Military Altimeter (MA-1)

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. IT IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations Part 10 responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Please Respond by June 3, 2022 at 3:00 pm EST. Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM SCIE) is seeking information on potential manufacturers and/or suppliers for Military Altimeters in support of High Altitude parachute operations. The information provided will be used to inform a market survey in support of developing the acquisition strategy for a future Program of Record (PoR) to acquire the capability. The Military Altimeter (MA-1) shall support the US Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces communities with accurate method of determining altitude when conducting high altitude operations at or above 25,000ft Mean Sea Level (MSL), and will also provide a safe and reliable system for use during high-altitude standoff personnel parachute operations. Current altimeter lacks the reliability, and accuracy required to be deployed at or above 25,000ft MSL and extremely low temperatures. The legacy system accuracy standards are not sufficient for current operational requirements, placing the soldier and mission in jeopardy. Furthermore, legacy altimeter technology, places an increased maintenance level at the gaining commands, reducing operational readiness. The Army is seeking durable altimeters with a high level of accuracy at high altitudes and high level of reliability. It must provide the parachutist with accurate altitude measurements, function with all current and future high-altitude/standoff parachute systems including but not limited to the RA-1, and any future high altitude glide modulating systems, and operate on all high performance fixed wing, rotary wing and non-standard aircraft which support the high altitude insertion mission. To be effective, the MA-1 must be useable during all phases and in all weather and environmental conditions of demanding high-altitude/high altitude standoff missionsto include extreme temperatures, high altitudes and high g shocks during canopy opening. It must be able to be integrated and operable with all extreme temperature gear. The Army is interested in altimeter technologies that provide an accuracy of 125 ft. below 12,500 ft. and 250 ft. above that as well as reduced maintenance requirements. The system must provide a method to input DZ offsets when the drop zone is either higher or lower than the departure airfield and must be provide a back light capability. PM SCIE is seeking information on altimeters that are currently available and that utilize new technologies, along with supporting information (product information, test reports, photos, etc.) indicating the level of technical maturity. Technical Readiness Level (TRL) should be 7 or higher. The Government anticipates purchasing test assets before going into production through future solicitations, as part of a formal PoR, based on outcomes of this market research. Future evaluations will consist of bench top and chamber testing to validate performance, followed by high altitude personnel drops to verify operational suitability and effectiveness. Responses should include the following: - Supporting information (product information, test reports, photos, etc.) indicating the levels of technical maturity of the system (e.g. TRL) - Production capability and ramp up time to reach full production capability - Self-calibration capability and/or calibration requirements - Information on Quality Assurance process/practices - Current price, delivery/lead time, and warranty information for systems **** See attachment for Desirable Attributes/Technical Requirements and POC Information