FA8650-18-S-1672-NOCA.pdf

Notification of Contract Action (NOCA)

Broad Agency Announcement BAA FA8650-18-S-1672 Precision Real-Time Engagement Combat Identification Sensor Exploitation

(PRECISE)

A. BROAD AGENCY ANOUNCEMENT TITLE: Precision Real-Time Engagement Combat Identification Sensor Exploitation (PRECISE).

B. BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Notice of Contract Action (NOCA)

C. BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: FA8650-18-S-1672

D. CLASSIFICATION CODE: A (R&D)

E. NAICS CODE: 541715

F. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Andrew Freeman, (937) 713-8158, andrew.freeman.6@us.af.mil

G. CONTRACTING POCs: (Primary) Mr. Bryan Fleckenstein, Contract Specialist, AFRL/RQKSR, (937) 713-9982, bryan.fleckenstein@us.af.mil, or (Secondary) Ms. Anar D.

Wagner, Contracting Officer, AFRL/RQKSR, (937) 713-9977, anar.wagner@us.af.mil

*****THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT REQUEST ANY WHITE PAPERS OR

PROPOSALS AT THIS TIME*****

The following research is an anticipated requirement for AFRL/RY. A BAA requesting proposals for this research effort is anticipated to be published in MAR 2018. This announcement updates and replaces the previous NOCA for FA8650-17-S-1669 (PRECISE). The resultant BAA will contain the government’s requirement to be proposed to;

the below is the government’s requirement as of this issuance. This is not a request for proposals. Any proposals received at this time will be disregarded. Any BAA resulting from this NOCA will be made available at www.fbo.gov.

The anticipated funding listed below reflects estimated funding only. The estimate is not a promise of funding. Funding is uncertain and subject to change. Changes in availability may occur at the discretion of the Government.

H. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

1. PROGRAM BACKGROUND: In recent conflicts the U.S. Air Force has had little to no resistance towards obtaining air superiority because we have not faced a near-peer adversary. Our future threat environment is ever changing but protection of friendly air platforms through battlefield awareness is always a worthwhile investment. Foreign counter-air capabilities are still under development and the U.S.

needs to be able to defend against those threats should a conflict arise.

Currently the most commonly used phenomenology for identification of airborne objects whether friendly, hostile, or neutral, is radar. Radar has been used for decades now and while it is still very good at what it does adversaries are learning new ways to reduce its effectiveness, especially at long ranges. The U.S. Air Force is interested in incorporating new sensor phenomonologies alongside radar to break ambiguities and improve confidence in declarations at range. The desire of this program would be to enhance current radar capabilities through signal processing, alternate bandwidths, etc. and to explore the feasibility of fusing other sensor data.

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Combat Identification (CID) program is chartered to develop and mature cooperative and non-cooperative combat ID technologies. These technologies are designed to enable successful mission execution of US Air Force aircraft and spacecraft, but have potential applicability to other platforms. The program’s charter encompasses activities including the following:

- Cooperative and non-cooperative systems

- Radar, IR, EO, and multi/hyperspectral sensors

- Single sensor/single mode to multi-sensor/multi-mode

- Sensor architectures enabling the modes to adapt to feature availability

The CID program focuses on exploiting features derived from these activities that reveal target characteristics; or developing specific sensor operating modes designed to highlight specific ID features.

Representative technologies developed by the Sensors Directorate include those that increase situational awareness, improve target detection, enhance precision targeting, increase survivability, and improve information processing. The CID program focuses on exploiting features derived from these activities that reveal target characteristics; or developing unique sensor operating modes designed to highlight ID features of targets.

2. SCOPE: The scope of this effort is Advanced Technology Development through

Demonstration and Validation specifically for combat identification. Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at the commencement of the research effort will be at a minimum 3 but preferred to be 4. Expected and Anticipated TRL at the completion of the research effort will be 6+.

3. OBJECTIVE: This program – the Precision Real-Time Engagement Combat

Identification Sensor Exploitation (PRECISE) program – will primarily develop technologies that continue to advance combat ID for warfighters. PRECISE will leverage current efforts supporting the Air to Air Hydravision program, and is principally focused on radar-based identification of air and ground targets for airborne platforms, both tactical and reconnaissance. The effort may investigate other sensors to include electro-optical, infrared, and multi- and hyperspectral. Improvements in these areas may involve and include technical assessments, prototype hardware and software modifications and development, systems engineering development, performance simulations, system integration, laboratory demonstrations, flight demonstrations, and participation in large demonstrations/ exercises.

Synthetic or real data may be used to aid system and algorithm design and development.

Government furnished data relevant to this effort, with less than unlimited rights, may be provided at the discretion of the program manager (PM) and the agency controlling the data. However any selected contractor should not depend on access to this data as it may not yet exist or be at a higher classification level than intended for this effort.

Processing of classified data is anticipated up to the SECRET level.

Multiple laboratory demonstrations are anticipated to show technical progress and verify system maturity. The technology developed will follow a disciplined systems engineering approach, including PDR, CDR, quarterly technical reviews, documentation of system design, and verification and validation of lab demonstrations.

A significant focus of this effort will be the non-intrusive extraction of features from baseline modes. Once proven in a laboratory setting the technology can begin integration into an operationally relevant platform/surrogate in order to demonstrate TRL 6. The flight demonstration will include all aspects of flight test planning, preparation, and execution. This includes, but is not limited to, a test readiness review (TRR) and support of all Government-sponsored flight test meetings and processes such as safety review board (SRB) and technical review board (TRB). Following the flight test, the results and lessons learned will be documented and reported in a test report. At the conclusion of development and testing everything must be detailed in the final report.

Throughout the effort, a disciplined, validated and efficient capability to exercise, analyze, and evaluate solutions for CID of targets will be maintained.

I. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance for this base contract shall be a total of 63 months, 60 month technical and 3 additional months for the final report.

J. FUNDING: Estimated funding profile for the contract is FY18: $2.6M, FY19: $7.2M, FY20: $7.6M, FY21: $7.6M, FY22: $6.6M, FY23: $2M, Total: $33.6M

Anticipated Contract Type: A Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion type contract is contemplated under this effort. Up to two (2) CPFF contracts are anticipated to be awarded for this effort with $16.8M estimated for each contract.

L. Set-Aside: None.

J. OPSEC: General Operations Security (OPSEC) procedures, policies and awareness are required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection and exploitation of critical information. OPSEC will be applied throughout the life cycle of the contract. The Critical Information List (CIL) will be provided upon request by AFRL/ RYOY Information Protection Office. While working on the government installation, OPSEC guidance will be provided by AFRL/RYOY Information Protection Office.

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR PROPOSALS.

DO NOT SUBMIT PROPOSALS AT THIS TIME.

ANY PROPOSALS RECEIVED WILL BE DISREGARDED.