Call For CRONUS 20 Mar 24.pdf

Broad Agency Announcement: FA2391-23-S-2403

Pioneering Aerospace Capabilities, Engineering and Research (PACER)

CALL Name: Combat Refueling and Operations Networked Universal System (CRONUS) Automated Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R)

20 March 2024

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

Broad Agency Announcement Type: This is a Two-Step Call against the PACER BAA FA2391-23-S-2403. The First Step is a Call for White Papers only. Offerors should monitor SAM.gov for any additional notices or modifications to this Call announcement.

NAICS Code: The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 541715 (Research and Technology in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (with Aircraft, Aircraft Engine, and Engine Parts exception), and the small business size standard is 1,500 employees.

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, AFRL/RQ

Moratorium on White Papers: Beginning from the date of publication of this Call and continuing until six months after the due date for Proposals, no White Papers submitted during the PACER BAA Open Period covering the topic specified in this Call, “RQT Topic 6 – Control Systems” will be reviewed.

DUE DATE AND TIME:

First Step: WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: 06 MAY 2024, 3:00 P.M. local time, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Only White Papers are due at this time.

NOTE: White Paper receipt after the due date and time shall be governed by the provisions of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3). Early proposal submission is encouraged.

Second Step: PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: To be provided in the Request for Proposal (RFP) sent to offerors that submit White Papers considered to meet the needs of the Air Force. Only White Papers are due at this time.

Submission: White Papers must be submitted to the Primary Contracting Point of Contacts (POCs): Megan Rosenbeck, Contracting Officer, AFRL/RQKPD, megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil;

Ryan Huffman, Contract Specialist, AFRL/RQKPD, ryan.huffman@us.af.mil. Additional Contacts are Kevin Mauersberg, Program Manager; kevin.mauersberg@us.af.mil and Peter Seiley, Section Chief; peter.seiley@us.af.mil. Electronic submission is required. White Papers can be submitted by email to ryan.huffman@us.af.mil or offerors may request a DoD Safe Drop-mailto:megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil mailto:kevin.mauersberg@us.af.mil mailto:peter.seiley@us.af.mil

Off link by email to ryan.huffman@us.af.mil at least 4 calendar days prior to White Paper due date.

Type of Contract/Instrument: The Air Force reserves the right to award the instrument best suited to the nature of research proposed. Accordingly, the Government may award any appropriate contract type under the FAR or Other Transaction (OT) for Prototype, grant, cooperative agreement, or OT for Research. The Air Force may also consider award of an appropriate technology transfer mechanism if applicable. It is anticipated that awards under this Call will be “C” type contracts with Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) and/or Cost Share (at the discretion of the offeror) CLINs anticipated. Cost reimbursement contracts require successful offerors to have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the contract.

Estimated Total Program Cost: The estimated total program cost is $30,407,000.00. This amount is estimated to cover all awards made under this Call and is not the amount estimated to be awarded per contract award.

Anticipated Number of Awards: The Air Force anticipates one or more awards for this Call.

However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more contracts for all, some or none of the solicited efforts based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations.

Brief Program Summary:

The Combat Refueling & Operations Networked Universal System (CRONUS) program is a technology insertion into the Next Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) Program of Record (PoR)’s Technology Maturity and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase. NGAS is an operational concept which enables "fueling the fight” – delivering fuel to airborne assets where and when needed to support the joint force to include contested areas. To project combat power, an airborne platform, whether it be a counter-air, strike, or Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, must be able to operate within contested or highly contested operational environments. The NGAS concept fuels the fight forward into contested areas enabled by a network of smaller, affordable, crewed and uncrewed NGAS platforms that require a combination of real-time dynamic Air Refueling Battle Management (ARBM) and Automated Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R). The objective of the SOO will focus on platform agnostic A3R technology advancement and demonstration of two major risk areas Relative Navigation and Boom Automation.

Technology development and risk reduction effort consisting of two lines of effort:

1. Develop and demonstrate a relative navigation sending system enabling an uncrewed received to maneuver from rendezvous to refueling position.

2. Develop and Demonstrate fully automated boom technology to execute refueling.

Offerors will select Statement of Objective (SOO) Topics CRONUS RelNav Systems Tasks

3.1 - 3.5 and CRONUS Boom Automation Tasks 4.1 - 4.4 in part or in entirety.

Topic List:

• SOO Topic 3.1 RelNav Capability Assessment

• SOO Topic 3.2 RelNav Integrated Conceptual Design Process

• SOO Topic 3.3 RelNav Innovative Conceptual Design Demonstration & Validation

• SOO Topic 3.4 RelNav Proof of Concept Demonstration

• SOO Topic 3.5 RelNav Program Management & Technical Reporting

• SOO Topic 4.1 Boom Automation Capability Assessment

• SOO Topic 4.2 Boom Automation Integrated Conceptual Design Process

• SOO Topic 4.3 Boom Automation Innovative Conceptual Design Demonstration &

Validation

• SOO Topic 4.4 Boom Automation Proof of Concept Demonstration

• SOO Topic 4.5 Boom Automation Program Management & Technical Reporting

Communication Between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives: All communication prior to and after the White Paper deadline shall be directed to the Contracting POCs listed below.

