Fiducial Flashpole Product

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC is seeking input from vendors to evaluate commercial capabilities for developing a next-generation fiducial flashpole system designed for deployment on marine rafts. The current system suffers from reliability issues due to environmental exposure and humidity ingress, prompting the need for a more robust, durable, and maintainable replacement. Vendors are invited to respond with an overview of their technical expertise in ruggedized electro-optical systems, embedded firmware development, waterproof or weather-resistant packaging, and field-deployable hardware. Key performance requirements include the ability to support 1 Hz flashing for at least one hour continuously or five minutes followed by automatic thermal recovery, operate in temperature ranges from -5°C to 50°C and 100% relative humidity at 36°C, withstand a 3-foot drop onto steel and concrete, endure random vibration from 5-500 Hz at 1.04 Grms, and resist saltwater splashes and temporary immersion via IP67 compliance or equivalent methods. The total system weight must be under 14 pounds, with an ideal target of under 7 pounds for the isolated flashpole. Electrical systems exceeding 50V require certification through LLNL’s Electrical Safety process or equivalents like UL or ETL. The anticipated development effort will follow a structured path including assessment, design, prototyping, testing, and final delivery of a production-representative unit within 26 weeks of contract award, with the capability to scale production to 100 fully assembled units within three months of design completion. Deliverables include detailed technical documentation, assembly and maintenance manuals, a manufacturing and support plan, a custom shipping container such as a Pelican case, and an intellectual property escrow package. The manufacturer must also commit to a minimum 10-year lifecycle support for parts and service, and provide a three-year warranty covering performance under all specified environmental conditions. Payments will be structured into three milestone-based phases, each contingent upon successful completion of defined deliverables and acceptance criteria, though no pricing or contract value is specified at this pre-solicitation stage. Proposals are due by June 27, 2026, and are intended solely to help LLNS build a qualified vendor pool prior to launching a formal procurement under NAICS code 335139, with no set-aside applied. The point of contact for inquiries is Yvonne Garcia at LLNL in Livermore, California.