The Office of Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE), Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), is conducting an experimentation campaign to assess the military utility of directed energy technology to counter unmanned aircraft systems (DE C-UAS). SDPE is issuing this invitation to participate (ITP) to assess industry’s capability, capacity and interest in providing DE platforms that will offer cost-effective assets (i.e., assets having low procurement, operating and sustainment costs) in the future United States Air Force (USAF) force structure.
The USAF has interest in exercising the rapid acquisition authorities granted by Section 804 of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Section 806 of the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA to fulfil one or more needs for a directed energy system that addresses the C- UAS mission against Group 1 and Group 2 UASs. Due to the rapid timelines associated with these authorities, SDPE is conducting this experimentation campaign to assess whether any directed energy systems are currently available to meet these needs within the aggressive timelines set forth by these authorities. The results of the experimentation campaign will thus enable rapid procurement of such a system.
SDPE and the U.S. Army intend to invite respondents whose systems meet the guidelines for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army. This ITP is the first step in a two-step process (in addition to the U.S. Army MFIX 20 Quad Chart submission) in obtaining information from government and industry with respect to its current and near-term capabilities in support of military needs. SDPE anticipates the two steps will be as follows:
- STEP ONE: This ITP invites interested industry participants to submit capability statements
- STEP TWO Based upon the evaluation in step one, SDPE intends to invite approximately 4 to 6 respondents to present their DE systems during an October 2019 Experimentation Event at U.S. Army Base, Fort Sill, Oklahoma in support of the Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX) 20. During this event respondents must integrate their prototype system into the Counter Rocket Artillery Mortar Command and Control (CRAM C2) Battle Management System. This event will demonstrate C- UAS “system of system” military utility and will last approximately 4 weeks.
For more information
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=74495889b8259675d703d9ead823c54b&tab=core&_cview=0
Solicitation Number: FA8650-19-S-9324
Deadline for responses: 22 February, 2019
Responsible organisation: US Air Force