Contracting POCs:

Megan Rosenbeck Contracting Officer

AFRL/RQKPD

E-mail address: megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil

Ryan Huffman Contract Specialist

AFRL/RQKPD

E-mail address: ryan.huffman@us.af.mil mailto:megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil mailto:ryan.huffman@us.af.mil

FULL TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Program Description: Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/RQH, is soliciting White Papers on the following research effort: Automated Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R)

1. Statement of Objectives:

See Attachment 1 for the Statement of Objectives (SOO). This effort falls within the

PACER BAA (FA2391-23-S-2403),

Technical Objective Area Topic 6 – Control Systems: Autonomous control technologies to make autonomous aerospace systems the preferred option for any joint mission. These technologies include, but are not limited to, autonomous collaboration and manned-unmanned teaming; autonomous safety systems; mission autonomy and intelligence; and autonomy test and evaluation.

2. Within Scope Modification: Potential offerors are advised that due to the inherent uncertainty of research and development efforts, awards resulting from this announcement may be modified during performance to make within scope changes, to include but not limited to, modifications which increase overall contract ceiling amount and modifications under authority of DFARS 235.006-71.

3. Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items:

Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL):

CDRL Deliverable Frequency A001 S&T Reports (Final Report) End of PoP A002 Funds & Man-hour Expenditure

Report Monthly

A003 Contractor Spend and Expenditure Plan

Monthly

A004 Contract Funds Status Report Quarterly A005 Status Report Monthly A006 Presentation Material As Required A007 Technical Information Report, SF

424 Annual Update Annually

A008 Computer software product: source code

As Generated

A009 Test Plan As Required A010 System/Subsystem Design

Description As Generated

A011 Technical Data Package As Generated A012 Scientific and Technical Reports, Interim Report As Required

A013 Digital Imaging As Generated A014 Operations Security (OPSEC) Plan As Required

A015 Conceptual Design Drawings and Associated Lists

As Required

A016 Developmental Design Drawings and Associated Lists

As Required

A017 Systems Engineering Management Plan

As Required

A018 System Architecture Model As Required A019 Acquisition and Sustainment Data

Package (ASDP) Technical Report As Required

A020 Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Development Plan (MDP)

As Generated

A021 Model-Based Engineering Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis Profile (SYSML Version)

2 Times

See Attachment 2 for the Contract Data Requirements List.

b. Hardware: Relative navigation sensing and communication hardware expected.

c. Software: Relative navigation system software expected.

4. Schedule: (Total POP is 36 months for both RelNav and Boom) o Overall CRONUS RelNav System Tasks 3.0 – 3.5 PoP:

• Overall PoP: 36 months

• Technical Period of Performance: 33 months

• Reporting: 3 months o Overall CRONUS Boom Automation Tasks 4.0 – 4.5 PoP:

• Overall PoP: 36 months

• Technical Period of Performance: 33 months

• Reporting: 3 months

5. Other Requirements:

a. Program Security Classification: Secret

b. OPSEC: Operations Security (OPSEC) requirements, per the PACER BAA, FA2391- 23-S-2403, I. (page 9), will be incorporated into the Statements of Work.

c. Export Control: Information involved in this research effort is subject to Export

Control (International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR 120-131, or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 15 CFR 710-774). A Certified DD Form 2345, Military Critical Technical Data Agreement, is required to be submitted with the First Step – White Paper.

d. Export-Controlled Items: As prescribed by DFARS 225.7901-4, DFARS 252.225-

7048, “Export-Controlled Items (JUN 2013)” shall be contained in ALL resulting contracts.

e. Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS): Not Applicable.

f. Science and Technology (S&T) Protection: In accordance with Air Force Research

Laboratory Instruction (AFRLI) 61-113, “Science and Technology (S&T) Protection for the Air Force Research Laboratory”, offerors are required to submit the following as part of their Proposal (Second-Step):

1) A completed initial Standard Form (SF) 424, Research and Related Senior/Key

Person Profile (Expanded) Form, (PACER BAA Attachment 9) for all Senior/Key Personnel proposed in support of the AFRLI 61-113 Personnel Risk Assessment requirement.

2) Documentation of a Security Program Plan in support of the AFRLI 61-113 Initial

Institution S&T Protection Program Review requirement. This must include, at a minimum, a completed Security Program Questionnaire (PACER BAA Attachment 10). Submittal may also include a pre-existing plan that the offeror uses as a matter of course or plan developed specifically for this acquisition. The purpose of requesting the plan is to assess the offeror’s capacity for protection of the Government’s S&T. Failure to demonstrate a plan adequate to meet the needs of the requirements, as determined by the Government in its sole discretion, may be grounds for considering the proposal un-awardable.

Government Procedures The Government will review the submitted S&T protection documentation only for those proposals categorized as Selectable and selected for funding and negotiations.

