Land-Based Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) - Market Research

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center (RDC), New London, CT, as a means of market research regarding the state of the land based Unmanned Aerial System (LB UAS) market. The Coast Guard is seeking information of the non-developmental Technical Readiness Level (TRL 6+) UAS technologies available from government, industry and academia. This RFI is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Unsolicited Proposal, or an obligation or intent of the USCG to acquire any products and/or services. Furthermore, this RFI is independent of a related RFI previously posted on October 28, 2008 (HSCG32-09-I-R00003) by the USCG RDC for UAS to operate off the National Security Cutter (NSC). The Coast Guard is contemplating the use of LB UAS to execute Coast Guard’s missions, including search and rescue, counter drug law enforcement, migrant interdiction, living marine resources (aka fisheries enforcement), and defense readiness. In concept, the USCG would seek to operate the LB UAS in the offshore environment beyond line of sight of the ground control station (GSC). Consequently, the candidate UASs would be relying on their own sensors to surveil, detect, classify, and identify (SDCI) targets of interest. Through multiple analyses previously conducted, the RDC has shown that properly configured UASs may offer significant benefit to USCG mission execution. Notional Operational Profiles (1) The UAS shall perform surveillance on pre-planned routes to support the detection, classification, identification and tracking of surface targets while providing near real-time data distribution; (2) The UAS shall loiter over targets of interest while providing near real-time tracking and surveillance data; and (3) The UAS, when directed from the GCS, shall relocate previously detected targets and perform a classification and identification. You are invited to respond with information to assist the USCG RDC with its market research to identify potential sources of LB UAS (including platform, payloads, Ground Control Station (GCS), and control and data links). For purposes of this RFI, LB UAS is a complete turn-key system including: the aerial platform, integrated sensor payloads (i.e. Radar, Electrical Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR), Automatic Identification System, Directional Finder, etc.), and control and data communications capabilities. The Coast Guard is interested in technology that can be operated and maintained on existing airfields and operated anywhere in the worldwide maritime offshore environment. Performance Requirements The below listed performance requirements are of equal importance to the Coast Guard: (1) The UAS shall be able to be launched and recovered, operated, maintained, serviced and hangared on existing military airfields; (2) The UAS platform shall have a mission applicable payload including sensors and command and control systems suitable for the maritime environment fully integrated into the platform and GCS; (3) The UAS integrated payload shall demonstrate proven performance in the maritime environment; (4) The UAS sensor payloads shall be capable of detecting, classifying, identifying and tracking targets in the maritime environment; (5) The UAS shall have a Common Data Link (CDL) that complies with the Military Standard (MIL STD)-CDL, the Unmanned Systems Interoperability Profile (USIP) and Standard Agreements (STANAGs) 7085 and 4586; (6) The UAS CDL shall be capable of transmitting organic sensor metadata to the controlling station; (7) UAS command and control payloads shall be capable of permitting afloat assets to maintain North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Standardization Agreement (STANAG) Level 2 control of the sensors and provide for the near real-time transmission of sensor data (radar, EO/IR, etc.); (8) The UAS platform shall have a minimum of a 14-hour endurance, 80 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) cruise speed at 25,000 ft (International Standard Atmosphere), and 500 pound payload capability; (9) UAS shall demonstrate an effective mission radius greater than 500 nautical miles, which includes the ability of the UAS to transmit real-time or near real-time sensor data; (10) The UAS (platform, payloads, and full fuel load) shall be able to be handled, operated and maintained by Coast Guard personnel under all expected operational conditions; and (11) The UAS platform shall have a maximum service ceiling no lower than 20,000 ft mean sea level (MSL). Responding to This Market Survey (1) Provide a detailed description of the potential UAS (platform, payloads, GCS, and control links); (2) Describe your UAS’s demonstrated ability to meet the above listed performance requirements (provide test or operational flight results that illustrate how the UAS meets (or exceeds) the above listed performance requirements); (3) Describe performance parameters and capabilities the UAS can provide in addition to the above listed performance requirements; (4) Populate the data fields on the spreadsheet, Land Based UAS Summary Response Form, Attachment A; (5) Briefly describe any U.S. (or international) government contracts for programs of record or products being submitted as applicable. For government contracts, please provide government points of contact; (6) Provide any digital photos and/or digital videos of the products in operation; and (7) Identify whether you are a Small or Large Business using NAICS Code 541330. NOTE: If your submittal is greater than 50 MB, please provide on DVD media and mail to: Attn: Helen Nelson, Contracting Division U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center 1 Chelsea Street New London CT 06320-5506 The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI, or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. Responses to this market survey should be sent to [email protected]. Information submitted will be reviewed by Government personnel at the USCG RDC and members of the USCG RDC’s System Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Contractor Team, who will assist the Government with this effort. NOTE: Non-governmental personnel have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, VOICE MAIL MESSAGES LEFT WILL NOT BE RETURNED, AND EMAILS RECEIVED WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO. Please limit electronic responses to no more than 20 pages, exclusive of Attachment A and any digital videos or photographs. Respondents are requested to respond no later than April 20, 2009. REMINDER: ALL RESPONSES MUST BE EMAILED TO [email protected].