Request for Information - Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) is seeking information to assist the Navy as it performs its role as the lead system integrator for the Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (LDUUV) System. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY per FAR 15.201(e). This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Navy is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the respondent's expense. No RFP solicitation documents exist at this time. Failure to respond to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If an RFP is issued, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website at https://www.fbo.gov. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. It is the responsibility of potential respondents to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The information requested by this RFI will be used within the U.S. Navy to facilitate decision making and may be used in the development of the acquisition strategy and any future requests for proposals. Any information provided by industry to the Government as a result of this RFI is voluntary. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) is issuing this RFI to help determine the technical and manufacturing capabilities, knowledge, experience level, and qualifications of industry to meet the Government's needs to develop and build a Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle System. Using the Government knowledge base of the Sep 2015 LDUUV Industry Day as a departure point, the Navy is seeking the following in response to this RFI to inform Government LDUUV architecture definition, design/prototyping efforts, and incremental capability fielding strategies: a) insight from industry on results from LDUUV design trades or preliminary design decisions related to the Nov 2015 draft LDUUV System Requirements Document; b) insight from industry on potential internal architecture technical solutions; c) insight from industry regarding potential manufacturers or vendor sources for critical LDUUV components or subsystems. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The LDUUV program is managed by Program Executive Officer for Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS); Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS406). The LDUUV Element will have payload capabilities to include Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE), Below Water Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (BWISR), and others yet to be determined for improved battlespace awareness and various effects from under the sea. The LDUUV Element will be modular in design and will include hotel functionality (guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, and power distribution); energy and power; propulsion and maneuvering; payload sensors and communications links. It is intended that modules will have well defined interfaces for the purposes of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology. The LDUUV Element will be hosted on surface and/or submarine platforms. The Navy recently directed the LDUUV program to have NUWCDIVNPT serve as the Government Lead System Integrator (LSI). NUWCDIVNPT will make use of prototyping efforts leveraging various existing and developmental subsystems to reduce technical risk and identify viable solutions for the LDUUV system. REQUESTED INFORMATION Respondents are requested to provide the following information: Any available insight from their recent experience base that may help shape the Government design and prototyping Phase approach; including but not limited to: a) Engineering trades addressing meeting the LDUUV Requirements b) Internal UUV open architecture approaches c) Structures and materials considerations d) Propulsion e) Energy f) Payloads g) Autonomy solutions h) Reliability and redundant systems considerations i) Maintainability considerations j) Signature considerations k) Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) items which meet requirements l) Specialized vendor supplier base for specialty items not available off the shelf m) Launch and Recovery and platform integration considerations n) Other design aspects not listed above SUBMISSION DETAILS Respondents should provide a company profile to include the following: i) Company name ii) Company address iii) Point of contact iv) Email address v) Website address vi) Telephone number vii) Business category (i.e., large, small, disadvantaged, veteran-, woman-owned, etc.) viii) Number of employees The desired format for submissions is white paper or similar narrative (contractor's format). Please limit your response to not more than 25 single-sided pages (including cover and administrative pages); 1-inch margins; and 12 point font. Responses shall be submitted in writing and are due no later than thirty (30) days after publication of this RFI. Submissions shall include one (1) hard copy original (paper) copy and one (1) electronic submission on CD-ROM suitable for reading in a standard PC compatible CD-ROM drive. All view graphs shall be in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. All text, which may include visual aids, shall be in Microsoft Word 2010 or searchable Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). All schedules, including Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), shall be in Microsoft Project 2010. The electronic material shall not contain any information not contained in the hard copy format. If a classified supplement is included it shall be provided as a separate addendum to the hard copy original and on a separate CD-ROM with appropriate security classification markings. The classified supplement is not included in the 25 page limitation. Proprietary information, if any, must be clearly marked. To aid the Government in its review and evaluation, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Respondents that include in their submissions data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall -- (1) Mark the title page with the following legend: This response includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed -- in whole or in part -- for any purpose other than to evaluate this White Paper. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]; and (2) Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend: Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this submission. Each hard copy and electronic CD-ROM shall be labeled as follows: N66604-16-S-9999 Company Name, City, State Point of Contact (POC) Name POC Phone # Security Classification of the Response All responses should be marked as follows: Commanding Officer Naval Undersea Warfare Center Attn: Joshua Stone, Code 8533 N66604-16-S-9999 1176 Howell Street Newport, RI 02841-1708 QUESTIONS The Government does not intend to release any supplemental information related to this RFI nor does the Government intend to address any technical questions related to this RFI. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Questions regarding SUBMISSION DETAILs for this announcement shall be submitted in writing, via e-mail, to Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Mr. Stephen Lamb (stephen.a.lamb1@navy.mil) Code 0222. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. SUMMARY THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Navy has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.