Request for Information, Sources Sought The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is the initiation of market research under Part 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Government does not intend to pay for any information furnished pursuant to this RFI.REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) The Program Manager for Optics and Non-Lethal systems (PM ONS), Marine Corps Systems Command plans to solicit for two Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) passive thermal imaging camera lenses. This RFI is issued to allow Industry the opportunity to review the below narrative draft requirements and provide any comments, questions, or feedback to Marine Corps Systems Command.Comments/Questions/Responses are due by 1630EST 22 August, 2008. Only e-mail submittals will be accepted. Please use the following as the subject in the email: Short Wave Infrared Request For Information. The point of contact is Mr. Karl Solomon, Phone 703-432-3651, FAX 703-432-3526 or Email:
[email protected]. NARRATIVE PM-ONS intends to conduct field characterization of natural night irradiance in the short wave infrared band and the relation to the ambient SWIR environment under a variety of times and weather conditions, and evaluate the ability of a passive SWIR imaging system to detect, recognize and identify objects of military significance to the dismounted infantry Marine. In addition, PM-ONS intends to utilize a SWIR imaging system in conjunction with other sensors to evaluate multi-spectral digital fusion. Furthermore, it is anticipated that SWIR imaging technology will continue to diversify and improve, requiring a baseline for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of future SWIR sensors. The evaluation of the SWIR environment and imaging technology supports the PM-ONS Family of Individual Optics program, and USMC Head borne Systems Integration. The desired SWIR camera lenses are intended to incorporate in a current SWIR camera already in testing. Detailed draft requirements are: -Transmission: 80% or greater-Spectral range: 0.9 to 1.7 micrometer-F/#: f/1.4-1.6-Focus: adjustable focus-Iris: adjustable iris-Mount: M42-1-Format: 20.5mm diagonal-Diagonal Field of View One 9 degree One 4.5 degree Responses to this RFI should not exceed five (5) pages and must contain the following information: a capability statement which includes the commercial availability of the items listed, the vendors ability to meet the stated specifications noted above, pricing information and any required lead time for purchase. It is preferred that offerors have a commercial off the shelf system that will be immediately available for purchase. NOTE: This Request for Information is for planning purposes only and is issued in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215-3. No solicitation document exists at this time. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure these items or to issue a solicitation, therefore no award should be anticipated from this process. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay for information submitted in response to this RFI, and responses to this notice cannot be accepted as offers. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such. Responses to this RFI that indicate that the information therein is proprietary or represents confidential business information will be received and held in confidence for U.S. Government use only.