of the proposed technologies and/or concepts as well as any claims for the innovative proposed research, and how they will contribute to and support the objectives of a technology evaluation and demonstration. (C) A detailed technical proposal of the primary precepts of the concept with appropriate elaboration as to the ingenuity associated with the concept. (D) A summary of the deliverables including data associated with the proposed research. (E) A summary of the schedule and milestones for the proposed effort, which can be traced to the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). (F) A one-page WBS. (G) A Statement of Work (SOW) clearly detailing the scope and objectives of the work and technical approach to be taken for all phases, broken out by phase and, if any, specific contractor requirements. Any disclosure of information as relating to the merits of the concept included in the SOW but not included in the detailed technical proposal required by section (C) above will not be considered for award selection. If any portion of the proposed effort is predicated upon the use of Government-owned resources of any type, the contractor shall clearly identify: the resources required, the date the resource is required, the duration of the requirement, the source from which the resource may be acquired, if known, and the impact on the effort if the resource is not provided. (H) A description of the results, products and transferable technology expected from the contract. This section should specifically address any intellectual property claims associated with the outcome of this effort. (I) A brief discussion of past performance detailing previous accomplishments and work in this or closely related research areas as well as cost and schedule performance. Include contract numbers and their Points-of-Contact. (J) A brief discussion of the overall approach to the management of this effort, including brief discussions of total organization, use of personnel and their qualifications, project/function/subcontractor relationships, technology transition plans, government interfaces, and planning, scheduling, and control practices. Volume II shall consist of a cover page and two parts. Part I will provide a detailed cost breakdown by task/subtask, corresponding to the task numbers in the proposed Statement of Work. Each Program Phase must be separately priced. Volume II will include the one-page work breakdown structure, a cost summary and a detailed breakdown of cost for the effort by cost category by calendar/fiscal year for the following sections: (A) Direct Labor - Individual labor category or person, with associated labor hours and unburdened direct labor rates; (B) Indirect Costs - Fringe Benefits, Overhead, G&A, COM, etc. (C) Travel - Number of trips, number of days per trip, departure and arrival destinations, number of people, etc; (D) Separately identified subcontractor or consultant costs; (E) Materials should be specifically itemized with costs or estimated costs. An explanation of any estimating factors, including their derivation and application, shall be provided. Please include a brief description of the offeror's procurement method to be used; (F) Other Directs Costs should be itemized with costs or estimated costs. Backup documentation should be submitted to support proposed costs; and (G) Fee/Profit, including fee percentage. Evaluation Information: Per FAR 35.016(e), evaluation of proposals will be based on the following criteria: (A) The overall scientific and technical merit of the proposed approach, (B) The offeror's capabilities, related experience, experience of the key personnel who are critical to program success, facilities and/or techniques that are integral factors for achieving the proposed objectives, (C) The realism of estimated costs and schedules and the potential affordability impact on the Navy, including total ownership costs if applicable, and (D) Past performance. These criteria are in descending order of importance for evaluation purposes with technical merit significantly more important than the other evaluation criteria. Proposals will be evaluated using a scientific review process performed by an evaluation team of Government experts drawn from the Navy, Office of Naval Research and other Government agencies as necessary. Evaluation criteria for the three phases will be developed prior to the awarding of each phase. In general, the phases will be evaluated based on feasibility, potential performance, risk, complexity, maintenance issues, and cost. Proposals are to be submitted by 1500 on 01/20/2006. Proposals submitted after that date may be evaluated by the Government but will be considered to be of less priority for funding. Note: Contractors will be required to submit a second, more detailed Phase II and Phase III cost proposal as a deliverable of Phase I and Phase II respectively. However, only contractors who were awarded a Phase I contract will be considered for Phase II and only those awarded a Phase II contract will be considered for Phase III. The Government reserves the right to select for funding any, all, part or none of the responses received. For efforts funded as contracts, evaluation of the socio-economic merits will include the extent of commitment in providing meaningful subcontracting opportunities for small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business concerns, and historically black colleges and universities. This is to notify potential offerors that each contract that may be placed under this announcement, or solicitation to an institution of higher education must include the following clause: - As a condition for receipt of funds available to the Department of Defense (DoD) under this award, the recipient agrees that it is not an institution that has a policy of denying, and that it is not an institution that effectively prevents the Secretary of Defense from obtaining for military recruiting purposes: (A) an entry to campuses or access to students on campuses; or (B) access to! directory information pertaining to students. If the recipient is determined, using procedures established by the Secretary of Defense to implement Section 558 of Public Law 103-337 (1994), to be such an institution during the period of performance of this agreement, and therefore to be in breach of this clause, the Government will cease all payments of DoD funds under this agreement and all other DoD grants and cooperative payments unilaterally for material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of award. If your institution has been identified under the procedures established by the Secretary of Defense to implement Section 558, then: (1) no funds available to DoD may be provided to your institution through any contract, including any existing contract, (2) as a matter of policy, this restriction also applies to any cooperative agreement, and (3) your institution is not eligible to receive a contract or cooperative agreement in response to this solicitation." See instructions above for pre-proposals and proposals. The Government's preference is to award definitive contracts under this BAA. However, an award can be made via grant at the sole discretion of the Government. All responsive sources may submit proposals that will be considered by NSWC PC. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) are encouraged to submit proposals or join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete and severable areas of submarine escape, rescue, and diving for exclusive competition among these entities. This announcement constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d) (2) (i). The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. Technical content questions should be addressed to Mr. John Ducote. Interested parties are invited to respond to this synopsis. All responsible parties will be considered. POC and address to mail pre-proposals and proposals: NSWC PC, 110 Vernon Avenue, Panama City, FL 3240! 7-7015, Attn: Mr. John Ducote, Code E32, or E-mail: contact@example.gov. The following additional information is provided: (1) proposals may be submitted by any commercial firm, or institution of higher education (there is no longer a requirement that the entity be U.S. in origin), (2) not withstanding the dates specified in this BAA, proposals may be submitted any time prior to expiration of the BAA, (3) the following e-mail point of contact is provided for information regarding technical programs/technologies of interest within the areas identified: John Ducote, email: contact@example.gov and (4) the following e-mail points of contact are provided for information regarding contractual issues: POC: Ms. April Irby, Code XPS2, email: contact@example.gov. (1) Taken from NATO STANAG No. 4194 (Edition 1) with amendments 1-5; NATO Sea State Numerical Table, Open Ocean North Atlantic.