ARES Sources Sought_v1.docx

Controlled Unclassified Information//SP-PROCURE

AFNWC ICBM SYSTEMS DIRECTORATES

Advanced Radiation Environment Simulator (ARES)

SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS

30 January 2026 Contents

THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. This notice is for information and planning purposes only. This Sources Sought does not constitute a solicitation for bids or proposals and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The information herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a competitive contract. The Government is not obligated to and will not reimburse any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this notice and submittals will not be returned to the sender.

Below are items of interest relevant to shaping the strategy of this effort. Please provide as much additional information as deemed appropriate. Further detail may be requested in follow-on information requests or solicitations, which may be individual or collective, and respondents are free to suggest additional metrics that the Government should consider in any future requests.

Purpose The purpose of this Sources Sought is to conduct market research to identify interested and qualified offerors who are capable of providing engineering services in designing, building, and integrating a Blumlein Flash X-Ray machine, hear forward referred to as the Advanced Radiation Environment Simulator (ARES) at the Hill Air Force Base (AFB) Little Mountain Test Facility (LMTF) in Ogden, Utah for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center’s (AFNWC) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapon systems. Respondents to this Sources Sought should provide a response to the RFI Questions listed below.

The contractor will consider the total design effort (preliminary and critical/detailed design), to include design completion, manufacturing /build integration, testing, shipping and handover to the USAF/AFNWC. The contract will consider total period of performance, assuming an integral support role in answering questions for final facility design, integration, testing, and delivery/handover at the LMTF radiation facility (including all rigging, travel/transportation costs, lodging, consumables, etc.) and Contract Data Requirement List (CDRL) delivery.

Background The USAF/AFNWC LMTF ICBM mission is to support fielded ICBM weapon systems and replacements. LMTF, located at Little Mountain, Ogden, Utah provides technical support, nuclear effects, survivability, and reliability testing. The program objectives are to assure nuclear hardness and reliability of designed or fielded systems are assessed and maintained throughout their operational life cycle and meet weapon system specifications. To accomplish these objectives, LMTF must support nuclear hardness and reliability testing of ICBM equipment, microelectronics and sub-assemblies by designing, conducting and analyzing tests, operating, and maintaining the LMTF facilities and all test equipment included therein. The ARES will support all modernization efforts required to support the next generation ICBM.

Request for Information (RFI) Contractors who are interested shall provide a succinct response addressing the following areas:

Preface: Potential Source Company Information Please provide a cover sheet with the following information:

Company Information

Company Name:

Designated Point of Contact:

Name:

Title:

Email:

Phone:

Mailing Address:

Business Type/Size:

CAGE code:

DUNS number:

Table 1: Company Information Template Note:

• Contractors must be approved under NAICS 334517 (Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing) to qualify as a potential offeror.

Section I: RFI Questions - General (~4 Pages)

1. Provide your company’s experience in Blumlein simulator technology to include personnel experience to support the ARES project (e.g., technical approach, baseline configuration, manufacturing, integration, testing, shipping and handover).

2. Describe your company’s experience in delivering a Blumlein technology simulator of similar size to a 14’ diameter Blumlein with a 60 stage Marx capacitor, at full energy and full voltage with a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) ≥ 6, to defend reduced complexity, lower build cost, demonstrated high reliability and high shot rate capability in radiation hardness testing for the Department of Defense (DoD) or Department Of Energy (DOE) for Missile Defense, Nuclear Modernization and/or Space missions.

3. Provide examples of your capability to manage the total design effort, including support of a radiation facility design wherein your company will act as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) stakeholder in support of AFNWC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to ensure the ARES test cell will support your firms final ARES design concept.

4. Describe your company approach, activities, risks, and risk mitigation plans to design and/or procure long lead items, such as Marx generators to achieve an output voltage of ~100kV and jitter of ~5ns. Give an example of time required.

5. Provide examples of your baseline strategy to assemble subsystems and/or subassemblies and ship them for final assembly and integration into the LMTF radiation facility, after factory test, to include your experience with reducing overall program costs.