S&T Protection Initial Risk Review:

• Personnel Risk Assessment: The Government will review non-government research key/senior performers identified by the offeror on the initial SF 424 for workload conflicts and conflicts of interest.

• Initial Institution S&T Protection Program Review: The Government will review the offeror’s security program information submitted in accordance with paragraph 2 of this section (above) to identify any potential risks and ensure appropriate measures are in place to protect S&T information.

The Government may require the offeror to submit additional information and/or a mitigation plan for any identified S&T protection risks. If the Government determines the offeror failed to provide adequate additional information; or an acceptable mitigation plan; or it is determined the offeror’s S&T protection approach is high risk and does not provide adequate protection of S&T information, the Government may reject the proposal and withdraw it from consideration for award.

S&T Protection Annual Risk Review: In accordance with PACER BAA Attachment 8 (SOW Supplemental Requirements), the Contractor shall provide an SF 424 with the following information: 1) an initial report of all Senior/Key Personnel at the time of award; 2) an annual report of all Senior/Key Personnel providing support; 3) a report for any new Senior/Key Personnel who join the contract, agreement, grant, or OT. Any updated SF 424s for new Senior/Key Personnel supporting the award require coordination from the Government prior to the contractor employee receiving access to S&T information. The purpose of this report is oversight and should not be construed as relieving the contractor/recipient of any S&T Protection requirements within the contract, grant, agreement, or OT.

g. The following provisions/clauses are applicable to this effort:

- FAR 52.204-27 Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (Full Text)

- DFARS 252.204-7008 Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense

Information Controls (Full Text)

- DFARS 252.204-7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber

Incident Reporting (Full Text)

- DFARS 252.204-7018 Prohibition of the Acquisition of Covered Defense

Telecommunications Equipment or Services (Full Text)

- DFARS 252.204-7019 NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements – Please be aware the offeror is required to implement NIST SP 800-171 pursuant to DFARS Clause 252.204-7012 (Full Text)

- DFARS 252.204-7020 NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements

- DFARS 252.215-7009 Proposal Adequacy Checklist

- DFARS 252.228-7001 Ground and Flight Risk (Full Text)

- H0023 Air Force Research Laboratory – Wright Research Site Security

Requirements (JUN 2023) (Full Text)

6. Other Information:

a. Government Furnished Property (GFP), Government Furnished Information (GFI) and/or Software, or Contractor Acquired Property:

GFI will be provided and is required to submit a successful proposal. Offerors that anticipate submitting a proposal must submit an email request to Ryan Huffman at ryan.huffman@us.af.mil and Megan Rosenbeck at megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil, Additional Contacts are Kevin Mauersberg, Program Manager;

kevin.mauersberg@us.af.mil and Peter Seiley, Section Chief; peter.seiley@us.af.mil.

containing the name of the contractor, Points of Contact (POC), cage code and request for the GFI package. Distribution of the GFI will be disseminated by request only once a valid Military Critical Technical Data Agreement DD2345 is submitted and verified and the offeror has been vetted by AFRL/RQOS. If approved the documents will be distributed to the offeror via DoD SAFE.

b. Base Support/Network Access: Base Support is not required.

mailto:ryan.huffman@us.af.mil mailto:megan.rosenbeck@us.af.mil mailto:kevin.mauersberg@us.af.mil mailto:peter.seiley@us.af.mil

c. Data Rights:

1) Technical Data: Unlimited

2) Non-Commercial Software (NCS): Unlimited

3) NCS Documentation: Unlimited

4) Commercial Computer Software Rights: Customary License

Unlimited rights is desired. Other than unlimited rights, must be identified in the White Paper in accordance with PACER BAA and as required by DFARS 252.227- 7017, Identification and Assertion of Restrictions on the Government’s Use, Release, or Disclosure of Technical Data or Computer Software. See PACER BAA I.6.c.

d. This announcement incorporates Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and supplement provisions and clauses by reference. The full text provisions can be found at acquisition.gov.

II. Award Information

1. Anticipated Award Date: Anticipated contract award date could be as early as 30 September 2024.

2. Anticipated Funding: A contract type with Cost Plus Fixed Fee and/or Cost Share CLINs are anticipated.

The budget for the program, subject to availability, is anticipated to be as follows: Total estimated program value is approximately $30.4M with multiple awards ranging from $5M -$10M. This anticipated budget is an estimate only, and the Government reserves the right to award contracts with values higher or lower than the stated estimates.

III. Eligibility Information: See PACER BAA FA2391-23-S-2403

IV. White Paper/Proposal Submission Information

Overview: This Call is a Two-Step Call. For a Two-Step Call, White Papers will be solicited, and subsequent RFPs may follow after White Paper Reviews.

