Questions and Answers.pdf

Can we send one of our training experts out to visit the training sites and talk to your RCO on Nov 25- 26th

Yes. An on-site visit to the range will require additional coordination after award of contract. The cost of this visit shall not be included within offerors quotes as it is not mandatory.

Are towed targets mocking midsized trucks using an unmanned vehicle to tow an acceptable option for this training?

Any unmanned solution is acceptable, provided the mobile target system can maneuver non-linearly. Each gunnery scenario will require a different presentation and movement of the mobile targets in order to avoid threat/target predictability and drive different threat assessments and attack geometry by the air crew. These mobile target presentations will be executable from pre-determined training scripts coordinated between the unit and vendor.

Targets in the impact area will be subject to fires from multiple angles. Any equipment also in the impact area is subject to damage via direct fire or ricochet.

How many targets are required?

Two mobile, vehicle-sized 3D targets

Is a steel plate giving an audible report of round impact adequate to provide immediate feedback on the accuracy of air-to-ground fires?

Not adequate. Crew/ground party will be unable to detect impacts via acoustics signature.

Is a colored covering showing round impact when struck adequate to provide immediate feedback on the accuracy of air-to-ground fires?

Acceptable

Clarifying question from RFP:

Task 3g: Debrief support calls out impact location, accuracy and gunnery effectiveness. With the level of target silhouette technology that we propose using, we will not be able to provide details on where upon the silhouettes surface was hit, only that it was hit. We can provide an AAR graphic of where on the course the target was hit. Is this acceptable?

Acceptable, however it is also important to provide a time-stamp of when impacts occurred, in addition to the location on the range the target was hit. This data is important to allow the aircrew during debrief to correlate their specific attacks runs with an effect. Additionally, the target silhouettes will need to be 3D to enable attacks from any azimuth on the target.

Task 3a: “reactive behavior scenarios with triggered responses”. What this typically means for our system is that upon being hit, the truck will act in a debilitated state of performance, or change directions. This requires the use of a different target silhouette which is not effective for the heavy machine gun rate of fire.

Acceptable

Task 4b: Can you please provide the specific insurance coverage amounts required

Insurance will cover potential loss of equipment due to aerial gunnery by .50 caliber munitions.

The contractor shall maintain sufficient insurance coverage for the duration of the period of performance in accordance with industry standards to cover any and all contractor property as the Government will not be held liable for damages.

Knowing more about the terrain and environments is very important to deciding what our capabilities will be:

How many sites will be utilized, which require moving of the assets to another location?

Only one range area will be utilized for the duration of contract performance.

What will be the general cadence of the movement to new locations? Are we moving 3 times a day to a new location, of is Day #1 at one Range, Day #2 at another. This is helpful for planning and determining required support.

Only one range area will be utilized for the duration of contract performance. However, during a given sortie, the mobile targets will need to be able to support multiple different threat presentations; in terms of speed, direction of travel, turn/maneuvers of the target.

Aerial maps of the different ranges with indications of where the Trackless Targets need to travel and where the operators will be located is imperative. (Informs us of operational environment and associated needs)

Maps of the range and applicable locations will be available upon contract award

Knowing terrain conditions (muddy, sandy, packed dirt, potholes, etc.) is very helpful. (Informs us on path drift that needs to compensated for due to bouncing off targeted spline)

Unimproved dirt roads and dirt airstrip (overgrown with shrubs and rutted), but mostly flat and dusty with some ruts, typically navigable with F-250 or similar.

Is the path tight to other obstacles? How much distance to drop offs, other equipment/obstacles? (Informs us on accuracy of guidance that is needed)

Some targets (obstacles) in certain areas. The mobile targets need to travel non-linearly and begin and stop movement at different locations to provide useful and challenging gunnery scenarios. It would be useful to program the target to navigate using pre-programmed points to correspondingly provide a dynamically maneuvering target while also avoiding some of the scrub, brush, or other obstacles.

