Description
BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) BAA-RAC-20-0001WEAPONS FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT PART I – RESEARCH INTEREST Weapons Conference and Weapons PEO BAA Pitch Day Introduction This is a Special Notice for the Weapons Conference (WEPCON) hosted by Eglin AFB, FL on 2-3 June 2020. See Attachment C for WEPCON Topics. This also serves as a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Weapons PEO for a direct to PHASE II Pitch Day dated 4 June 2020 under the provisions of 6.102(d)(2)(i) and 35.016 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. See Attachment A for Pitch Day topics. Proposals submitted in response to this BAA that are selected for award are considered to be the results of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. For purposes of this announcement, research is defined as the scientific study and experimentation directed at increasing knowledge and understanding in relation to long term national security needs. It is an enhancement to related exploratory and advanced development programs, rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution. The registration for both will be forthcoming and can be found at the following links: WEPCON - www.armamentevents.com Pitch Day - www.doolittleinstitute.org/weaponspitchday (Please check back for information) Areas of Interest This BAA is related to programs currently managed at Eglin Air Force Base by the Armament Directorate (AFLCMC/EB), and the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Det-1. This BAA is intended to cover, in general nature, all research areas of interest to all AFLCMC/EB Divisions and SOCOM Det-1. We are specifically looking for innovative ideas, characterization of new technologies, and system concepts that provide evolutionary, revolutionary, and disruptive capability to fill warfighter gaps. Evolutionary provides incremental capability by delivering gradual performance improvement and may utilize existing operations, competencies, and processes. Revolutionary brings next generation capability to the Air Force and Department of Defense and delivers a step-change in performance. Disruptive enables game changing capability that may be new to the world, require new operations, competencies, and processes, and creates dilemmas for US adversaries on the battlefield. Mission areas for gap mitigation include base defense, Long Range Strike, Close Control Strike, Intra-Theater Strike, and Offensive & Defensive Counter-Air (to include Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)/ Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (DEAD)). Desired weapon capabilities include but are not limited to defeat of fighters, bombers, support aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, integrated air defense systems (IADS), ballistic missiles, fixed and moving targets, hard & deeply buried targets (HDBTs), area targets, maritime systems, and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Weapon technologies and concepts that provide U.S. forces the ability to retain air superiority and global precision attack capabilities are highly desired. Technologies and methodologies to improve the cost, schedule and performance of development and manufacturing for any concept and existing legacy system are requested. Offeror efforts under this BAA are listed in Attachment A (entitled Weapons Pitch Day Topics). Support enabling processes such as digital engineering and open system architecture (OSA) in order to accelerate acquisition and provide capability to the warfighter faster. Digital engineering includes but is not limited to Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Integrated Trade Space Analyses, Behavior Modeling, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, and a system/concept Modeling and Simulation (M&S) foundation that includes performance modeling, operational analysis, digital twin/thread, and live virtual construct (LVC). Integration of a digital engineering framework that combines models, data, and artifacts allows the US to rapidly respond to changing threats, field advanced capabilities, and engineer dominant systems at the speed of relevance. OSA is a structure in which systems/concepts interfaces share common, widely accepted standards that can be independently verified, and is key to enabling incremental development, enhancing competition, driving innovation, and maximizing interoperability. Investigation areas include but are not limited to defining an architectural concept for a modular open system approach to weapon development and fielding; identification of candidate weapon components/subsystem interfaces; degree of commonality, interchangeability and interoperability across modules/subsystems; impacts to systems engineering responsibility under open architecture; strategic asset reuse (hardware and software) within and across modular/open systems. Support AFLCMC/EB and SOCOM in developing concepts, analyzing mission effectiveness (including affordability), and demonstrating prototypes for innovative materiel solutions in the following focus areas: Reach, Affordable Mass, Autonomous Collaboration, Sensing and Communication Nodes, Non-Kinetic Effects, Digitial Engineering, Next Generation Laser Designators, Selectable Effects Warhead Technologies, Terminal Guidance System and Image-based Guidance System. (See Attachment A Pitch Day Topics) Technologies and/or processes that enable the development, testing, and fielding of capability in these focus areas should be considered. These may include but are not limited to: guidance, navigation, and control, sensors (e.g. seekers, inertial measurement units, datalinks, etc.), software/algorithms, new materials, flight terminations systems, and telemetry/instrumentation systems. Support AFLCMC/EB and SOCOM Det-1’s exploration of new technologies that enhance weapon system and or platform capacity, standoff, survivability, accuracy, flexibility, improved lethality against a wider array of target types, and allow for rapid integration on both legacy and next generation platforms are of special interest. This includes initiatives for the rapid execution of innovative, emerging capabilities and technologies for munitions or munitions related products by developing, integrating, and proving through rapid prototyping, demonstration, and/or fielding within 24 months. The ability to identify and communicate the value of these technologies in a campaign analysis is important in understanding the merit of proposed technologies. Tools that advance the Air Force’s ability determine the value of various technologies are also desired. The proposed concept(s) should be designed to demonstrate well-defined and substantive science and applied technology results, should not be overly ambitious or open-ended, and should not be a paper study that inherently requires a substantial testing effort under this BAA. Study documentation should qualify and quantify the research topic, with or without a hardware demonstration that would validate the concept. The Government’s primary interest is in the advancement of the knowledge supporting the science and technology obtained through the research itself, not the actual prototypes that may be a product of the study. Under some circumstances, it shall be expected that narrowly focused proposals or proposals for development of concepts using advanced S&T may be required during the time of this open announcement. Under those circumstances, a specific or special BAA amendment or RFI may be issued describing the requirement in greater detail, defining funding available, elaborating on proposals or proposal submission due date and format, and possibly providing more specific evaluation criteria. Proposal Preparation and Submission: Proposals shall be submitted no later than 29 April 2020, 4:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST). Review of submissions and decisions to proceed with attendants of pitch day will be limited to key representatives of AFLCMC/EB and SOCOM Det-1. Please see Attachment B (entitled Air Force Topic Phase II Proposal Instructions for Weapons Pitch Day) which contains information for submission, proposal preparation instructions, and method of selection and evaluation criteria. It is the Government’s intent to award firm fixed price contracts. The cost portion of the proposal must be in writing. See Attachment B for details. Eligibility Information See Attachment B Section 2.6.1. Ombudsman: In accordance with AFFARS 5352.201- 9101, an Ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from Offerors, potential Offerors, and others for this acquisition announcement. Before consulting with an Ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreement, and/or recommendations to the Contracting Officer listed above for resolution. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or Contracting Officer, but communicates contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to appropriate Government personnel. When required, the Ombudsman shall maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Matters of a routine or administrative nature concerning this acquisition should not be addressed to the Ombudsman, but rather to the Contracting Officer listed above. For any other concerns, interested parties may call the AFLCMC Ombudsman, Lt Col Brian E. Miller at (937) 255-5512 or submit the concern(s) in writing to AFLCMC/AQP, 1790 10th Street, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 4543- 7630. Attachments Attachment A: Weapons Pitch Day Topics Attachment B: Air Force Topic Phase II Proposal Instructions for Weapons Pitch Day Attachment C: Weapons Conference (WepCon) Panel Topics