MH-139 Defensive Weapon System

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational and market research purposes only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10.  It does not constitute a solicitation, a Request for Proposal (RFP), or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The Government will not reimburse any company or individual for expenses associated with preparing or submitting information in response to this RFI.  The information provided may be used by the U.S. Air Force in developing its acquisition strategy, Statement of Work (SOW), and performance specifications.  Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition-sensitive information. 

BACKGROUND AND SCOPE 

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), MH-139A Program Office (AFLCMC/WIH), is conducting market research to identify sources capable of designing, integrating, and testing a modernized Defensive Weapon System (DWS) for the MH-139A aircraft. 

The objective of this effort is to upgrade the current M-240D DWS to better meet operational requirements. Proposed solutions must be rapidly acquirable, using components that are commercially available or within military supply wherever possible. The primary objective is to acquire a DWS that meets or exceeds operational requirements defined below. In order to meet requirements, the solution may modify or replace components, including but not limited to, the existing weapon, mounts, weapon cradle, and ammunition handling systems. Another significant objective is to acquire a weapon-agnostic mounting capability—comparable to the military-fielded Dillon Aero Huey Mount (UHMNT) to allow the interchangeable use of multiple standard DoD weapon systems; however, the Government will also consider integrated, weapon-specific mounting solutions if the proposed weapon system provides a significant tactical advantage in lethality and capacity.

This effort is targeted strictly as a post-production field retrofit of the fleet of MH-139A helicopters. Technical support is expected during the initial implementation and testing of the new configuration, followed by subject matter expert support for a to-be-defined post-integration period. (For current configuration, see attachment “Figure 1: Current Configuration.”)

Key requirements for the modified system include:

• System & Mounting Configuration
  • System Quantity: Two (2) weapon systems per aircraft (one per side).
  • Weapon-Agnostic Mounting: The system must feature a universal pintle mounting solution capable of supporting standard DoD crew-served weapons (e.g., comparable to the military-fielded Dillon Aero Huey Mount (UHMNT)).
  • Structural Integration: The objective is to leverage the aircraft's existing external weapon mounting points in Figure 1 attachment.
• Ammunition & Logistics
  • Ammunition Capacity: The system must support a continuous firing rate of at least 650 rounds per minute for at least one minute with a 30 second or less reload time. 
  • Servicing & Reload: The crew must be able to safely clear weapon malfunctions and perform full ammunition reloads both in-flight and on the ground without the use of specialized tools.
  • Casing & Link Ejection: The system must safely expel spent casings and links overboard without causing damage to the aircraft and without the use of a collection device.
• Performance & Operation
  • Field of Fire: Provide a maximum field of fire in all directions without damage to the aircraft (minimum of 85 degrees forward, -85 degrees aft, 4 degrees elevation, and -65 degrees depression from the “zero” position).  The zero position is defined as the gun pointing straight out perpendicular to the side of the aircraft.
  • Armed Configuration: The weapon must be capable of being in a fully armed (loaded and cocked) configuration with cabin windows and doors closed.  Note: the weapon does not need to be fired with windows and doors closed.
  • Power: If required, the system must be capable of using existing aircraft power and/or a separate battery power source to allow full operation both in-flight and on the ground with or without rotors turning.
  • Lethality: Provide performance data demonstrating the hit percentage / ability to immobilize personnel and light vehicles at a minimum distance of 800 meters.
• Crew Interface & Airworthiness
  • Crew Interface: Provide a solution for the weapon operators to maintain 2-way communication over the existing MH-139A Intercommunication System (ICS) while using the weapon. A Push-to-Talk (PTT) capability from the weapon’s handgrip is preferred, but will consider other solutions.
  • Civil Airworthiness (Mounting & Aero): The vendor must deliver the engineering data package necessary to obtain an FAA-approved Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the structural mounting hardware and any aerodynamic changes to the Outer Mold Line (OML).
  • Military Airworthiness (Weapon & Crashworthiness): The system must meet all applicable military crashworthiness and structural standards (e.g., MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-516C).  The vendor must provide the stress, fatigue, and firing loads analysis to support a military Engineering Change Proposal (ECP).
  • Certification Experience: Describe your company's process and prior experience in developing engineering packages to support both FAA STCs and military ECPs for weapon system integrations on vertical lift aircraft.
• Support
  • Support & Fit-Testing: Provide technical support during initial installation and testing. The Government will provide scheduled access at a Government-designated facility for fit-checks. The contractor must provide all hardware required for fit-checks; no Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) will be provided.

INSTRUCTION TO POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS 

Respondents are encouraged to provide comprehensive responses that demonstrate existing technology, qualifications, and experience. Please structure your response to address the following sections: 

A. Company Information: 

• Company Name, Address, CAGE Code, and Website URL. 

• Point of Contact (Name, Title, Phone, Email). 

• Business Size Status under NAICS Code 336413 (Aircraft Manufacturing), with a size standard of 1,500 employees.  Please self-certify for all applicable categories: 

• Small Business (Yes/No) 

• Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) (Yes/No) 

• HUBZone Certified (Yes/No) 

• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) (Yes/No) 

• Company Ownership (Domestic or Foreign-owned). 

• Interest as Prime Contractor or Subcontractor. 

B. Technical Capability: 

1. Provide a detailed description of your proposed solution(s). Include concept diagrams, system architecture, and preliminary specifications. 
2. Describe the process for retrofitting the solution and estimate the time required. Include estimated lifecycle maintenance actions (repair intervals, consumables, life expectancy).
3. State whether your company possesses the necessary technical data and for the MH-139A (based on the Leonardo AW139 platform) to perform this modification.
4. Detail your company's experience with integrating crew-served weapon systems on vertical lift aircraft.
5. Outline your approach to system integration. Explicitly detail how your solution manages the ammunition capacity, firing rate, and reload times inside the cabin without impeding crew movement or emergency egress, and how the system integrates with existing internal cabin Ballistic Protection Systems (BPS).
6. Describe the electrical integration required to route the handgrip Push-to-Talk (PTT) switch (or other proposed solution) into the aircraft's Intercom System (ICS) and avionics.
7. Identify any Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) required to load, maintain, or boresight the weapon system.  Detail the initial spares provisioning strategy. Additionally, identify any components with strict shelf-life limitations or specialized storage/packaging requirements.
8. Acknowledge your ability to provide the necessary engineering artifacts (e.g., engineering drawings, structural/load analyses, etc.) required to support a Government Configuration Control Board (CCB), Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) development, and TCTO generation.
9. Provide an impact analysis on how aircrew training syllabi and training devices (e.g., flight simulators, Weapon System Trainers) will need to be updated to reflect the new weapon configuration and field of fire.
10. Describe any planned or potential product improvements for your proposed system. 

C. Cost and Schedule: 

1. Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate broken down into two parts:
   • Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE): Design, systems integration (including software updates), fit-testing, and ECP/STC certification data package support, to include the engineering source data required for TCTO generation and Technical Order (TO) updates. 
   • Modification Kit/Installation: The per-aircraft cost for the physical Modification Kit (mounts and feed chutes) and post-production field installation. 
2. Provide an estimated timeline for the development, testing, and initial operational capability of the first modified aircraft. 

 D. Small Business Utilization: 

• For Small Businesses: Describe how you will comply with FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, if the requirement is set-aside. 

• For Large Businesses: Provide a realistic small business utilization target as a percentage of total contract value and explain your rationale.