DISCLAIMER

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT IS A MARKET RESEARCH TOOL BEING USED TO DETERMINE POTENTIAL FIRMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SUPPLIES DESCRIBED HEREIN PRIOR TO DETERMINING THE METHOD OF ACQUISITION AND ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OBLIGATED TO AND WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM POTENTIAL SOURCES AS A RESULT OF THIS RFI. THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. FAILURE TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE WILL NOT PREVENT A COMPANY FROM PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE COMPETETION RELATED TO THE SR/SE UNMANNED PROGRAM.

INTRODUCTION

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons PEO (U&W), Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-263) at Patuxent River, MD is seeking industry input to identify potential solutions for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capable Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for use by United States Navy Expeditionary Forces. The solution should support operations including, but not limited to, Mission Planning, Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition, Patrolling, Security/Force Protection Operations, Convoy Operations, and Military Operations in Urban Terrain under all environmental conditions, both day and night. The system should be rugged and ready to use as delivered with minimal logistic, training and support requirements. The system should provide real-time full motion video via electro-optical and/or infrared (EO/IR) sensors. The Air Vehicles (AV) should be capable of autonomous or a safe manual launch with a minimum of support equipment from a small, confined area and should be capable of either autonomous or manual recovery within a designated area.

The recovery method should be adequate to prevent system damage and allow for short turn-around times between missions. The air vehicle should be equipped with a Ground Control Station (GCS) that is man-portable and consist of the necessary equipment to monitor the sensor(s) position and status and control its movement and view its video or is interoperable with existing common control systems available for U.S. government procurement. All mission data should be stored on the GCS or the AV with removable storage.

REQUIREMENTS

PEO (U&W), PMA-263 is specifically interested in systems with the following characteristics, in no particular order:

Weight: Gross takeoff weight 5 pounds or less

Range: 0-5 km

Datalink Encryption: AES 256-bit commercial encryption capable digital data link (s) with FIPS140-2,

equivalent or better.

Operating Ceiling: >10,000 feet MSL or greater

Acoustic Signature: (
Endurance: > 30 min

Portability: Man-Packable

Other: Must be able to operate over water while performing VTOL operations

Battery Powered

Modular multiple mission payload capability

High resolution day/night imagery via EO/IR sensor(s)

TRL7 or greater

Persistent “Hover and Stare”

No Specialized tooling

No specialized training for operator maintenance

SUBMITTAL INFORMATION

Interested persons may submit a Capability Statement package/White Paper identifying the following technical attributes of the potential solution. If a specific attribute is estimated or unknown, so state:

• System Characteristics

­ Total system weight (air vehicle with payload and GCS)

­ Landing zone requirements

­ Maritime capabilities and limitations

­ Size and weight of total system packed for transport

­ AV weight without payload

­ AV dimensions (assembled)

­ GCS dimensions and weight (assembled)

­ Power source(s)

­ Set up time (time required to go from packed to system airborne)

­ Payload

o Total available payload weight

o Sensor type

o Sensor detection/identification performance (National Image Interpretability Rating preferred)

• Environmental

­ Temperature limits

­ Precipitation limits

­ Wind limits

­ Freshwater/Saltwater exposure tolerance

­ Water immersion limits

• Performance Limits

- Altitude limits (above ground and pressure altitude)

- Maximum range (maximum range at which the system can operate assuming no line-of-sight obstructions)

- Maximum endurance (maximum time the AV can remain airborne under standard day at sea level conditions)

- Maximum speed of the AV

- Optimal cruise speed

- Noise signature

Provide detailed information in response to the questions listed below. Please answer them in the order in which they are asked:

1. What is the software operating system?

2. How does the system navigate?

3. Is the system capable of navigation without Global Positioning Unit (GPS)? If so, please provide a description.

4. Does the system use Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module GPS or M-Code GPS?

5. What are the different types of flight modes and mission control characteristics used by the system? (Manual, autonomous, waypoints, loiters, hover and stare, etc.)

6. Does your system incorporate autonomy via Artificial Intelligence control, operation, decision-making, and machine learning?

7. Does the system have a precision recovery capability?

8. Can the air vehicle safely be landed in water?

9. Is there any launch or recovery equipment required? If so, please provide a description.

10. What safety features (i.e. lost link, lost GPS, return to home) are built into the system?

11. What mapping software does the system use (google maps, Falcon View, open source, etc.) and does it have Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED)? Does the system use standard Department of Defense (DOD) mapping and imagery? What are your system requirements to load maps and Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED)?

