ANTPY-2 RFI Adjunct Array 7.24.2025_FINAL.pdf

Missile Defense Agency (MDA) AN/TPY-2 Adjunct Request for Information

NAICS:334511

PSC: AC25

Agency: Other Defense Agencies

Office: Missile Defense Agency

Location: MDA-TBS

Description: The Missile Defense Agency’s Mobile Land-Based Sensors Program Office

(MDA/TBS) is conducting market research to determine industry interest and capability to meet requirements for its Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance and Control Model-2

(AN/TPY-2) Adjunct Phased Array Antenna.

The requirements include phased array system, hardware, and firmware engineering, hardware development, and engineering services for integration of the adjunct with the AN/TPY-2 system.

The requirements also include the production and delivery of one adjunct antenna with the government reserved option for two additional production units.

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or promise to issue an RFP in the future. This

RFI does not commit the government to establish a contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, MDA is not seeking, nor will it accept proposals. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the respondent’s expense. Participation in future Agency transactions and procurement opportunities is not contingent on responding to this RFI. MDA will not provide feedback for any submission.

Schedule:

Production of the first Adjunct unit must be completed no later than 31 December 2028 and two additional units complete no later than 31 December 2029. Demonstration of the required radar system capability described below is to be accomplished through tracking satellites or other surrogate targets of interest.

Adjunct Description:

The Adjunct antenna is envisioned to be one or several large X-Band phased arrays that augment the AN/TPY-2 radar system. The Adjunct is not envisioned to function as a stand-alone radar but rather be tightly integrated into the AN/TPY-2 system. Because it is not a stand-alone system, many traditional radar sub-systems, such as signal processing and data processing are not required except for adjunct checkout, alignment, and calibration purposes. The Adjunct array and additional beamsteering hardware necessary to accept an externally provided waveform, radiate / receive in a specified direction, and directing received waveforms into an externally provided signal processor are required. The offeror should present performance/cost trades for integrating the Receiver / Exciter (REX) into the adjunct versus operating off a central

REX system in the host radar system. The degree of array digitization (fully analog to digital subarrays) and transmit power (receive only to high power transmit) are areas of tradespace open to industry.

Three notional adjunct designs illustrate potential cost vs. mission application tradeoffs:

1. Full gain (50 dBi), full power (58 dBW) transmit and receive system (high cost, high utility)

2. Full gain (50 dBi), receive only system (medium cost, medium utility)

3. Partial gain (< 50 dBi), transmit and receive system (medium cost, medium utility)

Concept of Operations:

The Adjunct will receive a short digital message tens of milliseconds before each set of

Adjunct beam actions. This message will contain the list of transmit / receive / frequency / duration / beam steering direction for beam actions for the transmit and receive cycle. There may be up to 160 beam actions the Adjunct will support during this time period. Because the digital message timeline is too short a time period for mechanical prepositioning of the array, an electronically steerable phased array design is required. The Adjunct will configure its phase shifters and other beam steering equipment in preparation for each beam action. It will accept an externally provided X-Band transmit signal and / or provide to an external receiver the captured

X-Band signal.

Missions (Adjuncts to support one or more):

• Electronic Protection

• Interceptor Support

• Sensitivity Improvement: Coherent Aperture on Transmit and / or Receive

• AN/TPY-2 Tasking Offload

• AN/TPY-2 Expanded Field of Regard

Requirements:

• Antenna Gain: Notional 50 dBi (at boresight, 8.5GHz)

• Field-of-View: ±65° azimuth scan; 0° – 90° elevation

• Bandwidth: 500 MHz instantaneous bandwidth tunable within 8.5 – 10.5 GHz

• Polarization: Circular polarization (RHCP) on transmit, either single LHCP (threshold) or dual LHCP and RHCP (objective) circular polarization on receive

• Auxiliary Channels: No fewer than 3 subarray and 3 individual element outputs mapped as auxiliary channels

• Sidelobes: -10 dBi at physical horizon for clutter suppression; horizon sidelobe notch is allowable of sufficient width to mitigate clutter suppression

• Synchronization: Timing signals to be provided via TFOCA-II connector with both Inter-

Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) and One Pulse Per Second (1PPS) input signals.

Timing alignment will be of sufficient precision to avoid loss of coherency with the main array.

• Prime Power: The radar system’s prime power should be provided by one or several standard MEP-810D units providing 4160 Volt, 3 phase, 0.8 PF, and 4-wire distribution.

• Cooling: For designs that require active temperature management, the adjunct system should utilize commercially available cooling solutions as a commercial in-line chiller.

• Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Protection: The radar system shall be High Altitude

Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) hardened.

• Adjunct system operations and logistics support should be within the personnel resources allocated to the AN/TPY-2 system.