1. FIRST STEP - White Paper Instructions

a. General: The FIRST STEP requests a White Paper and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost. The White Paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach. The Government will review the White Papers in accordance with the FIRST STEP White Paper Review Criteria, set forth in Section IV.3.a. below. Based on this review, the Government will determine whether the White Paper has the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs. Those offerors submitting White Papers assessed as meeting Air Force needs will be asked to submit a Technical and Business/Cost proposal. An offeror submitting a Proposal without first submitting a White Paper will not be eligible for an award. The cost of preparing White Papers in response to this Solicitation is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in FAR 31.205-18.

Electronic submission is required. White Papers can be submitted by email to ryan.huffman@us.af.mil or offerors may request a DoD Safe Drop-Off link by email to ryan.huffman@us.af.mil at least 4 calendar days prior to White Paper due date.

b. Page Limitation: The White Paper shall be limited to 5 pages if responding to Section

3 or Section 4 individually. If responding to both Sections 3 and 4, the White Paper shall be limited to 10 pages (5 separate pages for section 3, 5-9 – RelNav System and 5 separate pages for section 4-9 – Boom Automation). White Papers shall be prepared and submitted in Word format. Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial.

Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, diagrams, cover page, table of contents, and restrictive/proprietary markings (in header or footer). These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than Page 5 if responding to Sections 3 or 4 individually. If responding to both Sections 3 and 4, pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than Page 10. The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc. The Government will not consider pages in excess of these limitations.

c. Format: The white paper will be formatted as follows:

1) Section A: BAA Number, Title of Program, Topic Number, Name of Company, Business Size, Company’s Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, Contracting POC and Technical POCs with appropriate telephone numbers, and email addresses for the POCs. For submissions that will result in classified work, add the following information:

Classified level at which company is cleared, contractor address for forwarding classified material (name, address, zip code), cognizant security office (name, address, zip code), and offeror’s security officer’s name and telephone number).

2) Section B: Period of Performance and Task Objectives;

3) Section C: Technical Summary and Proposed Deliverables; and

4) Section D: Cost of Task (Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM))

5) Section E: A Certified DD Form 2345, Military Critical Technical Data

Agreement. This does not count towards page count limitations.

d. Technical Portion: The technical portion of the White Paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the offeror’s proposed technical approach/solution. It may also include any proposed deliverables. Resumes, descriptions of facilities and equipment, and a proposed Statement of Work are not required at this point.

e. Cost Portion: The cost portion of the White Paper shall include a ROM cost estimate.

No detailed price or cost support information should be included; only a time-phased bottom line figure should be provided.

f. Other Information: If the offeror wishes to restrict its White Papers, they must be marked with the restrictive language stated in FAR 52.215-1(e).

g. White Paper Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the due date.

2. SECOND STEP - Proposal Instructions

a. General Instructions:

1) The SECOND STEP consists of offerors submitting Technical and Cost/Business

Proposals within 30 calendar days of an RFP. After receipt, Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria in Section IV.3.b. below.

Proposals will be categorized and subsequently selected for negotiations.

2) Offerors should apply the restrictive notice prescribed in FAR 52.215-1(e) Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition. Offerors should consider proposal instructions contained in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Guide for Industry, which can be accessed on line at https://www.afrl.af.mil/Portals/90/Documents/HQ/BAA%20Ind%20Guide%2020 20.pdf?ver=7AivkWvoUoptKgypgCuIvw%3d%3d. This guide is specifically designed to assist the offeror in understanding the BAA proposal process.

3) Technical/Management and Cost/Business volumes should be submitted in separate volumes and must be valid for at least 180 days. Offerors must state this on the cover page of each volume of their proposal.

4) Proposals must reference the announcement number FA2391-23-S-2403, Call Name, and the relevant Topic Number.

5) Offerors must submit one electronic copy of their Proposals per the directions in the Request for Proposal. Please contact the Contracting POC identified in the RFP if there are any issues submitting an electronic copy.

a. The cost file(s) spreadsheets must be in Microsoft Excel and include the formulas for calculating cost element bases (i.e., G&A, O/H, etc.)

https://www.afrl.af.mil/Portals/90/Documents/HQ/BAA%20Ind%20Guide%202020.pdf?ver=7AivkWvoUoptKgypgCuIvw%3d%3d https://www.afrl.af.mil/Portals/90/Documents/HQ/BAA%20Ind%20Guide%202020.pdf?ver=7AivkWvoUoptKgypgCuIvw%3d%3d

6) Offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to contractually bind or otherwise commit the Government.

7) The cost of preparing Proposals in response to this BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost as specified in

FAR 31.205-18.

