QF-16 Radar Cross Section (RCS) Verification and Validation Testing

QF-16 Radar Cross Section (RCS) Verification and Validation Testing AFLCMC/EBYA, Eglin AFB FL has a requirement for QF-16 Radar Cross Section (RCS) Verification and Validation Testing. Air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons are, under Title X of the US Code, Section 2366, required to be live fired at threat representative targets as part of a weapons lethality verification process prior to entering full-scale production. In order for the QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) to support this weapons lethality assessment, its Radio Frequency (RF) signature (commonly referred to as Radar Cross Section) must be known with significant confidence. Historical data (weapon programs lessons learned) established that "sufficient confidence" in a full-scale aerial target's RCS can only be obtained through measurement. RCS measurement test methods require the presence of all the target's spatially distributed radar scattering centers in order to provide accurate results. Requirements: 1. RCS testing shall be conducted at the contractor's test facility. 2. QF-16 Radar Cross Section testing must yield data suitable for supporting the weapons lethality verification process referenced above. Diagnostic analysis is fundamental to the effectiveness of this process and requires the following specific data "quality" or "suitability" features: a. Repeatability - the test conditions and collection techniques must be capable of being controlled and reproduced; b. Granularity - RCS measurements shall be made in one degree increments through 360 degrees of azimuth for each pitch attitude. Pitch attitude shall range from 30 degrees nose up through 50 degrees nose down in 5 degree increments. This all-aspect RCS data shall be collected for two aircraft configurations (with and without mission representative payloads). Discrete frequency (multiple bands) and wide band data supporting high resolution target imagery shall be collected. c. Accuracy - RCS measurement sources of error must be well understood, documented, and able to be mitigated effectively through precise instrumentation calibration, environment control, and proven data processing techniques. 3. The QF-16 RCS data must be "stand-alone" data and not require supplemental test data or modeling/analysis in order to be effective in supporting the aforementioned weapons lethality assessment process. 4. The Contractor shall deliver a test plan and test report in accordance with data item descriptions (DIDs) DI-SESS-81704 and DI-NDTI-80604, respectively. 5. The contractor shall be responsible for providing a suitable F-16 airframe (test article) meeting RCS test requirements for a Have Glass I, Block 25 QF-16. The Government will provide, as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), the drone-peculiar hardware necessary to modify a Blk 25 F-16 aircraft to a QF-16 representative test article configuration. 6. The period of performance for this entire effort is six months after contract award. Potential offerors who have the capability of meeting the performance and schedule requirements outlined above are invited to submit a Statement of Capability (SOC). The SOC shall be limited to five (5) pages including attachments. Responses are requested by 3:00 PM CDT, 15 August 2013. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition 488190 with a size standard of $30M. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute an invitation for bid (IFB) or request for proposal (RFP), and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. As directed by the Foreign Disclosure Office, Eglin AFB, FL, no foreign participation is allowed for this acquisition. An Ombudsman has been appointed to address the concerns of offerors or potential offerors. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the Program Manager or Contracting Officer, but communicates Contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When required, the Ombudsman shall maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Matters of routine or administrative nature concerning this acquisition should not be addressed to the Ombudsman, but rather to the Contracting points of contact identified below. The Ombudsman is Col Deborah Cafarelli, AFLCMC/EN, 102 West D Avenue, Bldg 11, Eglin AFB, FL 32542. She may be contacted via email at deborah.cafarelli@eglin.af.mil or phone number (850) 883-3701. Collect Calls will not be accepted. Points of Contact for this effort are Ms. Patricia Hicks, Contract Specialist, (850) 883-0873, email: patricia.hicks2@eglin.af.mil or Ms. Holly Deuser, Contracting Officer, (850) 883-3376, email: holly.deuser@eglin.af.mil