Tilt SSJ_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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The responsible contracting organization is the United States Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM), Kessel Run (AFLCMC/C3CK). The Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) of this action is The Project Lead is

This action will result in the award of a firm fixed priced commercial purchase order. The period of performance will be 4 months from date of award. The contractor has been determined to be a non-traditional contractor. Based on that determination made by the contracting officer, commercial practices will be utilized for the award.

This contract award is to support the Air War College Blue Horizons program. Blue Horizons is a ten-month in-residence academic professional military education masters fellowship for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Leveraging Air Force Research Laboratory funds, Blue Horizons spends its academic term working to prototype solutions to a strategic level problem in order to confound the enemy. If our minimal viable product (MVP) solution is successful, Blue Horizons will transition to a partner for continued exploration and program execution, but regardless of success, will be out briefed to the senior most leaders in the Department of the Air Force: Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Space Operations.

Project GongGong looks to provide the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) community a novel way to locate, support, and augment recovery of isolated personnel (IP) in a highly contested environment, ensuring rapid response, minimizing risk and maximizing survivability. The solution will incorporate an Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) to achieve multi-capable objectives with a focus on personal recovery.Blue Horizons and Project GongGong aim to acquire an ASV prototype tailored to support CSAR operations in highly contested environments. This acquisition will focus on developing a system that can autonomously locate, support, and recover isolated personnel (IPs) while minimizing risk to human rescuers and maximizing survivability. The acquisition includes:

1. ASV Prototype Development:

o Design, manufacture, and delivery of one ASV optimized for personnel recovery missions.

o Integration of sensors for personnel tracking and environmental navigation.

o Autonomous operational capabilities, including wide-area search, approach, and recovery functionality.

2. Technical Data and Software:

o Delivery of all technical data, software source codes, and user manuals to ensure Government ownership of the technical baseline and platform-agnostic capabilities.

o Training modules for operational deployment and maintenance.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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3. Support Services:

o Operational testing and validation in simulated contested environments.

o Technical support for software upgrades and troubleshooting.

The Blue Horizons team conducted extensive market research to ensure that offers were solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. This effort included visiting contractor facilities, engaging directly with industry leaders in the development of autonomous surface vessel (ASV) technology, and assessing capabilities through in-depth discussions with potential providers.

Additionally, the team consulted multiple branches of the Department of Defense, including the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, to gather insights and validate operational requirements for the ASV.

Blue Horizons and Project GongGong has performed market research to provide the CSAR community

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 Page 4 of 5March 2023 Page 4 of 5 a novel way to locate, support, and recover isolated personnel (IP) in a highly contested environment, ensuring rapid response, minimizing risk and maximizing survivability. Through this market research, the team has identified a number of companies who are developing ASVs that could have the ability to perform rescue missions for IPs in a contested environment.

2. Identified Potential Companies:

a. Tilt Autonomy b.

c.

d.

3. Findings:

a. Key Capabilities That Team GongGong needs for successful application

• Platform-Agnostic: Compatible with various vehicle types and architectures.

• Plug-and-Play: Simplifies integration, maintenance, and upgrades.

• Flexible to accommodate SAR-specific payloads (e.g., thermal imaging, life rafts).

• Accelerated deployment timelines meet urgent CSAR demands.

4. Recommendations:

a. Through deep market research, Tilt Autonomy was the only vendor to demonstrate an ASV that can positively impact the locate, support, and recovery phases of rescue and enhance IP survivability ensuring rapid response, minimizing risk and maximizing survivability. Upon declaration of a Personnel Recovery (PR) event, the ASV can rapidly but safely approach an area, locate survivors, either in the water or life raft, and rendezvous for support/recovery operations.

b. do not provide a platform agnostic or plug and play system that are capable of meeting the requirements for this effort.

Additionally, the companies did not have the testing availability when discussing timelines. The

) by was developed for reconnaissance and other operations that would need advanced re-engineering to meet the timelines for our urgent need.

5. Conclusion: Tilt Autonomy offers unmatched flexibility and adaptability, making them an ideal partner for CSAR ASV development. Their technology aligns with operational needs, promising enhanced mission effectiveness and life-saving potential.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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