Purpose:A meeting of the National Small Arms Center and Small Arms Technology Consortium is scheduled for March 1st and 2nd at the Hilton Garden Inn, Rockaway, NJ. The object of this meeting is to explain the scope and nature of the Center's organization and activities-and to discuss the value-added for those opting to join the consortium. Please note: Day one is open to all prospective members. However, the second day is limited to only Consortium members-the OTA and CMA are posted on the NDIA Website www.NDIA.org for your review (click on Divisions, then Armaments, then Small Arms). This will enable you to join the Consortium on the day one (1March) of the meeting and, you will be able to participate in the second day's meeting. This second day's meeting has as its object the further amplification of matters related to the recently released project proposal (W15QKN-05-X-0200). Additionally, we will collectively unpack issues pertaining to the organization of the Consortium committees and subcommittees. Lastly, a discussion of requirements and technology needs will flesh out Consortium plans. The Consortium is the private sector partner of a National Small Arms Center sponsored by the U.S. Army and other Defense and Government organizations. A major goal of this Consortium and Center is to improve the U.S. technology base and production base capabilities essential for the sustaining of U.S. military supremacy in research, development, engineering and production of small arms weapons and ammunition. These include handguns, shoulder-fired weapons, grenade launchers, machine guns, grenade machine guns, and advanced weapons/devices such as lightweight acoustic and directed energy weapons. Also, small arms ammunition; gun launched and rocket grenades; fire control; embedded computers; power supplies; fuzing; the soldier/gun/vehicle interface and related materials and processes. Background: The small arms weapons and ammunition technology base and industrial base are in serious jeopardy due to a long period of reduced Defense spending and the restructuring and downsizing of Government, industry and university capabilities. Conventional small arms weapons and ammunition technologies are core capabilities-those which must be maintained to meet our military needs around the world. The National Small Arms Center is under the management of the Program Manager for the Joint Services Small Arms Program and is cosponsored by the PEO Soldier; PEO Ammunition; Rock Island (TACOM-RI), the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Armaments Research and Development Engineering Center (ARDEC). The other Services and other Government agencies are invited to join the Center by this announcement and separate correspondence. The management of the Center will be located at Picatinny, NJ although in operation the center is a virtual center that will leverage the assets and capabilities of its Government sponsors and industry and academia partners. ARDEC serves as the Army's focal point and authority for research, development, test and evaluation of small arms weapons system designs, optimization of lethality, durability, reliability and ease of use; and development and application of computer models and simulations to all aspects of weapons system design. The sponsors have partnered and continue to partner with a number of universities and private sector companies on many diverse activities in the areas of Small Arms Weapons Systems. The Army would like to build upon this partnering activity with academia, industry and other profit and non-profit organizations to address the Army's long-range goals in the area of small arms weapons systems. Description. The partnership/consortium will perform research, development and engineering activities-those which address the Army's long-range goals in the areas indicated above. The role of this consortium is to define collaborative efforts that advance the technology and scientific and engineering skills in the areas that are required to develop, upgrade and produce weapons and ammunition which support the Army's current and future requirements. The role of the Government will be to directly participate in these collaborative efforts, to provide partial or full funding, and share expertise and facilities. It is expected that the non-Government collaborators will share in the funding of projects for the National Small Arms Center on a case-by-case basis, contribute their own personnel resources in planning and organizing collaborative efforts and under special instances provide materials, facilities, equipment or instrumentation.The objectives will be accomplished through the use of an "Other Transaction Agreement (OTA)" for prototyping (Section 845 of the 1994 Defense Appropriations Act and amendments) between the Army and the consortium, where each consortium member participates in accordance with a Consortium Member Agreement (CMA). The CMA will define the purpose, goals and responsibilities of the members including how the members will address intellectual property. The Consortium is organized under the National Cooperative Research and Productive Act of 1993, and amendments; the Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission have been notified of the consortium as required by law and provided copies of the OTA and CMA (March 2004). The consortium will consist of industry (large and small businesses), universities, and non-profit organizations working with PM JSSAP personnel and other Government sponsors utilizing their own facilities or ARDEC laboratories and facilities on a fee for service basis. The level of funding from the Government is estimated to be $3.0 M - $5.0M in the first year. The term of the agreement with the government is expected for five years with provisions for renewal. The Consortium is open to new members at all times; and members may withdraw from the Consortium in accordance with the provisions of the CMA. Inasmuch as this consortium is to improve and sustain U.S. military supremacy in the research, development, engineering and production of small arms weapons and ammunition, the Consortium will be open to qualified U.S. and foreign-owned organizations to foster the largest technical impact. The members may need a Secret clearance to collaborate on certain projects, and will need to comply with U.S. Army Security, safety and environmental requirements and export laws. There is a preference for the work to be performed in the U.S. whether by U.S. or foreign-owned organizations. The Center will engage in broad areas of research and development leading to prototypes to include weapon systems, ammunition, subassemblies such as fire control, fuzing and power supplies, materials and material behavior, coatings, manufacturing science and technology, modeling and simulation and failure analyses. The Center will also foster specialized education and training as necessary consistent with its goals.Coordinating Instructions: Please respond to this announcement if you plan to attend the Organization Days. As mentioned above, Day One is open to all members as well as those interested in joining: It is scheduled for March 1, 2005 (1:00 pm to 4:30 pm) at the Hilton Garden Inn, Rockaway Town Square Mall, Rockaway, NJ - Please respond NLT February 15, 2005. Organization Day Two (March 2, 2005-0800 am - 5:00 pm) as indicated above, this meeting is limited to those members who have formally signed the OTA and have been ratified by the NSAC Management Committee-as mentioned above, you will be permitted to join on the first day. Please advise Barbara J. Byrnes,
contact@example.gov,
+1 (555) 000-0000 Ext. 223, or Dr. Stephen C. Small,
contact@example.gov +1 (555) 000-0000 of your intent to attend one and/or both Organization Days. Security:These meetings are unclassified.Miscellaneous: The Government will not pay for attendance (approximately $50.00 for meals) nor award a contract based on your submission or attendance. The purpose of the meeting is twofold: (1.) To update candidate members of the Center on the value thereof, and (2) (for members only) to amplify upon a recently released Request for Project Proposal (RPP), as well as to organize the Consortium committees and subcommittees and to discuss technology needs with the Consortium members. DAY 1 AGENDA NATIONAL SMALL ARMS CENTER Organization Day (Open Afternoon Session) March 1, 2004 12:30-1:15Coffee and Bagels 1:15-1:30 Key Note Address Frank Puzycki 1:30-1:45 Industry Remarks Jean Louis Vanderstraeten 1:45-2:15 NSAC UpdateDarold Griffin 2:15-2:45 Legal Overview of OTA/CMA Denise Scott 2:45-3:00 Grants Officer Donna Apgar 3:00-3:15 JSSAP-Update Joel Goldman 3:15-3:30 Break3:30-4:00 Q&ASession4:00-4:15Closing Remarks Frank Puzycki.