12. How does the GCS communicate with the AV? Describe the data link used including waveform, operational frequency band, analog or digital, and encryption capabilities. Can the AV operate without comms to the GCS after uploading flight profile and launch?

13. Does your system have the capability to interface with DoD common operating picture or tactical networks (TAK, ATAK, ROS, RAS-G IOP, etc.)?

14. Is the system capable of simultaneous AV operations from a single GCS?

15. Is your product National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant? If no, what steps are being taken to ensure compliance? If yes, provide supporting documentation.

16. How and where is the data (video, pictures, and flight logs) stored and protected?

17. Are you willing to release full Interface Control Document for avionics, payload and battery interfaces?

18. What payloads are currently available, in development, and planned ((from original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or third party))?

19. What other unique capabilities are available with the system that may enhance mission performance?

20. Does your system support 3rd party payloads?

21. Does your system have an organic obstacle/threat avoidance capability?

22. Does your system have a swarm capability or are you actively pursuing this capability?

23. If battery powered, how are batteries recharged and how much time is required to return to full charge following a maximum endurance flight?

24. Do the batteries have a certification, i.e. NOSSA, UL?

25. What is your experience with developing Small Unmanned Aircraft System products?

26. How many units have been sold/fielded to date? Please identify user of the identified solution (Military/Industry/FMS).

27. What is the production lead-time, including any production/delivery constraints based on single order quantities ranging from 1-250 systems (system defined as 2 AV’s)? 251-500 systems?

Please provide details on the production lead-time.

28. What is the maximum production output (systems/month) currently? What is it based on the following capacity scenarios?

Capacity: 1 line, 1 shift, 5 days per week, 8 hours per day

1 line, 2 shifts 5 days per week, @8 hours per day (total 16 hours effort)

1 line, 3 shifts, 5 days per week, @ 8 hours per day (total 24 hours effort)

Surge capacity: Additional production lines

Overtime/weekends

29. Are you able to provide logistical support with spare parts and repairs of damaged parts?

30. Are you able to provide Field Service Representative support sufficient to sustain systems in deployed or remote areas within the United States or harsh/hostile environments overseas?

31. How many people are required to operate the system?

32. What is the anticipated training time for operator certification?

33. Describe the assembly required to ready the air vehicle for operation from its field packed state. (Field packed system is defined as having all the required equipment to accomplish a mission and be in a state safe for transportation)

34. What maintenance actions can be performed? What is the estimated times for each maintenance action?

35. What is the estimated unit cost per full system? A system defined as 2 Air Vehicles, 1 Ground

Control Station, and other required gear (antenna, batteries, etc.).

36. Is this product available commercially?

37. Please provide your cage code and business size under NAICS Code. If you are a small business per the parameters of NAICS Code, do you also qualify under any of the sub-categories: 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business, HUB Zone, etc.?

38. Are you a foreign-owned, foreign-controlled, or a foreign-influenced company?

39. Did you receive funding to develop your system from any governmental agencies?

40. Please provide operators manual and maintenance manual if available.

All interested, capable, and responsible sources that wish to respond to this RFI, please respond via email no later than 16 February 2024. Please limit responses to no more than 20 pages, 12-point font, not including preprinted information material. Responses transmitted by any other means (e.g., by telephone, telefax, mail, etc.), other than those transmitted by e-mail to Jenna Lang, will not be considered.

Please submit responses or questions via electronic media to:

Jenna Lang, Contract Specialist

jenna.l.lang2.civ@us.navy.mil

DOCUMENT MARKINGS

It is incumbent upon sources providing responses to this Notice to accurately mark all data with all appropriate data rights, distribution and classification markings. All information submitted will be adequately safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207. All submissions must be clearly marked with the following caption: For Official Use Only, Releasable to Government Agencies for Evaluation Purposes Only. Responses that fail to comply with the above instructions or present ideas not pertinent to subject, may not be reviewed. All information received in response to this Notice that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Information submitted in response to this Notice is submitted at no cost to the Government and will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to provide responses or comments to information received from interested persons, but may request additional information following review. Note: If interested person is a foreign concern or if a U.S. interested person has a team member or partner who is a foreign entity, adherence to all International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) is required.