Low Collateral Effects Interceptor (LCEI)

*UPDATE 16 JUN 2022* The description was updated to clarify DoD UAS Groupings. CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514. DESCRIPTION AFRL/RIKD is conducting market research to evaluate Low Collateral Effects Interceptors (LCEI) for threat Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). An LCEI should be autonomous aircraft with hard kill systems effective against DoD UAS groups 1, 2, and smaller group 3 aircraft. Please note this Request for Information (RFI) is for planning purposes only. The information obtained from responses to this notice may be used to form a future acquisition strategy and solicitation, should one be issued. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain data from potential systems to select for further evaluation. This further evaluation will be done through engineering data collections to occur at a DoD test site, tentatively scheduled for early fiscal year 2023. The particular UAS platform is not specified; however, a minimum set of requirements must be fulfilled. The Contractor must have 24/7/365 dedicated access to the asset utilized. If requested to participate in data collection events, the cost to participate will be considered. Test plans will be coordinated through the AFRL Technical and Safety Review Board (TRB/SRB) process. Please provide any specific information about your system that would be of interest to the government safety review board to ensure your system can be accommodated. Significant deviations from the data provided in the response to this RFI will require further assessment and potential removal from involvement in data collection events. Testing will require assistance and expertise from the Contractor to integrate with ground sensors and truth data systems. The Government will provide red team targets, an adequate test environment, logistics support, and an accurate and reliable data collection at the initial flight assessment. The initial flight assessment will involve responding to scenarios designed to mimic operational incidents as well as stress test the systems engagement speeds, ranges, and endurance. MINIMUM AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS FOR AIR WORTHINESS All interceptor systems must be hosted on air vehicles that can be determined to be air-worthy by the government. The air vehicle must be based on or derived from U.S. components and electronics The air vehicle must have sufficient flight hours and reliability data SYSTEM TECHNICAL DATA REQUESTS Each response to this RFI will be evaluated to identify strengths, weaknesses, manpower requirements, and logistics requirements for each proposed LCEI. To determine which systems will be selected for evaluation, the following information about the contractor's LCEI is requested: Sprint speed Top engagement speed Maximum range Maximum loiter time Size, weight, power, and cost Required number of operators Required training of operators Resistance to shock, dirt, water, and temperature Operational weather (max wind speed, min/max temperature, etc.) Ability to operate at night Multiple target engagements Engagement success rate by target type Engagement success rate by engagement speed Engagement success rate by altitude Engagement success rate based on other factors (day/night, wind speed, etc.) Overview of facilities, space, and power requirements Multi-mission capability System architecture diagram System maturity Manufacturing maturity Dependencies on external sensors Systems external to the air vehicle that are required for operation System autonomy for administering kinetic effects Ground station requirements Some of the requests above can be responded to simply with a number, whereas others require narrative. For the vague requests, please respond with explanations or descriptions, making sure to annotate when values are approximates or estimates. RFI EVALUATION CRITERIA The following high-level system attributes will be analyzed based on the provided technical data to determine which LCEIs will be selected for additional engineering analysis 1. Platform Performance: What specifications and reliability have you proven? 2. Effectiveness: What types of UAS have you been able to defeat and under what conditions? 3. System Maturity: What technical milestones has your system achieved? CAPABILITY STATEMENTS AFRL/RIKD is seeking capability statements from all interested businesses. 1. Reply by email in a document not exceeding 10 pages. Word or PDF files, with minimal graphics, are preferred. Documents, data, schematics, and photographs should also be provided, not to exceed 50 pages. Videos should not exceed 1 GB. 2. Provide the following business information on the first page: (a) Company name and address (b) CAGE code (c) Point of contact (name, email, and phone) (d) Facility clearance level and safeguarding clearance level (e) Cost accounting system status (ex. adequacy determination by DCAA, approval by DCMA, or none) (f) Any existing Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), open solicitation, or other vehicle that this work could be performed under, or if a new source selection would be more appropriate 3. Provide a copy of your current DD2345. (Note that this form does not count toward the 10 pages.) Additional information is at: https://public.logisticsinformationservice.dla.mil/PublicHome/jcp/default.aspx 4. Describe your organization's ability to meet the technical requirements described herein. Please do not simply restate the technical requirements in your response. Be sure to: (a) Describe the type, quantity, experience, and qualifications of personnel/labor categories and other organizational resources that would be used to meet the technical requirements. (b) Identify any areas which likely would require subcontracting or a teaming arrangement, any particular subcontractors or teaming partners you have experience working with for this type of requirement, and whether the majority of requirements could be performed by your organization or would need to be performed by subcontractors or teaming partners (c) Include a brief (i.e. no more than but approximately 1 page total) description of your organization's quality control, risk management, and safety practices as they would be applied to this effort. (d) Describe how your organization could meet a fluctuating workload driven by factors such as budget variations; diverse customer base and technology interest areas; transition opportunities; and operational feedback. 5. Identify up to 3 previous or on-going contracts/programs/efforts with Government, commercial, academic, or other customers performed within the last 3 years which are relevant to the technical requirements. Include a brief description of the work, an explanation of its relevance to the technical requirements, and the performance period, value, and current customer points of contact. 6. Please submit your response to matthew.zawisza@us.af.mil and justin.furney@us.af.mil by 3 PM (ET) FRI 08 JUL 2022. It is important to note that this Request for Information is not a Request for Proposal. No solicitation is being issued at this time. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. Any information provided to the Government as a result of this Request for Information is voluntary. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses or the Government's use of such information.