How far away from the operating vehicle will the operating team need to be located? (Informs us on power of radios required)

Furthest point of the target area from the range tower is approximately 2000m. Tower coordinates are 12S UB 39089 25249. Center of target area from tower is 165° for 1500m.

Is the terrain between operators location and the vehicles completely flat, of are there hills. We can look up geographical maps based on coordinates if necessary. (informs us on need for radio repeaters and line of sight)

Clear line of sight from range tower. Some scrub brush and bushes in-between roads.

Is there a good GPS signal at the training locations, or is it blocked/restricted? (Informs us on effectiveness of our primary path following technology)

No known GPS restrictions/limitations at training locations.

Operational Questions:

Task 4a: “3 hours of consecutive use”. What does the duty cycle look like for this? Is it driving continually for 3 hours of path execution, or is it more traditional (for us) where the target runs its course for x minutes, returns to reset location, waits x minutes for the start of the next scenario? Any rough idea what this cadence is?

Targets will be expected to operate at intervals of several minutes during the three hour training periods. Typically a gunnery scenario will between 5-15 minutes, the aircraft will resent to a hold several miles away, and then begin a new run in sequence with a new threat presentation.

Task 3b: “operate both targets simultaneously”. Do you have a concept for the operational scenario? Most importantly, what will the standoff between the two vehicles be?

Specifics on operational scenarios (i.e. timing, locations, etc.) can be provided upon award.

Generally, vehicles should be greater than 300-500m apart from each other but may be as close as 100m as scenario dictates.

How much time (days) will be available to set-up the radio networks and test comms at the different sites, prior to starting the training?

The Government will own the range space at various intervals from 2 DEC until 6 DEC. Site visits during the weekend may be possible with prior coordination with the range controller. Targets running the desired scenarios will need to be operational and in-place in the morning of 9 DEC.

Any information on Scenarios is helpful to ensuring we can meet your needs.

Scenarios will drive mobile targets to start and stop multiple times during engagements.

Is this a new requirement?

Yes

Can the target be gas powered

Target propulsion must be armored against .50 caliber munitions. Gasoline, diesel, or electric are all acceptable provided the fuel tanks/cells are protected against .50cal ball impacts to mitigate the risk of uncontrolled fires on the range.

What is the estimated range needed? i.e. distance from operator to equipment ground and height from bird to equipment

Weapons will be employed no closer than the minimum safe distance of 300m up to the tactical effective range of 1500m. Aircraft fly between 150 and 600 feet above ground level (AGL).

Will the operators target the drive systems i.e. engines?

Operators will target consumable sections of the mobile target however any equipment in the vicinity of targets and in the impact area will be subject to .50 calibers rounds and ricochet impacts.

Are we required to document weapon impacts as well (provide diagram of hits)

For aircrew debrief purposes, it will be necessary to document the number of impacts and when they occurred (HH:MM:SS), this is important data because the aircrew will run multiple different attack sequences, and they will need a “time stamp” of impacts during debrief to correlate weapons effects to a specific scenario event. It is not necessary to note the impact location on the target (i.e., cab vs engine section), but that would further increase the value of the debrief.

Will our trainers be assigned to both Air and Ground crews, i.e. one fly's the other on the ground?

The contractor will not be providing training, nor assigned to Aircrew. They are there to provide training support through operation of the mobile targets - by ensuring the mobile target movement is synchronized with the unit’s scenario designs. They also must provide the information on target impacts detailed earlier for aircrew debrief. They are not expected to conduct the debrief, but to support the debrief by providing the truth data on target engagement and weapons effects.

What amount of time do we have in between scenarios to make repairs and reset?

Maintenance and support will have approximately 10 minutes between scenarios for target repair.

There will be approximately one hour between range periods which may also be used for repairs.

Will the government be willing to add an additional CLIN for parts unaware?

No

Do you require autonomous driving during the scenarios or can the equipment be manually operated.

Targets may not be manually operated from the impact area. No personnel may be in the vicinity of targets.

Do we have to submit an environmental plan?

No