Receive-Only vs. Active Transmitting Adjunct:

It is important to note that a transmit power has not been specified. The government intends to assess designs at various transmit power levels against the missions listed above. The trade space is from a fully passive array (that is expected to be less expensive, but also not able to contribute to certain missions), a partially active array, all the way to a fully active array objectively at 58 dBW that is expected to be the most costly but most capable. The government recognizes that different technology bases are needed to cover this range of options.

Other Items:

It is also important to note that enclosure, form factor, transportability, cooling, maintenance, and weather protection are important to the design but solutions are not specified in this document, as intended, to allow for design flexibility.

Government Considerations:

The minimal requirements listed above allow for significant design space for a phased array solution. Features in the array architecture that save significant cost, such as analog beamforming vice digital beamforming or single vice dual polarization will be assessed for total overall cost vs.

capability provided. Further, logistics support approaches should minimize on-site “fly-away” personnel requirements and leverage methods such as vendor maintenance agreements and digital reachback. The intent of the program is to eventually procure 3 Adjuncts per AN/TPY-2, a total production of up to 48 arrays. Therefore, the ability to affordably mass produce the array design is of highest importance.

Instructions for Submissions:

Respondents to this RFI are invited to prepare and submit responses, no later than 45 days after release. The Government does not intend to extend this due date. Responses should be

UNCLASSIFIED and include the following:

1. Responses shall be submitted in Microsoft (MS) Word compatible format or electronic

Portable Document Format (.pdf) only with searchable capability (no scanned documents), capable of being printed on 8.5x11 inch paper with one inch margin (top, bottom, left, and right), single-line spaced, Times New Roman font, and no smaller than

12-point font. Any drawings shall be capable of being printed on 11x17 inch paper and no smaller than 10-point font. All figures and drawings are included in the page limits.

All responses shall contain a cover page identifying:

i. RFI Title

ii. Company or organization name, mailing address (City/State/Zip), and

Unique Entity Identifier

iii. Company web page URL, if applicable

iv. Point of Contact (name, title, phone number, and e-mail address)

2. For each major requirement area identified above in which the respondent expresses capability/interest, submit:

a. White paper (not to exceed 20 pages) that discusses capabilities, recommended alternatives, associated non-recurring engineering costs, and associated risks and mitigation strategies. Note: Risk mitigation strategies should address:

i. Production of hardware.

ii. Mitigation of the learning curve impacts on operations during transition following award of a contract.

iii. Open, non-proprietary, modular, re-architecture, and maximum re-use and application of existing technologies (hardware and software), designs, and production lines where economies of scale can be applied to minimize acquisition costs and enable future competition.

iv. The technical risks inherent in manufacturing processes.

v. The technical cost drivers for development and life cycle cost, and opportunities to reduce the Total Ownership Costs.

vi. Description of contractor’s experience with development, implementation, and management of a product support strategy while applying life cycle management principles.

vii. Provide Rough Order of Magnitude cost for the proposed concept, to include estimated breakout of development, and engineering services.

3. Data Requirements: Provide a detailed list (page limit is as required) and description of documentation requirements for a technical library to support your development of a future competitive proposal, organized by requirements area identified above, should

MDA compete any or all of these requirements. No Government information will be supplied in conjunction with this Sources Sought.

Proprietary information is neither sought nor desired by MDA. If such information is submitted, it must clearly be marked "proprietary" on every sheet containing such information, and the proprietary information must be segregated to the maximum extent practicable from other portions of the response (e.g., use an attachment or exhibit). Respondents are responsible for adequately marking propriety information contained in their response. The Government intends to use third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel as subject matter experts in the review of responses received, including the review of any marked or unmarked proprietary information provided. Appropriate non-disclosure agreements have been executed between the third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel and the Government and are on file with the Government. A submission of a response to this RFI constitutes the respondent’s acknowledgement and agreement that the information provided in the response, including any marked or unmarked proprietary or source selection information, may be disclosed to these third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel.

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the

Contracting Officer. Submit all questions no later than 15 days after release. Although the

Government will attempt to answer all questions submitted, the Government is under no obligation to answer any questions submitted after the 15 days. Telephone or verbal inquiries will NOT be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding submissions. All unclassified correspondence related to this matter, not including the responses, should be e-mailed to and mda.an-tpy-2-adjunct-rfi@mail.mil copied to the Contracting Officer as follows:

Contracting Office Address:

Missile Defense Agency, MDA/DACX

Building 5224, Martin Rd, Attn: VBIII

Redstone Arsenal, AL, 35898, UNITED STATES

Point of Contact:

Contracting Officer mailto:mda.an-tpy-2-adjunct-rfi@mail.mil

Erica Barbee, Procuring Contracting Officer, Mobile Land-Based Sensors AN/TPY-2

Email: Erica.M.Barbee.civ@mda.mil mailto:Erica.M.Barbee.civ@mda.mil