Request for Information (RFI) For USSOCOM Tactical Mission Systems & Technologies for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

Request for Information (RFI) For USSOCOM Tactical Mission Systems & Technologies for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Agency: United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) State: Florida Type of Government: Federal FSC Category: A - Research and development NAICS Category: 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) Posted Date: 02 March 2020 Due Date: 16 March 2020 Solicitation No: H92408-20-RFI-TMTS Bid Source: TBD Contact information: Eric Rousseau, Contracting Officer [SOF-AT&L Fixed Wing Division], eric.w.rousseau.civ@socom.mil. Bid Documents: N/A Opportunity History Original Synopsis 02 March 2020 Solicitation Number: H92408-20-RFI-TMST Notice Type: Special Notice Synopsis: Original Synopsis Solicitation Number: TBD Notice Type: Special Notice Synopsis: Request for Information (RFI) For USSOCOM Tactical Mission Systems and Technologies for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems. FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue a RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, USSOCOM is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. 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 interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Beta SAM (beta.SAM.gov) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 1.2 FEEDBACK. Submission of an abstract is voluntary. Respondents are advised that USSOCOM is under no obligation to provide feedback with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. 1.3 REGULATORY GUIDANCE. This publication constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), "RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract." 2.0 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is seeking information from qualified sources to better understand existing vendor offerings and the technical concepts, approaches, and merits of the ideas of work pertaining to Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Sensors, Payloads, Controllers, Mission Equipment etc. as it pertains to the list of items in 2.1. Further, it seeks to obtain information about pricing, delivery, and other market information or capabilities. 2.1 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The USSOCOM is investigating the following areas of interest as shown below. This is not a RFP, but instead a market research method to determine possible sources prior to finalizing efforts to pursue in FY2021. 2.2 TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS Technical capabilities considered when evaluating the merit include, but are not limited to: Group 1 UAS Mission Autonomy: Example: While supporting other air missions, two separate air vehicles are tasked with providing 360 degree Full Motion Video (FMV) coverage of a static structure (e.g., building, house) The UAS operators will select doors or other key features that the FMV cameras need to keep in their field-of-view Air vehicles will autonomously move horizontally and vertically to position the sensor for optimal FMV field-of view Follow and track moving objects (e.g., personnel, vehicles, etc.). UAS operators will select a moving object (person/vehicle) and the air vehicle(s) will autonomously navigate to keep the selected object in the FMV field-of-view. Keep multiple moving objects in the FMV field-of-view for the maximum time possible by autonomously navigating the air vehicle(s). Group 1 and 2 UAS BLOS data and communications. Group 1 and 2 UAS SATCOM enabled platform. Group 1 and 2 UAS laser designation (50+ mJ) for remotely launched laser guided weapons. Group 1 and 2 UAS secure 4G LTE communications link. Fly Zones. Capability to disable commercial UAS no fly zone restrictions. First-person view (FPV) Video Receivers. Remote controllers with built in video screens. Reduce size (Form - Fit) of controller Provide brightness control daytime operations Provide screen night time - vision compatible Provide alternate approaches to display Reduce amount of kit being carried Make screens night time compatible Eliminate need for goggles by integrating video feed into eye pro Marinized Group 1 UAS Improved Capability: Resolve water intrusion issues: avionics, sensors, motors, etc Weatherize/ruggedize for maritime operations Provide dual payload configurations Increase motor efficiency/performance Group 1 VTOL UAS Improved Capability: Display screen needs to be night operations compatible Touchscreen performance degrades when in a moist/wet/humid environment Decrease size and increase performance of the [hand controller] unit, screen, and embedded radio Map data loading (multiple type and layers) via WiFi or KMZ upload Group 1 and 2 UAS extended digital data link: Marinized field-expedient UAS: Provide solutions with water resistance properties Improved operation of COTS unmanned aerial vehicles in maritime environments Vest-mounted remote controller: Provide solutions to adapt Group 1 and 2 UAS controller and video receiver into a unit that could fit into something similar to a Juggernaut or Kagwerks plate carrier adapter/mount Provide solutions to integrate the ATAK device as the video receiver are also of interest For each proposed vendor offering/technology, the respondent should provide: (1) the current TRL rating and (2) the timeframe and rough cost estimate (non-binding) needed to reach TRL 6/TRL 7 with an implementation on hardware. 3.0 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ABSTRACTS 3.1 CONTENT All abstracts shall state they are submitted in response to this announcement. RFI responses shall include the company name, address and the title, telephone number, mail and e-mail addresses of the point of contact having the authority and knowledge to discuss the RFI submission. The Government is assessing the current state-of-the-art and next-generation. The RFI responses should describe the product solution proposed, addressed coverage of the requirements stated in this RFI by the proposed solution, explain the potential advantage to USSOCOM, and provide a rough order of magnitude for the cost of the proposed solution. 3.2 FORMAT Request abstracts be formatted as follows: Section A: A cover page identifying the company or organization, street address, and the names, emails and telephone numbers of the point of contact (POC). In the case of partnerships, please provide the appropriate information for the lead POC. Also provide a short summary statement of the company's or party's experience/capabilities and a short summary of the organization's experience in the areas described above. This section is not included in the page count. Section B: Technical Summary. The Government is assessing the current state-of-the-art and next-generation solution for the areas of interest. The RFI responses should describe the product solution proposed, address coverage of the requirements stated in this RFI by the proposed solution, explain the potential advantage to the USSOCOM, and provide a rough order of magnitude for the cost of the proposed solution. The abstracts shall be limited to 5 pages including a one page quad chart. All abstracts shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12pt font. The one page Power Point Quad Chart template is provided as an attachment to this request. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the Government technical point of contact (TPOC), as discussed in Section 8.0 of this announcement. Respondents are required to submit at least one electronic copy to the TPOC in Microsoft Office Word for the abstract and Power Point for the Quad. USSOCOM is not responsible for undelivered emails. Please confirm receipt of all submissions with the TPOC. 3.3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. Please be advised that the submitted documentation becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. No solicitation documents exist at this time. This is NOT an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request. This is a request for information announcement for planning purposes only. The Government will not reimburse costs associated with the documentation submitted under this request. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. Although proposal terminology may be used in this inquiry, your response will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal. This announcement is not to be construed as a formal solicitation. It does not commit the Government to reply to information received, or to later publish a solicitation, or to award a contract based on this information. 3.4 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. This notice is part of Government market research. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as sensitive and will be protected as such. Any company or industry proprietary information contained in responses should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, such that publicly releasable and proprietary information are clearly distinguished. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one source to establish the capability and requirements for any future acquisition, so as to inadvertently restrict competition. 4.0 INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS. USSOCOM representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements. 5.0 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS. Multiple abstracts within the purview of this RFI announcement may be submitted by each responder. 6.0 SUBMISSION. RFI abstracts/quad charts should be submitted before midnight on Sunday, 15 Mar 2020. 7.0 CLASSIFIED SUBMISSIONS. USSOCOM will not accept classified responses to this RFI. 8.0 AGENCY CONTACTS. Verification of government receipt or questions of a technical nature can be directed to the cognizant TPOCs: Technical POC: Robert Riley Email: robert.l.riley.civ@socom.mil Questions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the cognizant Contracting Officer, as specified below: Contracts POC: Eric Rousseau Email: eric.w.rousseau.civ@socom.mil Contracting Office Address: 7701 Tampa Point Blvd MacDill AFB, FL 33621 United States