8) No classified technical proposals or cost volumes are expected. Offerors are encouraged to keep all elements of the proposal package unclassified. In the rare case where an offeror has a need to submit a classified appendix, please contact the Technical POC identified in the RFP for delivery instructions.

b. Technical/Management Proposal:

1) Page Limitations: The following describes proposal page limitations:

a. The Technical/Management Proposal shall be limited to TBD (page count will be provided in the RFP). Technical/Management proposals and Statements of Work must be provided in Microsoft Word. Signed pages may be submitted in Adobe.

b. Font shall be standard 10-point business font Arial.

c. Character spacing must be “normal,” not condensed in any manner.

d. Pages shall be double-spaced (must use standard double-space function in Microsoft Word), double sided (each side counts as one page), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom.

e. All text, including text in tables and charts, must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, diagrams, cover page, table of contents, and restrictive/proprietary markings (in header or footer). These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

f. Pages shall be numbered starting with the cover page being Page 1, and the last page being no greater than TBD (page count will be provided in the RFP). The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc.

g. The proposal page limit does not include the offeror’s proposed Statement of Work (SOW); however, the same formatting rules apply to the SOW, which is limited to 10 pages.

h. Please Note: The Government will check the Proposal and SOW for conformance to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation after the format check will not be considered for review purposes.

2) The Technical/Management proposal(s) shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, use of base support (if requested), data and facilities and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical proposal. These volumes shall include a SOW detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for contract incorporation. Do not include any proprietary information in the SOW. Refer to the BAA Guide for Industry referenced above to assist in SOW preparation. In addition to the contractor proposed SOW, a Government generated Supplemental SOW containing additional contracting requirements will be included in any resulting contracts (See PACER BAA Attachment 8).

3) Any questions concerning the technical proposal or SOW preparation shall be referred to the Technical POCs listed in the RFP.

c. Cost/Business Proposal:

1) Separate the Proposal into a business section and cost section. If adequate price competition does not exist, and the threshold for a negotiated contract is equal to or expected to exceed $2,000,000.00, submission of certified cost or pricing data may be required.

a. See PACER BAA Attachment 2 for the Model Contract. Note that the document awarded may include contract line items (CLINs)/clauses/articles in addition to those in the model, and/or some of the CLIN/clauses/articles in the model may be deleted, depending on the specific circumstances of the individual award. Any additions or deletions will be negotiated with the offeror prior to award.

b. The business section should contain all business aspects to the proposed contract, such as type of contract, any exceptions to terms and conditions of the announcement including the model contract, any information not technically related, etc. Provide rationale for exceptions.

c. Associate Contractor Agreements: Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) are agreements between contractors working on Government contracts that require them to share information, data, technical knowledge, expertise, or resources. The contracting officer may require ACAs when contractors working on separate Government contracts must cooperate, share resources or otherwise jointly participate in working on contracts or projects. Prime contractor to subcontractor relationships do not constitute ACAs. For each award, the contracting officer will identify associate contractors with whom agreements are required.

d. Identify any technical data that will be delivered with less than unlimited rights.

e. Subcontracting Plans: For efforts to exceed $750,000, Subcontracting Plans shall be submitted in the cost/business proposal. Reference FAR 19.704 and DFARS 219.704 for subcontracting plan requirements. Small business concerns are exempt from this requirement. If an IDIQ contract arrangement is anticipated, the basis for the subcontracting plan should reflect the entire ceiling amount.

f. Limitations on Pass-Through Charges: As prescribed in FAR 15.408(n)(1) & 15.408(n)(2), provisions 52.215-22, “Limitations on Pass Through Charges- Identification of Subcontract Effort (Oct 2009),” apply.

g. Completed Certifications and Representations (Section K) are due with the Proposal. Certifications and Representations (Section K) can be found in PACER BAA Attachment 3. Offerors may also be required to submit updated or supplemental Certifications and Representations based on the specifics of their proposal.

h. If an offeror proposes the use of GFP, the offer must specifically identify each piece of GFP in the Cost/Business Proposal and propose and substantiate a rental cost for evaluation purposes in accordance with FAR

45.202. Include the following information in the proposal:

i. A list describing all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis. The list shall identify the accountable contract under which the property is held and the authorization for its use (from the contracting officer having cognizance of the property);

ii. The dates during which the property will be used and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent;

iii. The amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245-9, Use and Charges; and

iv. The voluntary consensus standard or industry leading practices and standards to be used in the management of Government property, or existing property management plans, methods, practices, or procedures for accounting for property.

2) Cost Element Breakdown: Clear, concise, and accurate cost proposals reflect the offeror's financial plan for accomplishing the effort contained in the technical proposal. As a part of its cost proposal, the offeror shall submit the information outlined below, together with supporting breakdowns. All direct costs (labor, material, travel, computer, etc.) as well as labor and overhead rates should be provided by contractor fiscal year (CFY). Detailed cost element breakdowns by Government Fiscal Year or calendar year are not required. The supporting schedules may include summary level estimating rationale used to generate the proposed costs. The cost element breakdown should include the following if applicable.

*All cost information must be clear and traceable specific to each task being proposed. AFRL can choose to award all, some, none or combination therof.

Each task cost needs to be specific to the SOO task (3.1, 3.2 etc.)

a. Direct Labor: Direct labor should be detailed by number of labor hours by category of labor.

b. Labor and Overhead Rates: Direct labor hours, with their applicable rates, must be broken out and the bases used clearly identified. The source of labor and overhead rates and all pricing factors should be identified. For instance, if a Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) is in existence, that should be noted, along with the Administrative Contracting Officer’s (ACO's) name and telephone number. If the rates are based on current experience in your organization, provide the historical base used and clearly identify all escalation, by year, applied to derive the proposed rates.

