AN/TPQ-50 Radar Full Rate Production (FRP)

DESCRIPTION: The Government is conducting market research to identify possible sources to produce AN/TPQ-50 radar systems that meet the technical performance requirements. DISCLAIMER This Sources Sought Announcement (SSA) shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, or request for proposal. It shall not be used as the basis for a proposal. This SSA is being issued to obtain information from interested sources regarding their ability to satisfy the Government's requirement. The Government will not reimburse respondents to this notice for any costs incurred in responding or in any subsequent exchange of information. REQUIREMENT The AN/TPQ-50 is a lightweight, man-portable weapons locating radar that provides continuous 360-degree surveillance to detect, locate, and report enemy rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) firing positions. It has been previously referred to as the Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar (LCMR) or the AN/TPQ-48(V)3. The Army is preparing to either extend or award a follow-on contract to Contract W15P7T-13-D-C702, a fixed price (FP) production contract awarded in July 2013 for AN/TPQ-50 production representative assets and initial spares. The contract also includes cost plus provisions for support; engineering analysis; and assessment and implementation of potential product improvements. The Government does not possess a build-to-print technical data package (TDP) for the AN/TPQ-50. Responses will consist of an unclassified white paper. At a minimum, the white paper shall provide a description of the technical approach and a statement on the ability to meet these key attributes: a. Schedule. Quantities for the additional ordering periods will vary depending on available funding and other factors. Provide sufficient supporting documentation, to include an integrated schedule showing key events such as contract award, any development and/or facilitization, ramp up, test events and deliveries. b. Technical Performance. Summarize the current, demonstrated capabilities of any existing system that is relevant to the requirements of the AN/TPQ-50 Performance Specification. Identify any areas where current systems do not meet the AN/TPQ-50 performance capabilities and what steps, if any, would be required to more fully meet the performance capabilities. Documentation may include system technical specifications, product brochures and related literature, performance test data, system drawings and/or photographs, or any other data to support claims. Responses may discuss types, extent, depth and breadth of analysis and data to substantiate performance claims. Responses should identify and summarize previous testing of either individual components of their proposed system, or the integrated system, by either the U.S. Government or other independent test agencies. c. Technological Maturity and Manufacturing Readiness. Address the maturity of the product design by identifying any systems delivered to date, whether these systems are prototypes or production representative items, the quantity of systems produced to date, test results to date and any relevant field data demonstrating the system performance. Describe your quality processes. d. Supportability. Address key elements of supportability to include training, technical publications, supply support, repair, and maintenance. e. Modularity and Open Systems Architecture (MOSA). Discuss system design relative to modularity and open systems architecture, which can accommodate rapid and cost efficient implementation of design changes. f. Cost. Identify the estimated unit cost of the system, including any quantity breaks. Include unit price and quantity information for relevant previous orders for similar products. g. Reliability. Provide demonstrated and documented reliability consistent with the requirements of AN/TPQ-50 Performance Specification, or a reliability growth curve (RGC) with supporting narrative describing how required reliability will be achieved. h. Production Capability. Provide the estimated minimum and maximum sustained production rates by month/year. Also identify required manufacturing facilities, personnel and all necessary resources to complete the effort. i. Long Lead Items. Specifically identify any long lead items associated with the design and approximate lead time associated with each item. j. Assumptions. Clearly identify assumptions on which the response is predicated. As a minimum, identify any required Government furnished equipment (GFE) on which the schedule is predicated; and all required government support anticipated. Also identify and discuss plans and risks associated with reuse, or dependency on any other awarded contract. Company information will be verified via the System for Award Management (SAM) database. Responses to this RFI must be unclassified and should not exceed 40 pages in length, be prepared on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, double spaced with fonts no smaller than 10 point, and one inch margins. Each page of the submission shall contain the document identifier in the document header. Responses are preferred in soft-copy form in either Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft PowerPoint. If a soft-copy cannot be provided, written responses will be accepted. Responses may be provided through mail or via e-mail. Respondents should ensure labeling of information contained as proprietary. All interested firms are encouraged to respond to this notice by providing the information specified herein, on or before 1700 hours on 30 May 2018. The Performance Specification for the AN/TPQ-50 contains unclassified technical data disclosing military critical technology with military applications. Only businesses that have been certified by the Department of Defense (DOD), U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office may access the Performance Specification. Those vendors that are certified to receive export controlled materials are termed "authorized vendors." The FedBizOpps system receives a daily feed of authorized vendors, which determines access based on a vendor's commercial and government entity (CAGE) code/manufacturing partner identification number (MPIN). To obtain certification, contact: Commander, Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS), ATTN: U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office, 74 Washington Avenue North, Battle Creek, MI 49017-3084, or call the Defense Logistics Information System (DLIS) at (800)-352-3572. The DLIS U.S./Canada Joint Certification lookup service is available via the internet at: http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp.