N00024-27-R-5405_CIWS DA FY27-31 Sources Sought

SOURCES SOUGHT FOR DESIGN AGENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MK 15 CLOSE-IN WEAPON SYSTEM

In accordance with FAR Part 10 – Market Research, this sources sought notice is being issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), on behalf of the Terminal Defense Systems, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) 11.0. This sources sought notice is intended for planning purposes only in order to determine industry interest and capability. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal. The Government is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals.  This notice should not be construed as a contract, a promise to contract, or a commitment of any kind by the Government. Requests for solicitation will not receive a response. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the U.S. Government. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any input as a result of this market survey. The U.S. Government is not obligated to notify respondents of the results of this survey. If a formal solicitation is generated at a later date, a solicitation notice will be published.

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the following U.S. Government POCs:

• Ms. Brittany Burton, (202) 781-0611, brittany.m.burton4.civ@us.navy.mil  
• Mr. Jonathan Gill, (703) 872-3488, jonathan.a.gill6.civ@us.navy.mil

Verbal questions will NOT be accepted.

Description:

NAVSEA is conducting a market research survey through this sources sought notice to identify potential sources, within the National Technical Industrial Base (NTIB), United States, and Canada, capable of providing Design Agent (DA) support for the MK 15 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS).  Potential sources must have personnel trained, skilled, and experienced in handling CIWS.

MK15 CIWS is a fast-reaction terminal defense against low and high-flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other defenses.  The CIWS is an integral element of the Fleet Defense In-Depth concept and the Ship Self-Defense Program.  Operating either autonomously or integrated with a combat system, it is an automatic terminal defense weapon system designed to detect, track, engage, and destroy anti-ship missile threats penetrating outer defense envelopes.  CIWS consists of three (3) variants: 

1. Phalanx, which utilizes a six-barrel Gatlin gun;
2. Land based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS); and
3. SeaRAM, which replaces the six-barrel Gatlin gun with an eleven-round Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) guide. 

CIWS is currently installed on United States Navy (USN) and United States Coast Guard (USCG) ships and is also in use in foreign navies. The Phalanx CIWS is also being installed on low-boy trailers with self-contained diesel electric power and cooling water.  This configuration of the Phalanx CIWS is the MK 15 MOD 29 LPWS.  Design Agent requirements consist of providing engineering support to maintain, operate, upgrade and sustain overhaul of Phalanx, SeaRAM and LPWS.  The Design Agent requirements would include fleet, field, and production support; software development; test and evaluation; integrated Logistics; program management, diminishing manufacturing support, system safety, systems engineering, electro-optical sustainment, cybersecurity and Technical Data Package Maintenance. Sources should be capable of supporting the system under a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract spanning five (5) years from Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 through FY 2031.

Drawings:

Top level drawings for the MK 15 CIWS are being provided.  The drawings associated with the MK 15 are designated under Distribution Statement D for limited distribution, restricting its release on the Internet.  The drawings contain technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C., Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Control Reform Act of 2018  (Title 50, U.S.C., Chapter 58, Sec. 4801-4852). . Violations of these export laws are subject to severe criminal penalties. This technical data can only be disseminated in accordance with the provisions of DoD Directive 5230.25. Respondents must be registered with the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office to obtain a copy of any drawings (see www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/ for instructions and information). After receipt of required certification, requests must be submitted via email for drawings to Mr. Jason Yeker, jason.a.yeker.civ@us.navy.mil with Ms. Brittany Burton and Mr. Jonathan Gill on copy. The request must include Cage Code, company name, address, phone, email address, and point of contact. Drawings will either be sent via encrypted e-mail or DoD Safe.  Please allow three (3) business days for delivery.

MARKET SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR DESIGN AGENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MK 15 CLOSE-IN WEAPON SYSTEM

Instructions:

Please complete this Market Survey Questionnaire no later than 28 November 2025. This survey questionnaire is not a procurement action and is simply an inquiry for interest.  There will be no compensation by the Government for your response to this questionnaire.  Please reference the survey question number with each response.

1. Identify your current Business Structure:
   1. Name of company – include a contact person's name, technical person’s name, company address, telephone number, email address, CAGE code or Duns Number.
   2. Company size – verify as either Large, Foreign, Small, Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Woman-Owned Small Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone Concern, Veteran-Owned Small Business, or Service-Disabled Small Business.
   3. Identify whether you are interested in the acquisition as a prime contractor or subcontractor.
   4. If a Small Business Manufacturer, provide information as to how you or your joint venture intends to be compliant with FAR Clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting.
   5. Describe your parent company and subsidiaries (if applicable) – include corporate evolution, fiscal stability and other relevant factors.
   6. If your organization does not have adequate resources (technical, manufacturing, personnel, etc.) available, identify what type of sub-tier vendors or subcontractors your organization would partner with and the time frame for creating any business relationship.
2. Identify your organization's facilities, equipment, success stories, unique capabilities, environmental concerns, customer service/satisfaction, storage, shipping, and receiving for supporting and updating fleet installed MK15 CIWS.
3. Identify your organization's current and previous experiences with similar engineering support efforts.  Your answer should address the following:
   1. What Government and commercial contracts/items/production lines and periods of production?
   2. Whether or not the contracts have been satisfied?
   3. Who are the Customers?
   4. What was the maximum amount of engineering support to include software releases, root cause investigation and on-site engineering support in a one-year period?
4. Identify your organization’s current system engineering and technical processes, critical skills and equipment, quality control practices/systems and how they relate to supporting fleet installed MK 15 CIWS.
5. Identify your organization’s current engineering capabilities to meet the support requirements for fleet installed MK 15 CIWS. Your answers should address the following:
   1. What are your current engineering capabilities and what capabilities must be developed?
   2. What capabilities would be subcontracted?
      1. If you intend to leverage the current Industrial Base, please detail your experience in managing multiple vendors/schedules/products of similar complexity.
      2. If you intend to establish a new Industrial Base, please detail similar efforts of complexity with associated challenges/successes.
   3. What are your organization’s historical experiences with process or component outsourcing?
6. Identify your organization's quality system and your organization's contractor's quality philosophy. Furthermore, identify your organization's experience in software and hardware development, weapon systems technology, and MIL STD compliance.  If your responses include capabilities being subcontracted, identify and detail your organization's system for flow down of quality requirements to subcontractors as well as to vendors.
7. Survey to include an outline of the contractor’s Safety Program Plan.
8. Survey to include an outline of the contractor’s Configuration Management Plan.
9. Survey to include an outline of the company’s Quality Plan.
10. Identify organizational capability to support Product Improvement Programs (PIPs) including engineering expertise. Examples of previous efforts to address material availability and design for automated PIPs are expressly sought.
11. Identify your organization’s ability to test MK15 CIWS Assemblies and sub-assemblies for developmental and operational testing, proof of design, proof of manufacturing and MIL STD qualification.
12. Identify potential component sub-vendors and their location. On any potential foreign sourced components, include a detailed statement on the benefit of the foreign supply solution.
13. Identify your organization’s and any potential team members’ personnel experience with the manufacture and assembly of similar and related weapon systems such as the MK15 CIWS.

All responding sources must email their response submissions no later than 28 November 2025 to:

1. Mr. Jonathan Gill, CIWS Design Agent Acquisition Manager   

                Email: Jonathan.a.gill6.civ@us.navy.mil

                Phone: (703) 872-3488

2. Ms. Brittany Burton, Contracting Officer

               Email: brittany.m.burton4.civ@us.navy.mil

               Phone: (202) 781-0611

Information submitted in response to this sources sought notice will become the property of the United States Government. Submitters should properly mark their responses with the appropriate restrictive markings. Information that is proprietary or competition-sensitive may be protected from disclosure under the public records law only if properly labeled as such. Submissions should not exceed 10 pages.