Integrated Cable Management System

BATTLEFIELD AIR OPERATIONS (BAO) INTEGRATED CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ICMS) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 1. The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) Battlefield Airmen Branch (WISN), Wright-Patterson AFB OH, is soliciting information to identify possible sources to provide information on production or near production ready pieces of an ICMS (Integrated Cable Management System). This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or commit the government to award a contract now or in the future. Submitting information for this RFI is voluntary, and participants will not be compensated. 2. ICMS is a conceptual philosophy that can be applied to all of the warfighter's wearable pieces of equipment that act as a platform for other equipment. Connectivity across the operator's body-worn components is necessary for data transfers, communication and power distribution. The use of the ensemble must be designed to operate and improve operators' function globally. Respondents to this RFI should describe their ability to provide a lightweight tactical vest, ruck, and load carriage that gets cables and connections out of the way of the user, thus reducing Tangled Operator Syndrome (TOS). Three distinct wear-zones should be considered for ICMS: 1) Zone-I, Torso-Area 2) Zone-II, Helmet 3) Zone-III, Rucksack/backpack. (For a description of these items, see Attachment 1). 3. This design philosophy should be adaptable and modular to scale down or up to any load-out or set of equipment. Risks associated with production, material availability and cost should be highlighted to better understand the applied approach. Responses do not need to address all of the items mentioned in Attachment 1, but those that do will have greater weight in shaping follow on efforts. 4. This notice is part of government market research, a continuous process for obtaining the latest information on the "art of the possible" and associated material procurement and approach risks from industry with respect to their current and near-term abilities. The information collected may be used by the Government to explore future strategies and implementation for the BAO kit. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as sensitive and will be protected as such. Any company proprietary information contained in the response should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, such that - publicly-releasable' and - proprietary' information are clearly distinguished. Any material that is not marked proprietary will be considered publicly-releasable. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from any unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one firm to establish the capability and requirements for any future systems acquisition, so as to not inadvertently restrict competition. 5. When submitting a response to this RFI, please be aware that the Air Force workforce is supplemented by contracted support personnel. Any proprietary data submitted may be handled by contract support services personnel who have signed the same Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as organic AF personnel. 6. Responses are limited to 10 pages and should include technical and descriptive text to provide sufficient detail. The submitted documentation becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. 7. Broad industry participation for this RFI is encouraged. U.S. and non-U.S. firms are permitted to respond to this ICMS RFI. Responses to questions from interested parties will be promptly answered and posted on Fed Biz Opps (FBO), unless some release of proprietary information is involved or the answer addresses a question peculiar to a Company or that Company's response. Post submittal one-on-one information sessions with respondents are not contemplated. 8. This notice may be updated as additional information becomes available. Please check the FBO site for updates to this announcement and register to receive e-mail notices of any updates to the FBO announcement. For more information this RFI, please contact the AF POCs below. E-mail communications preferred. 9. Submissions are requested within 30 days of this announcement and may be submitted via e-mail or by mailing your response to: Ms. Nancy Leggett, Contracting Officer ASC/WISK (Bldg 46, 1895 5th St) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7233 Contracting Officer, nancy.leggett@wpafb.af.mil, Personnel hand-carrying responses should contact the Contracting Officer to arrange a mutually acceptable arrival time. E-mail communication is preferred. Contractual: Ms. Nancy Leggett, Contracting Officer, (937) 255-1696 nancy.leggett@wpafb.af.mil,. Programmatic: 1Lt Daniel DeVirgilio, PG&M Project Manager (937) 255-9794, daniel.devirgilio@wpafb.af.mil