Persistent Surveillance Systems Technology Improvement - Tetherless Aerostat

Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground is issuing this request on behalf of Product Director (PD) Aerostats as a means of conducting market research to assess available aerostat systems that can be deployed within the next 12 to 18 months. These technologies should be comparable to the current capabilities of the Persistent Surveillance System-Tethered (PSS-T) aerostat while improving mobility and survivability challenges associated with the tether operations. Such challenges include the loss of the aerostat system due to tether failure. The aerostat system shall be capable of untethered operations. This request for information (RFI) defines the aerostat requirements. The Government requests respondents to provide a detailed description of the proposed solution and how it meets or exceeds requirements defined herein. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement, if a requirement materializes. Based on the responses to this request for information notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses (in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition. Multiple awards may be made. All small business set-aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding submissions. DISCLAIMER This is a request for information - market survey. There is no solicitation available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Any information submitted by respondents to this synopsis is strictly voluntary. This market survey does not constitute a request for proposals (RFP) or a request for sealed bids, nor does its issuance restrict the Government as to its ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will neither award a contract solely on the basis of this notice, nor pay respondents for any information that they submit in response to this request for information. Any information submitted by the respondents to this technical description is strictly voluntary. The Government is conducting this request for information market survey to determine rough order magnitude (ROM) / price and availability (P&A) from potential sources capable of fulfilling aerostat improvement requirements as follows. Performance requirements are as follows: a. The aerostat system shall require a launch pad of 250 feet x 250 feet or less. b. The system shall have a useful payload lift capability of 1,100 pounds (threshold) and 1,500 pounds or greater (objective). c. The aerostat system shall have an envelope volume no greater than 100,000 cubic feet. d. All subcomponents and spares in the aerostat system set shall be transportable either on standard US Air Force 463L pallets or inside commonly available military shipping containers. e. The mooring system shall be trailer mounted or capable of being carried by a flatbed truck or towed on a trailer. f. The mooring system shall be no longer than 30 feet in length in its smallest configuration. g. The aerostat system's mooring platform shall be less than 102 inches tall in its smallest configuration in order to be loaded into a C-130 cargo aircraft. h. The aerostat system shall support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission sets to detect and identify targets and activities to enhance the end user's situational awareness. i. The aerostat system shall be capable of operating in a tethered or untethered mode. j. In both the tethered and untethered mode, the aerostat system shall be capable of conducting ISR operations. k. The aerostat system shall employ an autonomous backup recovery system to support return to home operations should a critical failure occur onboard the system. l. The aerostat system shall be capable of supporting multiple ISR payload configurations, to be identified by the Government. m. The aerostat system shall use a lighter than air lifting gas to produce lift. n. The aerostat system shall have the capability to perform vertical take-off and landings. o. The aerostat system shall minimize the number of personnel required to set-up the system. p. The aerostat system shall be capable of streaming full motion video from MX series cameras; transmitting radar data while tethered, as well as while operating untethered. q. The aerostat system shall be able to survive at least 75 knot winds while in operational mode. r. The aerostat system shall support 28 VDC and 115 VAC at 400 Hz while tethered and untethered. s. The aerostat system, while tethered, shall allow connectivity to a ground control station (GCS) via fiber to allow dissemination of video and data flow, acoustic, radar and wide area motion imagery sensors. t. The aerostat system shall also disseminate telemetry data through a separate domain. u. The aerostat shall support two separate domains - unclassified (black) and classified secret (red). v. The aerostat shall provide backup power and wireless data connection for telemetry in the event fiber is lost. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Any resulting contract is anticipated to have a security classification level of Secret. Any resulting contract shall be compliant with the specialty metals restriction of the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a and 2533b) in accordance with DFARS clauses 252.225-7008 and 252.225-7009. ELIGIBILITY The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 541 -- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services/541330 -- Engineering Services, with a Small Business Size Standard of $38.5 Million. SUBMISSION DETAILS Interested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more than 10 8.5 X 11 inch pages, font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating ability to provide the products/systems listed in this Technical Description. Respondents are limited to 10 pages. Feedback from industry will be accepted until 30 calendar days after the posting of this RFI. Documentation should be in bullet format. No phone or email solicitations with regards to the status of the RFP will be accepted prior to its release. Responses (including any capabilities statement) and questions concerning this requirement shall be electronically submitted in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF), via email to Jennifer Mattessino, Procuring Contracting Officer, Jennifer.L.Mattessino.civ@mail.mil AND Thomas Frank, Contracting Officer Representative, thomas.m.frank.civ@mail.mil. All responses must be received no later than 13:00 p.m. EDT on 22 June 2018 and reference this synopsis number in subject line of e-mail and on all enclosed documents. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL. If your organization has the potential capacity to provide the required products/systems, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, primary points of contact (POCs) and their email address, FAX, Web site address, telephone number, and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the requirements of this notice, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. All responses must demonstrate how the proposed existing aerostat system meets the requirements listed in this RFI. The response must also identify which ISR payloads are currently integrated with the existing aerostat system, as well as the payloads' size, weight, and power requirements. All data received in response to this RFI that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.