Sources Sought for Airborne Wide Area Persistent Surveillance Sensor (AWAPSS)

The Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) is conducting market research on behalf of the US Army's Office of the Program Manager Electro-Optic Infrared-Payload (PM EO/IR-Payloads). PM EO/IR-Payloads is conducting a market survey with the intent to: a. Determine industry's capabilities regarding basic qualifications in Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) or Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) hardware and software development and upgrades. b. Identify potential sources that have the skills, experience, knowledge, and capabilities required to perform the AWAPSS. c. Gather information to assist PM EO/IR in seeking information on sources capable of addressing obsolescence (6-10 systems), engineering, development, fabrication, demonstration, testing, project management, production, sustainment (sensor spares, sensor repairs, and sensor Field Service Representative (FSR) support (Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS))), for the AWAPSS systems. 1. DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION: The AWAPSS is a day/night persistent surveillance system and is capable of covering a large area of interest at moderate ground sampled distance (GSD) resolution. Material obsolescence is forecasted to affect AWAPSS Operational Availability (Ao) in fiscal year (FY19). Due to the age of the system, many integral components have been out of production for 10 years and must be addressed. The Army has developed and employed a first generation AWAPSS system (NSN 6350-01-645-7643) that has both day (visible) and night (thermal infrared) imagers. These systems are currently flown on the Army's Aerial Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS: AWAPSS is to provide persistent airborne surveillance of an area centered at a geo-designated point while the host aircraft orbits that point. The data includes metadata which can be used for target geo-location and other mission analysis tasks. AWAPSS provides gap-free ground coverage with every point in the coverage circle imaged once per frame. The AWAPSS includes provisions for Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC) of both the Medium Wave Infrared (MWIR) and the Visual/Near Infrared (VNIR) imagery. 2. SUSTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: AWAPSS is utilized as a sensor system integrated onto an aircraft in the CONUS and OCONUS for operational missions. The AWAPSS must be sustained to achieve each platform readiness requirements. This is achieved through procurement and availability of system spares, replacement parts, manuals, diagnostic tools, training, support equipment, qualified technicians to diagnose and troubleshoot failures, and provide on-site and reachback field and depot maintenance, packaging and demilitarization. The AWAPSS is typically used in a high Operational Tempo (OPTEMPO) environment up to 350 hours/month. ? 3. OBSOLESCENCE PLAN: I. Offerors will submit a plan to address obsolete components (VNIR, MWIR, Turret, Gimbal Interface Box (GIB), Generic Interface Card (GIC), and associated electronics), buildup of a seventh sensor, and reset of the six additional (current) sensors. a. VNIR FPA electronics: current VNIR FPA has been out of production for more than 10 years and has a life expectancy of 10 years. b. Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) FPA replaces the current Visible Focal Plane Array (FPA). c. GIC Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) removal potentially reduces Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP). d. GGIB LRU: update for Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) compliance. The imbedded GPS receiver is no longer in production and is 3-4 generations old. There are numerous piece parts and integrated circuits (IC) no longer in production. e. VNIR and MWIR camera and video chain electronics: There are numerous piece parts and IC no longer in production. f. Produce the seventh sensor in FY19 (1Q/2Q) close to when obsolescence could be an issue. II. Submit a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate to conduct Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) and to build a seventh system from an available gimble, and retrofit the six current sensors. a. Phase 1: NRE, buildup of seventh sensor and First Article Testing b. Phase 2: Reset of the six additional (current) sensors. Please note the following: Foreign participation is excluded. This is a market survey to identify all parties interested in taking part in this entire effort as a prime contractor. The Government will provide the above requirements and interface documents as part of the solicitation. Interested Contractors shall have a Secret Facility Clearance with Secret Safeguarding Requirements. Please provide the following information no later than July 15, 2016. Future communications related to this program will be distributed based on interested parties list. 1. Provide a brief summary of the company 2. Would you bid as a prime contractor on this effort? If so continue to question #3 3. Does your company have experience working with WAMI and RSTA, as to provide details regarding any anticipated teaming arrangements, strategic alliances, or other business arrangements to satisfy the AWAPSS requirements as described above? For any previous effort, please provide Contract Number, Point of Contact (POC), email address, phone number, and a brief description of your direct support of the effort. 