If computer usage is determined by a rate, identify the basis used and rationale used to derive the rate.

c. Material/Equipment: List all material/equipment items by type and kind with associated costs and advise if the costs are based on vendor quotes, data and/or engineering estimates; provide copies of vendor quotes and/or catalog pricing data.

d. Subcontractor Costs: Submit all subcontractor proposals and analyses with your cost proposal (See FAR 15.404-3(b)). If the subcontractor will not submit cost and pricing information to the offeror, this information must be submitted directly to the Government for analysis. On all subcontracts and interdivisional transfers, provide the method of selection used to determine the subcontractor and the proposed contract type of each subcontract. An explanation shall be provided if the offeror proposes a different amount than that quoted by the subcontractor. The offeror’s proposal must:

i. Identify principal items/services to be subcontracted.

ii. Identify prospective subcontractors and the basis on which they were selected. If non-competitive, provide selected source justification.

iii. Identify the type of contractual business arrangement contemplated for the subcontract and provide rationale.

iv. Identify the basis for the subcontract costs (e.g., firm quote or engineering estimate, etc.).

v. Identify the cost or pricing data submitted by the subcontractor.

vi. Provide an analysis of the proposed subcontract in accordance with

FAR 15.404-3(b). Provide an analysis concerning the reasonableness, realism and completeness of each subcontractor’s proposal. If the analysis is based on comparison with prior prices, identify the basis on which the prior prices were determined to be reasonable. The analysis should include, but not be limited to, an analysis of: materials, labor, travel, other direct costs and proposed profit or fee rates.

e. Special Tooling or Test Equipment: When special tooling, and/or test equipment is proposed, attach a brief description of items and indicate if they are solely for the performance of this particular contract or project and if they are or are not already available in the offeror's existing facilities.

Indicate quantities, unit prices, whether items are to be purchased or fabricated, whether items are of a severable nature and the basis of the price. These items may be included under Direct Material in the summary format.

f. Consultants: When consultants are proposed to be used in the performance of the contract, indicate the specific project or area in which such services are to be used. Identify each consultant, number of hours or days to be used and the consultant's rate per hour or day. State the basis of said rate and give your analysis of the acceptability of the consultant's rate.

g. Travel: Travel costs must be justified and related to the needs of the project. Identify the number of trips, the destination and purpose. Travel costs should be broken out by trip with number of travelers, airfare, per diem, lodging, etc.

h. Computer Use: Detail the amount and kind of computer usage, the cost, and how the costs were derived.

i. Facilities Capital Cost of Money: If Facilities Capital Cost of Money is proposed, a properly executed DD Form 1861 is required.

j. Project Funding Profile: Offerors should include a project funding profile by Government Fiscal Year (GFY) (1 Oct through 30 Sept) for budgetary purposes. This will enable the Government to easily identify program funding needs by GFY.

k. If an offeror takes exceptions to the requirements called out in the announcement (e.g., base support, GFP, CDRLs), the exceptions should be clearly stated in the cost proposal.

l. Forward Pricing Rate Agreements: Offerors who have forward pricing rate agreements (FPRA’s) and forward pricing rate recommendations (FPRR’s) should submit them with their proposal.

m. Cost/Business proposals have no page/formatting limitations.

3) Proposal Content Summary: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met on the proposal due date.

3. White Paper/ Proposal Review Information

a. FIRST STEP - White Paper Peer or Scientific Review Criteria: Those offerors submitting White Papers as assessed as meeting Air Force needs will be asked to submit a Proposal (Second Step). Offerors not selected to proceed will be notified of the disposition of their White Paper. The Government will review White Papers to determine which of them have the potential to best meet the Air Force’s needs based on the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance:

1) Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives.

New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

2) The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

3) Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach.

4) Affordability (Proposed ROM Cost Estimate).

b. SECOND STEP - Proposal Peer or Scientific Review Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed through a Peer or Scientific Review process.

The following are the standard Proposal Peer or Scientific Review Criteria. The technical aspect, which is ranked as the first order of priority, shall be reviewed based on the following criteria that are of descending order of importance:

(1) Technical:

(a) Unique and innovative approach proposed to accomplish the technical objectives. New and creative solutions and/or advances in knowledge, understanding, technology, and the state of the art.

(b) The offeror’s understanding of the scope of the technical effort.

(c) Soundness of the offeror’s technical approach including whether the proposal identifies major technical risks, clearly defines feasible mitigation efforts, and demonstrates related experience and qualifications of technical personnel.

(d) The potential to transition the research and development deliverables to future Government needs. Any proposed restriction on technical data or computer software will be considered.

