Submarine Cabinet Sound Dampening Alternative

As part of the production of electronic cabinets and consoles, noise mitigation products are installed prior to the installation of the electronic components and cabling. The noise mitigation material of choice for decades has been lead septum foam. Reference 1 is the baseline 53711-3203197 lead septum product. This material is installed with a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) backing or adhesive to the inner walls of the enclosures. Depending on the complexity of the electronics assembly, in most applications it is difficult or impossible to remove and replace without first complete removal of the electronics and cabling. The electronic assemblies that require this product need to have minimal time offline. Additionally, reassembly of cable harnesses and wiring can result in electrical faults, so complete system testing after reassembly is required. The Navy needs a product that has performance characteristics equivalent or better than today’s lead septum foam product and with a longer life expectancy (exceeding forty years) than the current foam product being used to meet end-of-life of the COLUMBIA/Dreadnought platforms. This product must also meet the Structureborne Noise MILSPEC (MIL-STD-740-2) criteria for testing [Ref 2]]. This material will be installed in Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) Fire Control, NAV, and TEMPALT equipment cabinets onboard COLUMBIA/Dreadnought SSBNs. In addition to identifying a material with an extended service life, the material attachment methods are expected to have a reduction in time to replace, compared to the 53711-3203197 baseline material. The final product desired is a structureborne noise mitigation material with a defined efficient attachment method. The final product should be able to be reproduced in sheet sizes equivalent to 53711-3203197 baseline material to support needs from the Navy. Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.