4. Provide Test results from previously conducted Government testing that has been successfully completed to include contracting agency and contract number. 5. Discuss Timeline for Completing the Following Tasks (addressing the obsolescence of the LRUs, i.e., ISU, GIB, and GIC). Assume Day 1 is the day of Contract Award: (1) Completing any required design efforts. (2) Initial systems fabrication. (3) Preparation for conducting the required FAT. (4) Conducting the actual FAT. (5) Delivery of first production quantities. 6. Provide Top Five Long Lead Item Components (and Projected Lead Times) 7. Does your company have a SECRET facility or access to one should it be required? 8. Submit a ROM estimate to conduct NRE, build a seventh sensor, and retrofit the six current sensors. 9. Do all the employees that would support this requirement have a security clearance? If not, what percentage of employees that will be involved in this effort, have a security clearance? 10. What are the core competencies of your employees that would support these requirements? Also provide the total number of individuals currently employed by your company that are capable of supporting the requirements. 11. Please identify your company's business size standard based on the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code of 541330 for example. For more information, refer to http://www.sba.gov/content/table-small-business-size-standards: Large Business Concern Small Business (SB) Concern 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Woman-Owned Small Business Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Veteran-Owned Small Business Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business THE FOLLOWING ONLY APPLIES TO THE SMALL BUSINESS RESPONDENTS and will not count against the page limitations stated below: In addition to the above, small businesses responding should provide the following information: i. If you are a small business and plan to prime, please inform how you will meet the limitations on subcontracting Clause 52.219-14. ii. Under the current SB size standard, do you anticipate your company remaining a small business, under the stated NAICS code 541330? iii. If you are a small business, can your company sustain if not paid for 90 calendar days? iv. Does your firm possess an approved Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) accounting system? Interested parties with the ability to satisfy the above characteristics and capabilities should submit a white paper, not to exceed 20 pages, discussing your company's ability to meet the above requirements. The response should include a complete discussion of the ability to meet the above stated characteristics and capabilities, contractor's facility availability and staffing capabilities. The supporting documentation must be in sufficient detail to enable the Government to determine if the potential vendor either has the required product, hardware, software, and sensor spares, sensor repairs, and sensor FSR support, or the capabilities and production qualifications required for this effort. Please also include a discussion of any commercially available solutions which your company can provide. Descriptive literature of the commercial product, if available, should be provided and will not be included in the above page count. Responses should also include a cover letter (not included in the page count) providing: Company: Address: Point of Contact: Phone Number: Fax Numbers: Email Address: CAGE Code and DUNS Number: If your company holds a GSA Schedule contract (874 or other), please provide the Schedule number. Responses are due no later than 4:00 PM EST (local time at Fort Belvoir, VA) on July 15, 2016. Email responses should not exceed 10 Megabytes (MB). If responses are larger than 10MB, they may be broken down into smaller files (< 10 MB) and emailed separately. Responses received after this date and time may not be reviewed. Send responses electronically to: Michael P. Peduto, Contracting Officer, email: Michael.p.peduto2.civ@mail.mil Ryan Welch, Assistant Product Manager, email: ryan.p.welch2.mil@mail.mil PLEASE NOTE THAT IF A CHARACTERISTIC OR CAPABILITY IS NOT ADDRESSED THE GOVERNMENT WILL ASSUME THE RESPONDENT DOES NOT OR CANNOT MEET THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS MARKET SURVEY. This sources sought is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid (IFB), request for quotation (RFQ), request for proposal (RFP), or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this request will be treated as INFORMATION ONLY. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. . Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or to otherwise pay for the information submitted. Responses will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. Response to this Sources Sought should be received no later than 15 July 2016. All requests for further information must be in writing or via email; telephonic requests for additional information will not be honored. You may forward request for additional information and/or responses to Michael Peduto, Contracting Officer at: michael.p.peduto2.civ@mail.mil. Acknowledgement of receipt will be issued.