(2) Cost/Price: The cost evaluation includes the realism of the proposed cost. Cost/Price is a substantial factor, but ranked as the second order of priority. (If an offeror proposes the use of GFP other than any GFP identified in this BAA, and that proposed GFP provides the offeror an unfair competitive advantage, then FAR 45.202 requires rental equivalent be applied to the Cost Factor for evaluation purposes only).

c. SECOND STEP – Proposal Review and Selection Process

1) Categories: Based on the Peer or Scientific Review, Proposals will be categorized as Selectable, or Not Selectable (see definitions below). The selection of one or more sources for award will be based on the Peer or Scientific Review, as well as importance to agency programs and funding availability.

(a) Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available.

(b) Not Selectable: Even if sufficient funding existed, the proposal should not be funded.

Note: The Government reserves the right to award some, all, or none of the proposals. When the Government elects to award only a part of a proposal, the selected part may be categorized as Selectable, though the proposal as a whole may not merit such a categorization.

2) No other evaluation criteria will be used.

3) Prior to award of a potentially successful offer, the Contracting Officer will make a determination regarding price reasonableness.

4) As indicated in Section I.5.f. above, the Government will conduct a S&T

Protection Initial Risk Review only for those Proposals categorized as Selectable and selected for funding and negotiations.

5) Additional terms, conditions, and instructions applicable to the Second Step – Proposal will be sent with the RFP.

6) Section K: A completed Section K will be required to be completed with the Proposal requested in the Second Step.

7) Model Contract: The BAA contains a model contract as an example only.

Applicable Clauses, terms, and conditions may vary per contractor and per proposal and will be addressed during potential negotiations.

4. Award Administration Information

1) Award Notices: Offerors will be notified whether their Proposal is recommended for award by e-mail. The notification is not to be construed to mean the award of a contract is assured, as availability of funds and if necessary, successful negotiations are prerequisites to any award.

V. Other Information

1. BAA terms, conditions, and instructions: All BAA terms, conditions, and instructions contained in BAA FA2391-23-S-2403 shall be considered applicable to this Call and First Step - White Papers/Second Step - Proposals shall be in accordance with the BAA, unless deviations are authorized in this call.

2. Availability of Funds: Funds are not presently available for this contract. The Government’s obligation under this contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for this contract and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

3. White Paper/ Proposal Reminders: You may be ineligible for award if all requirements of this solicitation are not met.

a. White Papers are due no later than the due date and time specified in the Call.

b. If selected to provide a Proposal, Proposals are due no later than the due date and time specified in the RFP.

c. White Paper and Proposal Page limits are strictly enforced.

d. White Papers and Proposals must be submitted in the format specified.

e. White Papers are due to the Contracting POCs identified in the Call.

f. Offerors other than small businesses must include a subcontracting plan.

Attachments:

1. Statement of Objectives (SOO) dated 14 March 2024

2. Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs)

Combat Refueling & Opera�ons Networked Universal System (CRONUS)

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Aerial Refueling Systems Automa�on

14 March 2024

BACKGROUND:

In the 2000s and early 2010s, Department of Defense (DoD) refueling automa�on efforts focused on crewed tankers and uncrewed receivers. Programs included AFRL Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR)[1], NAVAIR Unmanned Combat Air Systems[2], and DARPA Autonomous Aerial Refueling Demonstra�on[3].

DARPA extended this work to examine a fully uncrewed concept in its Autonomous High-al�tude Refueling program [4] using NASA Global Hawks as both the tanker and receiver.

Rela�ve Naviga�on (RelNav) was the key development in these efforts. The receiver needed to track the tanker within a rela�vely short range, approximately 1 nau�cal mile, to complete the rejoin and maneuver around the tanker. For boom/receptacle refueling, the receiver followed defined routes around the tanker and held at specific posi�ons. For probe/drogue refueling, the receiver had an addi�onal task to iden�fy and track the refueling drogue and blend that tracking task into its naviga�on mission.

In the late 2010s, the direc�on of refueling automa�on R&D changed. The Navy began the MQ-25 S�ngray program [5] to develop an uncrewed probe/drogue tanker. Concurrently, the strategic tanker industry conducted independent research and development projects based on their crewed tankers to incorporate aids to the aerial refueling operator (ARO). While these automa�on systems change some ARO tasks from ac�ve par�cipa�on to monitoring, they do not replace the ARO role on the tanker.

USAF is introducing new vehicles whose refueling automa�on needs are TBD. AMC is working the KC- 135 Recapitaliza�on and Next Genera�on Air-refueling System (NGAS) programs. ACC is developing the Next Genera�on Air Dominator (NGAD) family of systems to include Collabora�ve Combat Aircra� (CCA).

NGAS is CRONUS’ primary technology transi�on partner.

CRONUS’ refueling systems automa�on research takes two paths, Boom Automa�on and RelNav. There may be some crossover between these paths, but the PACER project execu�on is expected to happen in parallel.

Opera�ng Constraints

• The AFRL AAR development was built on a differen�al INS/GPS RelNav system for a crewed KC- 135 and uncrewed UAS. The concern exists that Global Naviga�on Satellite Services (GNSS) modes, such as GPS, may not operate as intended in a contested environment. CRONUS RelNav should not be GNSS-dependent.

