Request for Solutions: High Energy Laser (HEL) Flexible Prototype

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, DATED 19 DEC 2018. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE 2ND QUARTER OF FY19. Request for Solutions: High Energy Laser (HEL) Flexible Prototype 11 December 2018 1.0 Purpose The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) seeks a prototype ground-based Laser Weapon System (LWS) demonstration that will be exercised in air base defense and/or aircraft defense scenarios. This demonstration will enable warfighters to evaluate technology readiness and operational viability for a future integrated airborne LWS. The goal of the HEL Flexible Prototype is to validate and verify the full kill chain (find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess) capability of a LWS. The Government will evaluate proposed solutions and may award an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to up to two Vendors, under the Training and Readiness Accelerator (TReX). 2.0 Summary and Background 2.1 The 2017 USAF Directed Energy (DE) Weapons Flight Plan, signed by the SECAF and CSAF, supports operationalization of DE weapons. The top-level characteristics of Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) and the Government concepts for their development are detailed in the DE Weapons Flight Plan. It has been shown that when a high energy laser is integrated into an air vehicle, the resulting LWS has great potential to provide a transformational capability to rapidly defeat various threats. 2.2 AFLCMC has been directed to execute a project that integrates current LWS technologies into a flying prototype to be evaluated against relevant airborne threats to aircraft and/or air bases. In 2018, the AFLCMC's High Energy Laser Flexible Prototype (HFP) team completed extensive market research and has determined that industry currently has LWS technology solutions of interest and of appropriate maturity for near-term aircraft integration. Thus, the HEL Flexible Prototype team is seeking a capability solution from industry. As such, the Air Force does not possess "build to" requirements for vendors. Unlike more traditional programs, the Air Force is requesting industry to identify the most appropriate technical objectives, characteristics, and capabilities, based upon the intent of the 2017 USAF DE Flight Plan. Ultimately, the HEL Flexible Prototype effort will enable warfighters to investigate mission critical attributes and determine the viability of future airborne laser weapon systems. 2.3 HEL Flexible Prototype is planned to be executed in phases. Completion of the first phase is marked by system-level ground test. This phased approach is intended to reduce risk while informing Government evaluators as to the potential for follow-on phases. Phase 1 is anticipated to be completed within 12 months of agreement award. If the Government determines Phase 1 a success, aircraft integration and flight testing phases may follow. 2.4 The Government anticipates a follow-on contract or agreement may be awarded to the Vendor for this effort without the use of competitive procedures if this prototype project is successfully completed as outlined within this awarded agreement. 2.5 Vendors interested in responding to this Request for Solutions (RFS) must be members of the Training and Readiness Accelerator (TReX) consortium. The full RFS can be viewed on the TReX website, located at the following link: https://trainingaccelerator.org/2018/12/high-energy-laser-flexible-prototype/ EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, DATE 19 DEC 2018. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE 2ND QUARTER OF FY 19