Market Research for Product Manager Ground Sensors (PM GS) Future Advanced Long-range Common Optical / Netted-fires Sensor (FALCONS)

02 June 2026

The purpose of this posting is to provide the following updates:

QUESTIONS TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT: All questions or requests for additional information pertaining to this announcement are due within fifteen (15) business days after release.

Incorporate Question and Answer attachment "W15QKN-26-X-1BS1 - FALCONS – QandAs – 02JUNE2026"

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THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY – This RFI is for acquisition planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Further, the Army is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.  Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only and will help inform Product Manager Ground Sensors (PM GS) in refining the acquisition strategy and performance capabilities for a new Program of Record (POR). Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or part, any contractor input resulting from this request. The information provided may be used by the Army in developing its acquisition strategy, Performance Work Statement, Statement of Objectives and/or Performance-Based Specification(s). Parties responding to this RFI are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. It is the responsibility of the potential respondents to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Responses are due by 1400 EST, 18 June 2026 and are not to exceed 15 pages. Please submit all RFI responses to James Bond, Contracting Officer, james.w.bond2.civ@army.mil and Renee Papadopoulos, Contracting Specialist, at renee.a.papadopoulos.civ@army.mil. The subject line for the email submission shall be read as follows: 

Subject:  PM GS FALCONS RFI: “Company Name”

INTRODUCTION: The Army Contracting Command – New Jersey (ACC-NJ), on behalf of PM GS, is issuing a RFI in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e). PM GS has been assigned as the office of primary responsibility for the Future Advanced Long-range Common Optical/Netted-fires Sensor (FALCONS), which would replace the current Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3) and Fire Support Sensor System (FS3). PM GS is developing Courses Of Action (COAs) for the FALCONS program and is seeking industry input on their ability to:

• perform hardware and software modifications to the Government TDP to incorporate new features and needs.
• produce five FALCONS sensors, a modified version of the Common Advanced Multi-band Thermal Aided Configurable Sensor (CAMTACS), from a US Government lab’s Technical Data Package (TDP), with technical assistance and Government Furnished Property (GFP) from the US Government,
• assist the US Government in testing and characterizing the prototype sensors,
• provide field service for systems as they go through Government evaluation with a Transformation in Contact (TiC) unit, and

The proposed timeline for this effort starts in Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) with the vendor assisting the US Government laboratory in modifying the TDP and producing five (5) FALCONS prototypes. Testing and characterization are intended to start in FY28. The timeline for the additional modification of the TDP and subsequent production and fielding will be determined at a later date.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE: The U.S. Army requires an advanced long-range sensor capability to meet its near-term Army of 2030 objectives and be postured to support the Army of 2040. FALCONS is a critical requirement for Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), ensuring lethality and survivability in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) by replacing aging legacy sensors with advanced, resilient, and networked targeting technology and an optical sensor that can fill capability gaps for modernizing reconnaissance and fire support units.

The Research and Technology Integration Directorate (RTI) lab has developed the CAMTACS prototype, an optical system providing overmatch in target Detection, Recognition, Identification (DRI), and localization across all battlefield conditions.

The Government design is planned to include:

1. Integration of the U.S. Army’s 3GEN FLIR B-Kit (to be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)).
2. Precision Far Target Location (FTL) sub-system.
3. Networked capability for cooperative engagements.
4. Hardware to host Aided Target Detection and Recognition (AiTDR) algorithms.
5. Automated alignment between the optical (day and thermal) cameras, Inertial Navigation System (INS), and Laser Rangefinder.  
6. External Laser Designator Modular (LDM) boresighted to camera systems.
7. High-Definition Color Day Camera
8. Laser Range Finder (LRF) with Cross Platform Pointing Laser Receiver (CPPLR) capability.
9. Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing (APNT) (M-Code GPS, Self-Position keeping Inertial Navigation System (INS), etc.)
10. Common Graphical User Interface (GUI).
11. Interface with Command and Control (C2) systems.

PM GS is conducting market research for industry partners to modify CAMTACS for enhanced ruggedness, producibility, and reliability. The objective is to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the FALCONS Program. The Government intends to develop an initial five prototypes. A possible transition to a follow-on production contract will be determined at a later date.

Information regarding the desired characteristics of the FALCONS systems along with the Government’s critical requirements for a FALCONS minimally viable product are available upon request. Vendors requesting such information are required to sign an NDA and have a minimum of Secret clearance along with the ability to hold NATO Restricted information and COMSEC material.