• The preference is that crewed & uncrewed refueling CONOPS will be similar. AFRL’s AAR CONOPs [6] were based on crewed refueling CONOPs. [7] NATO ini�ated its uncrewed refueling CONOPs development in ATP-3.3.4.10. [8] Offerors may need to make addi�onal opera�ng assump�ons.

Industry par�al boom automa�on is intended to be transparent to the receiver.

• Datalinks will be required for at least one purpose, command and control. First, the tanker must give clearances and commands to the receivers, and the receivers must acknowledge those clearances and commands. Second, there are some RelNav architectures, such as AAR, that employ RelNav components on both tanker and receivers with the tanker needing to share its state and sensor informa�on with the receivers. Ini�al analysis may need to use a generic datalink model – bandwidth, latency, frame rate – or assume waveforms.

• Safety and airworthiness requirements will likely require RelNav resiliency, e.g. more than one sensor modality for rela�ve pose, suitable naviga�on filtering, reliable datalinks or minimal use of datalinks, etc.

• Ac�ve sensors and datalinks for refueling opera�ons are required to have Low-Probability-of- Detec�on (LPD) / Low-Probability-of-Intercept (LPI) characteris�cs rather than the simple on or off states as described in official emissions control (EMCON) defini�ons.

• The cost of the RelNav architecture needs to be considered. Some mission sensors may be able to be used for RelNav. The ability to add RelNav-specific sensors to both exis�ng and future pla�orms impacts the complexity of the sensor and datalink solu�on.

1.0 OBJECTIVE

The Combat Refueling & Opera�ons Networked Universal System (CRONUS) program is a technology inser�on into the Next Genera�on Air-refueling System (NGAS) Program of Record (PoR)’s Technology Maturity and Risk Reduc�on (TMRR) phase. NGAS is an opera�onal concept which enables "fueling the fight” – delivering fuel to airborne assets where and when needed to support the joint force to include contested areas. To project combat power, an airborne pla�orm, whether it be a counter-air, strike, or Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) pla�orm, must be able to operate within contested opera�onal environments. The NGAS concept fuels the fight forward into contested areas enabled by a family of pla�orms that require a combina�on of real-�me dynamic Air Refueling Batle Management (ARBM) and Automated Air-to-Air Refueling (A3R). The objec�ve of the SOO will focus on A3R technology advancement and demonstra�on of two major risk areas, Rela�ve Naviga�on and Boom Automa�on.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

2.1 Aerial Refueling CONOPS, crewed, ATP-3.3.4.2

2.2 Aerial Refueling CONOPS, uncrewed, ATP-3.3.4.10

2.3 AFRL-RB-WP-TR-2012-0068: Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) Phase II Integrator System/Segment Specifica�on Guide Volume 1: AAR System

2.4 AFLCMC Future Tanker MBSE style Guide

The below tasks are to be completed and priced separately (per task). Offeror must respond to sec�ons 3 or 4 and paragraphs 5-9. An offeror may submit separate whitepapers if it wants to address both RelNav System (sec�ons 3, 5-9) and Boom Automa�on (Sec�ons 4-9).

3.0 CRONUS RelNav System Tasks

The RelNav System effort focuses on guiding an uncrewed receiver from the refueling rendezvous to various posi�ons about the tanker and from posi�on to posi�on about the tanker. ATP-3.3.4.10 represents the community’s ini�al effort to describe the CONOPS. Offerors will need to develop and demonstrate a system that generates naviga�on outputs, e.g. rela�ve pose and rates. The RelNav System’s naviga�on outputs will be the inputs to a future uncrewed-receiver control system and will need to be similar to the AFRL AAR RelNav System outputs.

RelNav System performance specifica�ons are currently in revision. The revision is expected to be completed in prepara�on for the PACER Step 2 call. The AAR System/Segment Specifica�on Guide includes AFRL’s latest RelNav specifica�ons.

The historical AFRL AAR development effort used an INS/GPS based RelNav System with a low latency datalink to transmit tanker data to the receiver for processing. For the CRONUS project, external naviga�on sources like GNSS may not be consistently available or reliable. For the purposes of this project, they should not be considered in the design. RelNav System components may be on the tanker, receiver, or both. Any emissions from the system should be Low Probability of Intercept/Low Probability of Detec�on (LPI/LPD).

3.1 RelNav Capability Assessment:

The contractor shall deliver an opera�onal capability assessment of an unmanned receiver and develop and demonstrate a RelNav sensing system that enables the receiver to maneuver from an aerial refueling tanker rendezvous to standard refueling posi�ons in a GNSS-denied environment. The contractor shall provide documenta�on of the proposed innova�ve architectures and technologies that summarizes the new concept capability, key technologies, rapid capability development schedule, cost implica�ons, and risk assessment to jus�fy further development. The government is interested in RelNav concepts that can be developed and demonstrated in less than three years and the associated architectures and technologies to support this objec�ve.