On 04 August 2023, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code - 4022, the Army Contracting Command - Orlando has awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) via the Training and Readiness Accelerator II (TReX II) for the 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) Prototype Project prototype project. A Request for Solutions for these efforts was issued to the TReX II consortium on 23 February 2023, which resulted in the submittal of 2 total responses. As a result of the competition, the prototype project was awarded to Advanced Technology International, Inc. (ATI) as the managing prime to Sierra Technical Services, Inc. (STS). located in Tehachapi, CA. The total value of this prototype project, if all milestones and options are exercised, is $77,169,362.00. The Director of the Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resources Management Center (TRMC) actively supports the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) with special emphasis on the Undersecretary of Defense Research and Engineering (USD R&E) modernization priorities. The TRMC serves as the DoD's steward for both test capabilities and test infrastructure required across the DoD's test ranges and for facilities operated by the DoD components. In performing its stewardship and governance roles, the TRMC assists the components in fully resourcing the test throughput and associated instrumentation to meet the needs of the acquisition and laboratory community in support of all DoD weapons systems testing. The TRMC also acquires new and innovative test infrastructures to support evolutionary acquisitions supporting Programs of Record, experimentation and prototyping, and responses to Urgent Operational Needs. Within its annually funded and enduring acquisition program elements, the TRMC both invests in innovative technologies that revolutionize or accelerate testing capabilities and development of prototype Test and Evaluation (T&E) capabilities. It may also facilitate the follow-on production and purchase of prototype capabilities created under this request for solution (RFS). However, entry into any follow-on activity will be determined by component need, in addition to the successful accomplishment of statutory and technical preconditions. The TRMC T&E/Science & Technology (S&T) Program is the primary DoD agent funding and executing technology development efforts to meet all DoD component T&E technology shortfalls. The goal for the program is to obtain - game-changing, revolutionary high-risk/high-reward advancements that propel the ability to perform DoD T&E activities, thus mitigating the timeframes of associated military capability obsolescence. Prototype pursuits may also be in support of TRMC's Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP). The Electronic Warfare Testing (EWT) 5GAT Prototype Project will support an aerial targets test capabilities gap identified by the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E). Aerial targets are aircraft that are utilized in live fire testing to validate the effectiveness of a weapon system. This testing is stipulated by Public Law, Title 10, Section 2366 of the U.S. Code, which requires that all new/improved weapon systems demonstrate their lethality prior to being approved for production. The U.S. military has used aerial targets for over fifty years to test and improve the lethality of their weapons systems. The purpose of aerial targets is to replicate critical characteristics of threat aircraft, such as performance, signature, and countermeasures. These aircraft must represent the threat throughout an engagement, i.e., from initial acquisition until missile impact and hence the target is often destroyed after completing only a few tests. To contain costs for these limited lifetime assets, unmanned versions of retired fighter aircraft have previously been employed for this mission; however, due to the increased cost and lifespan of the latest, 5th Generation of fighter aircraft, there are no retired airframes available that adequately represent the characteristics of 5th Generation threats. Key amongst these characteristics is size, signature, and electronic attack (EA) payloads. These characteristics significantly impact acquisition, tracking, and guidance of anti-air systems and therefore must be adequately represented to ensure proper testing. Given the high cost of producing a new aircraft vice droning a retired aircraft, key performance tradeoffs may be required to produce an affordable 5GAT. The purpose of this project is to build and test an affordable aircraft for the 5GAT mission. Over the past 15 years, the Government has investigated various aircraft configurations and legacy engine options that could be combined to produce an affordable 5GAT. The result of this effort was the construction and test of a single prototype aircraft in 2020. This aircraft was successfully built, integrated with the Army Ground and Aerial Target Control System (AGATCS) and tested at Dugway Proving Grounds (DPG) in Utah. The combined system successfully met all ground test objectives; but the air vehicle was lost during its maiden flight test as the result of an undiscovered software error. However, the aircraft configuration and overall design is still considered to be sound. The principal objectives of this project are to refine the aircraft design to meet its performance goals, build one or more prototypes, and conduct the necessary ground and flight testing at DPG with AGATCS to prove the efficacy and affordability of the base vehicle design. If these objectives are met successfully, an additional project phase to integrate auxiliary equipment such as range-unique control system communications devices, scoring systems, and flight termination systems may be executed, or the project may be transitioned directly to the individual service branches to complete range integration and transition the aircraft into production. Upon successful completion of this prototype effort, the Government anticipates that a follow-on production effort may be awarded via either contract or transaction, without the use of competitive procedures if the participants in this transaction successfully complete the prototype project as awarded. Successful completion will occur when the prototypes have been validated and are accepted by the Government. Further, the government reserves the right to determine part, or all of the prototype project is successfully completed if the vendor shows a particularly favorable or unexpected result justifying the transition to production. Note: Should the selected vendors fail to demonstrate progress or be unsuccessful in the accomplishment of the goals of this prototyping effort, the Government reserves the right to return to the results of this competition and award additional Other Transaction Agreements to one or more of the vendors that responded to the initial Request for Solutions, as appropriate within the scope and evaluated results of the competition.
