An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and Its Implications for 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technologies

BILLING CODE: 5001-03 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Army Science Board Request for Information - - An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and Its Implications for 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technologies. AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD ACTION: Request for information regarding support to an Army Science Board study entitled - An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and Its Implications for 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technologies. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix as amended) the Sunshine in Government Act of 1976 (U.S.C. 552b, as amended) and 41 Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR 102-3, 140 through 160) the Department of the Army requires industry information on products, science and technology (S&T) research, operational concepts and mission support innovations that support the modernization of the U.D. Army. No funds are available for any proposal or information submission and submitting information does not bind the Army for any future contracts/grants resulting from this request for information: (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although - proposal and - offeror are used in this Request for Information, your responses will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of market research. The Army Science Board is requesting information from organizations external to the Army that will help the board complete its analysis and ensure that all viable sources of information are explored. Based on information submitted in response to this request, the Army Science Board my subsequently conduct additional market research. To supplement the information developed in previous studies and otherwise available to the board, organizations are invited to submit information on products or technologies to support modernization of the U.S. Army. The Army Science Board is conducting a 2020 study entitled - An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and Its Implications for 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technologies. The Terms of Reference (TOR) for this study is attached. Among the objectives of this study are to examine and determine: What are the critical 5th Generation Combat Vehicle technologies? Which technologies should the Army invest in, accelerate, or otherwise take into account? The TOR guidance requests that the board should include consideration of technologies from industry, allies, and from other United States Government (USG) agencies other than the Department of the Army. ADDRESSES: Responses are to be submitted via email to the: Army Science Board. Attn: Designated Federal Officer, Ms. Heather J. Gerard at: heather.j.gerard.civ@mail.mil. FOR FURTHER INFORMTION CONTACT: Ms. Heather J. Gerard can be reached via phone at 703-545-8652. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: Background. In its previous study, - An Independent Assessment of the Next Generation Armor/Anti-Armor Strategy, the ASB used the successful fielding of the M1 Abrams as a model to outline the development and fielding of a 5th Generation Combat Vehicle. That FY 19 study provided a series of key, substantive insights into the development and fielding of the 5th Generation Combat Vehicle, to include: Vehicle Design Attributes Critical 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technologies Recommended 5th Generation Combat Vehicle Technology Testbeds Scope. This Request for Information (RFI) intends to gather information relevant to nine key design attributes identified in the FY 19 study. The nine areas for which the RFI seeks relevant technology information include: 1. Mobility: lighter-weight of construction materials and of protection and weapons systems, silent mobility, fuel-efficient propulsion systems, operations with reduced crew, and improved speed over complex terrain 2. Protection: 360o protection, advanced armors and ballistic protection for, integrated active protection systems, and countermeasures 3. Masking: next-generation active and passive means to reduce the EMS, acoustic, and thermal signatures to render the system difficult to locate and very hard to target; low profile design to lower a vehicle's radar cross section and reduce its thermal, electronic, and acoustic signature; low-tech passive systems such as next-generation camouflage netting, color-changing materials and radar absorbing paint; intelligent multispectral camouflage systems to rapidly blend a vehicle into the existing EMS background; decoys and portrayal of false actions and locations; cognitive electronic warfare systems employing machine learning to counter the enemy's radars and optics; electronic jamming to protect the emissions of friendly communications and electronic systems against enemy detection; electronic warfare support measures and signals intelligence; electronic countermeasures (ECM) and digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) to hide beneath the blanket of enemy or friendly jamming; and active acoustic dampening provided by ancillary, networked robotic systems that could generate false readings and false locations 4. Firepower: cannons and munitions; automated/assisted target recognition tracking; rapid target de-confliction and cooperative engagement; and precision fires at close and extended ranges 5. Robotics: manned-unmanned teams, unmanned ground vehicles as wingmen for protection systems and/or fires, AI for simplified command and control, and unmanned air vehicles (tactical drones) for enhanced situational awareness and/or top attack of enemy vehicles 6. Command & Control Networks: AI, decision aids, hardened electronics, resistance to cyber-attacks, quality of service, self-forming, resistance to jamming and electromagnetic pulses, assured information, and cooperative engagement 7. Computing: software resistant to cyber-attacks; aided target recognition; AI for assisted mission planning, fire control, route planning, and human factors; embedded onboard training; embedded PNT; precision fires; and cooperative engagement 8. Improved Reliability and Maintainability: reduced mean time to repair, onboard/embedded diagnostic and prognostics, reduced fuel consumption, and near-real-time condition reporting 9. Improved Human Factors: reduced crew cognitive load, modern intuitive man-machine interfaces, AI-assisted task automation, 360 and overhead observation, and crew stations and placement Submission Instructions and Format: To respond to this RFI, submit responses via email, identifying the specific area(s), listed above. Responses must be received by March 15, 2020 by 5:00 pm EST. Submissions should specifically address the following: Which area or areas are the technologies or systems being proposed? Within the area(s) what attributes are being addressed? What is the capability improvement that the proposed technology or technologies will give the new combat vehicle? What is the proposed concept (how is the new technology going to work)? What is the current maturity level (TRL or other measure of maturity like Basic Research, Applied Research, Technology Demonstration or Technology Development, or Systems integration) of the technology or technologies being proposed? When is it anticipated that the technology or technologies will be mature enough to integrate onto a platform? Is the development of the concept or technology now part of a funded program? If so, please name the program (state if funded by company IR&D). Has your organization conducted any studies or demonstrations of the technologies in the past or are any planned? How much funding do you anticipate needs to be invested to bring the technology to maturity no later than 2028? Name, address, Contact Information and Point of Contact for your Organization, should the ASB want to follow up. Any responses that are marked - Proprietary or - Company Confidential will NOT BE REVIEWED by ASB. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Responses will not be acknowledged or returned. All proposers should review the NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY PROGRAM OPERATING MANUAL (NIPSOM) as it provides the baseline standards for the protection of classified information and describes the requirements concerning Contractor Development information under paragraph 4-105. Defense Security Service Site for the NIPSOM is: http://dss.mil/isp/fac_clear/download_nipsom.html . Only unclassified white papers/CDs must be mailed to the ASB POC listed (see ADDRESSEES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). A listing of respondents and whether their submission was utilized will be made available for public inspection upon request.