Section II: RFI Questions – Baseline ARES Design (~10 Pages) Describe your experiences and capabilities in designing, assembling subsystems and/or subassemblies for factory testing prior to packaging and shipping for final assembly and integration into the LMTF radiation facility. Please provide names of previous successful X-ray flash simulators and locations installed related to your company’s experience. Please limit responses to experiences most relevant to AFNWC requirements by referencing previous customers of your firm’s radiation-hardening microelectronics testing capabilities for the Department of Defense (DoD) or Department of Energy (DOE) for Missile Defense, Nuclear Modernization and/or Space missions.

1. Provide examples of your capability to execute factory testing of subsystems and/or subassemblies prior to final packaging and shipment, to include if your company has established factory testing capabilities. Include an alternative plan of storing machine materials/subsystems/subassemblies if the LMTF radiation facility is not ready on-time.

2. Provide examples of your capability to package and ship sections for ease of transportation and any particulars related to shipping and/or storage containers.

3. Describe your company’s current engineering staff and project management certifications or equivalent experience to successfully manage the ARES project as a prime vendor.

4. Describe your company’s knowledge/approach to provide radiation shielding requirements and/or advise on radiation facility design operating a Blumlein technology simulator in similar size to a 14’ diameter Blumlein and a 60 stage Marx simulator.

5. Describe your company’s approach to reduce design, manufacturing and performance risk of a high voltage spark gap trigger oil switch to satisfy low jitter (< 5ns), to include a filtration system to remove carbon created from each shot.

6. The LMTF radiation facility will have a dedicated area approximately 1,780 sq. ft. to house a single oil storage tank with a capacity of ~75K gallons, describe how your simulator design will utilize this secondary cylindrical oil tank (~ Ø30’ x 17’ h).

Section III: RFI Questions – Proposed Program Plan (~8 Pages) Describe your experiences and capabilities defining, developing and managing Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) work breakdown activities associated for the ARES project, include the nominal project Period of Performance to include integration and resistive load testing in the LMTF radiation facility. Please provide the anticipated project management methodology your firm plans to provide for successful project management. Please limit responses to experiences most relevant to radiation-hardening microelectronics testing capabilities for the Department of Defense (DoD) or Department of Energy (DOE) for Missile Defense, Nuclear Modernization and/or Space missions.

1. Provide examples of your capability to coordinate Integrated Baseline Reviews (IBRs) to facilitate communications and ensure a common understanding of the scope of work to be completed in advance of work starting In Accordance With (IAW) FAR 34.202, EVMS IAW ANSI/EIA-748, and CDRL Data Item Description (DID) DI-MGMT-81861 (Integrated Program Management Data and Analysis Report (IMPDAR)).

2. Provide examples of your capability to collect and report to Cost Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE) and the United States Government (USG) the actual contract costs and technical information based on the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Deputy Director Cost Analysis (DDCA)-approved Cost and Software Data Reporting (CSDR) plan.

3. Describe your company’s approach to manage risk, schedule, cost and performance to include quality assurance and compliance to DoD acquisition regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFAR).

4. Describe your company’s ability to bid on CDRL packages by preparing sufficient detail in how you will meet the specified data requirements outlined in the CDRL package, ensuring your bid aligns with the Statement of Work (SOW) and any applicable DIDs to demonstrate compliance with the contract’s needs.

5. Provide examples of your capability to develop Vendor Item Control Drawings (VICDs) as required for Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) equipment, IAW ASME 14.24, to include transferring design authority to the USAF using cage code 98747.

6. Describe your company’s current plan, if any, for required teaming arrangements in support of the ARES project, to include any design, manufacturing and/or procurement of long lead items such as high voltage pulse power capacitors.

7. If the ARES project were to competed (full & open competition) would your company expect to submit a proposal in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP), after review of the draft SOW and draft CDRL package (attached)?

Sources Sought Synopsis RFI Questions Response Instructions Response Format Interested parties are requested to respond with a white paper in the following format:

• Microsoft Word for Office 2007 (or newer) compatible

• 22 pages maximum or less (not including preface or cover letter)

• 1-inch margins

• 12 point font or larger, 11 point font or larger for tables and or graphics Response Timeline Interested parties should submit responses by February 27, 2026 at 4:00pm MST by email to:

Ammon Wheately AFNWC/PZBC ammon.wheatley@us.af.mil Matthew Anderson AFNWC/PZBC matthew.anderson.55@us.af.mil Controlled Unclassified Information//SP-PROCURE image1.png