CONFIDENTIALITY: No classified, confidential or sensitive information shall be included in your response. Interested parties are responsible for appropriately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

QUESTIONS TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT: All questions or requests for additional information pertaining to this announcement are due within fifteen (15) business days after release. Telephone requests will not be accepted. Questions regarding this RFI should be submitted via e-mail to James Bond, Contracting Officer, james.w.bond2.civ@army.mil and Renee Papadopoulos, Contracting Specialist, at renee.a.papadopoulos.civ@army.mil no later than 1400 EST on 11 June 2026. Questions will be non-attribution published through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

RESPONSE SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: A vendor not submitting a response to this RFI will not preclude that vendor from responding to future acquisitions, either individually or as part of a team. For this RFI, the Government seeks information regarding your capabilities and experience related to the delivery of capabilities as described in the Program Objective section of this RFI. Sources able to address the above request are invited to submit information describing their approach. Partial solutions may not be reviewed. The Government requests that interested sources submit an electronic response of not more than fifteen (15) single sided pages on 8.5" x 11" paper, 12-point, Arial font, with a minimum of one (1) inch margins all around. Files should be sent in a Microsoft Word compatible file or a PDF file. Only email submissions will be accepted.  Classified material will not be accepted.  Material samples will not be accepted.

Respondents must include examples and proof of vendor testing facilities, which must have the ability to manage, store, and handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Secret or higher information.

RFI submissions must be a maximum of 15 pages (including a cover sheet) and should provide the following information:

1.  A Point of Contact with the information below:

• Contact
• Name
• Title
• Company name
• Number of years in business
• Number of employees
• Location
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code
• System for Award Management, Unique Entity ID (UEI)
• Website address
• Email address

Note that RFI respondents shall designate a single point of contact for receipt of all information pursuant to this RFI.

2. Identification of the company's business size standard based on the primary North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code of 334511. For more information, refer to http://www.sba.gov/content/tablesmall-business-size-standards or https://www.naics.com/naics-code-description/?code=334511:

• Large Business Concern
• Small Business (SB) Concern
• 8(a)
• Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)
• Woman-Owned Small Business
• Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone)
• Veteran-Owned Small Business
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

3. Brief overview of company history, limited to three (3) paragraphs.

4. A statement on whether your firm is or is not foreign-owned, foreign-controlled, or has foreign influence.

5. Describe your company’s experience with designing, building, testing and modifying a system that has the same or similar characteristics as listed in the current Government design. This includes a synopsis of current products, along with examples or proposed design concepts with sufficient detail to understand the underlying engineering approach.

6. Identification of major risks, integration challenges, and obstacles to delivering five (5) sensor prototypes (that meet the Government’s needs for both vehicle-mounted and dismounted configurations) within a 30-month schedule.

7. Propose innovative design and acquisition strategies to reduce technical risks and developmental costs for FALCONS.

8. Identify available alternate solutions that improve upon the current government design or provide a viable substitute. Alternate solutions should be based on existing tested and qualified technologies or alternative solutions where a design is mature enough to be ready for test and qualification within the same schedule or sooner.

9. Provide a detailed overview of your technical expertise in design, development, integration, testing and characterization of Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensing technologies and Far-Target Location systems. Response should include past performance, production infrastructure, and plans for long-term sustainment and support. Also, provide evidence on production capacity, supply chain resilience, and maintenance of fielded systems.

10. Provide examples of physical and technical resources available to support the rapid development and qualification of sensor technologies.

11. Describe your ability to maintain production and supply chain to assure long-term sustainment of rapidly fielded systems.

12. Describe your company's specific approach to managing each functional area and the methods you will incorporate to increase work efficiency, reduce costs, and provide a high-quality prototype. Please provide recent examples as applicable.

13. Describe your company’s experience with management and accountability of GFP.

14. Describe your specific methodology for planning, designing, and testing improvements to prototype systems, including future upgrades, specifically pertaining to Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA), Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA), and margin for Size, Weight and Power (SWaP). Describe how you will integrate alternate components or software as an iterative process that will improve performance, reliability, and maintainability (e.g., in a 5-year or 20-year lifecycle). 

Up to five (5) pages Supporting documentation (such as marketing brochures, fliers, published presentations or papers, and other materials that summarize the technology or more about your company) is acceptable. Supporting documentation will not be counted towards total page count. Supporting documentation may be referenced by reviewers only in support of claims identified in the response to the RFI and only where the information was specifically referenced in the RFI. The Government makes no guarantee that the supporting documentation will be reviewed and/or considered.

Any company proprietary information, performance capabilities and/or future modification plans should be clearly identified and MUST be marked vendor proprietary information. All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-Government personnel and entities. Your interest in this response is appreciated.

If the Government has additional questions or a need for information following the evaluation of your response, you may be contacted and asked to provide that information. If an industry outreach event is anticipated in the future, details will be published through SAM.gov.

Responses to the RFI may be used to develop Government documentation.

All interested companies or organizations are encouraged to provide their information by 1400 EST on 18 June 2026.

Respondents are requested to submit one electronic copy of the responses to James Bond, Contracting Officer, james.w.bond2.civ@army.mil and Renee Papadopoulos, Contracting Specialist, at renee.a.papadopoulos.civ@army.mil.

Disclaimer: THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI NOR REIMBURSE ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PREPARATION OF RESPONSES.

This announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses will not be returned nor will the Government confirm receipt. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. All Government and Contractor personnel reviewing responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC §2101-2107. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.