INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has solicited proposals for advanced research and development of system and subsystem level technologies that provide revolutionary improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the military. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Ship Systems and Engineering Division (331), the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and the Program Executive Office Littoral Mine Warfare (PMS 403 Unmanned Surface Vehicle Program Office and PMS420 - LCS Mission Module Program Office) will host an industry day conference at: Strategic Analysis One Virginia Square, 3601 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Va., 22201. The industry day will be from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on 24 August, 2006 where Government program offices will describe Navy far-term functional requirements in mission areas utilizing Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), and to answer questions from industry on this effort in order to stimulate the submission of white papers to DARPA and ONR to address these mission areas. The following technology areas will be the foci of the conference: 1. USV Hull, Mechanical and Electrical. Specific attributes of interest include seakeeping, payload fraction, endurance, manufacturability, reliability, maintainability. Also of interest are high power density propulsion and energy storage and the ability to provide electrical power for payloads, including electric drive and hybrid-electric drive. 2. Reliable and robust autonomous control for true - launch and forget long duration and long distance missions. Major challenges include: obstacle avoidance and overcoming fishnet entanglement. 3. Autonomous launch and recovery of USVs from a host ship. 4. Command and Control of USVs. 5. Weapons Release Challenges for USVs. 6. Cascading or Nesting Payloads for USVs. In addition to fulfilling the needs of existing Navy ships, resulting technologies may be specifically integrated into new and existing Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) mission modules. LCS integration requires that USVs be limited to 40 ft in length. This industry day is open to all interested companies. Seating is limited, therefore, only individuals who pre-register on a first-come-first-serve basis will be guaranteed seating and there shall be no more than two attendees from each company. Interested participants should contact Jerome Dunn, email contact@example.gov or phone +1 (555) 000-0000 to request a reservation providing the following information for each attendee: company name and address, name, e-mail address, telephone number. Participants will be requested to provide $10.00 per person to cover the cost of meals. Advance notification of attendance is required no later than the close of business on 21, August, 2006. Do you wish to present? Government and industry participants can choose and are encouraged to brief the audience and obtain feedback. Potential offerors are requested to provide, subsequent to the briefing, written ideas and information addressing possible technologies and potential acquisition strategies. This notice is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a request for proposal (RFP) or as any obligation or commitment on the part of the Government to acquire any product or service. There shall be no basis for claims against the Government as a result of any information submitted in response to this notice. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice, or otherwise pay for any information submitted by respondents to this request. Questions on this matter should be directed to: Jerome Dunn, e-mail: contact@example.gov, telephone at +1 (555) 000-0000