IPSAFE One-Man Life Raft - System Requirements Document.pdf

Next Gen One-Person Life Raft Modernization

System Requirements Document (SRD)

1. INTRODUCTION

The Human Systems Division (ROU) of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

(AFLCMC) is seeking a lifesaving, Next Generation One-Man Life Raft Modernization.

ROU supports the warfighter by acquiring systems and products that enable them to perform the duty of our national defense under complex and contested environments. Specifically, ROU is tasked with providing those systems and products that directly impact the protection and survivability of Air Force aircrew.

When an aircrew is forced to evacuate their aircraft, either by ejection or bailout, they immediately become an Isolated Person (IP) and are faced with the daunting task of surviving, evading, resisting, and escaping. In remote, contested environments, survival is difficult, especially when facing periods of isolation of up to 14-days. Extended isolation requires additional survival equipment, and currently fielded rafts take up too much critically needed space in the seat survival kit (SSK).

A next generation one-man life raft will:

• Provide increased SSK space and weight margin to allow packing of additional survival kit components

• Ease unscheduled equipment maintenance due to stress/damage from over-packed survival kits

• Ease future supply chain challenges of the 46-year-old, legacy raft

OBJECTIVE

The Next Gen One-Person Life Raft will provide a reliable, durable, available, safe, and size/weight efficient flotation for one Isolated Person (IP) for a period of 14-days.

The Government is interested in the next long-term one-person raft solution and is interested in both existing and emerging technologies that will meet the following salient characteristics.

Industry should consider innovative solutions to this problem.

2. SCOPE

The scope of this effort includes most Air Force aircraft that fly with an ejection seat survival kit.

The initial order may be in the rough order of 2000 units. Follow-on systems may be required to provide replacements at shelf life or general usage.

3. REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS

To support ROU’s commitment to providing the warfighter with the best tools possible to affect a rapid and safe rescue, the Government requires sophisticated technology systems and support services. The following section of the SRD describes requirements and salient characteristics that form the basis for the market information that is sought. Please note the following terms:

• Threshold (T) – The minimally accepted capability

• Objective (O) - The optimal capability

3.1. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

DURABILITY:

Human Accommodation:

Inflated size must accommodate the 5th female- (60.04” stature) percentile through the 95th male- (73.62” stature) percentile U.S. anthropometric measurements with legs fully extended in a seated position (T)

PACKED SIZE:

• 35% smaller volume than the LRU/16P when in a packed configuration (T) to

50% smaller (O) (See photo 4.1, 4.2)

• LRU-16/P measurements (See photo 4.3) o 17” long o 14” wide o 4” height o Packed volume <= 350 cu. in. (T) or <= 275 cu. in. (O)

INFLATION:

Life rafts will be inflated immediately following ejection of the seat via automatic inflators, providing a pre-determined volume of inflation gas for optimal raft deployment and stability. The inflators currently in use are the FLU-2/P and FLU-

6/P. Either of these, or other suitable substitutes, are acceptable for consideration.

ADDED FEATURES:

• Integrated attachment points for SAR and IR passive reflectors that can be hidden or visible as required (T)

• Rainwater collection >= 1.0 L/hr in moderate rain (0.5 in/hr), with a pre-filter screen and a universal canteen/bladder connector. (T)

• Internal/self-bailing using a one-way passive check valve that works up to Sea

State 4, or a manual pump that can clear out >= 2.0 gpm (T) Water can’t be left in the raft.

• Inflatable floor with R-value of at least 4.5 (T) to 8 (O)

• Alternate buoyancy method (example: closed cell foam) (O)

• Needs to be capable of deploying sea anchor at a length of 50 ft. (T) Needs to be adjustable down from 50 ft with positive adjustment stops at 15, 30 and 50 ft.(T) Shorter adjustment points are needed for coastal and littoral areas.

• Internal lighting solution that can be hidden for evasion (T)

• Provide IR signature management (O) and be subdued or camouflage to maximize evasion capability in open ocean (T)

• Quick raft deflation capability within 30 seconds (T) 15 seconds (O)

• Will be able to withstand wave heights of 10’ (T) or 15’ (O)

• Raft will have oral inflation valves for all inflatable portions (T)

• There will be a spray shield that is sealable and inflatable to protect against sea spray completely covering IP (T)

• Ventilation: Dual opposing baffled vents (>= 15 sq in each) to keep CO2 below 0.5% (5,000 ppm) when fully closed, cutting down on tropical condensation while keeping it water-tight and 100% light-proof for night evasion.

• The raft needs internal pockets with tethers, totaling >= 650 cu in (or 15 lbs gear capacity) (T) along the interior tubes so survivor can secure the MROD

LL-06, survival radios, MS-2000 or Sidewinder strobe and water while they are floating.

PACKAGING:

The Government will consider innovative solutions that will help further reduce the packed size of the raft. Vacuum-sealing is one example but should not be considered the preferred or only viable option. Vendors are encouraged to discover ways to reduce the packed volume of rafts.

TRAINING RAFTS:

Of the initial estimated 2000 units, the Government is interested in acquiring ~30 ruggedized rafts for the purpose of training. These rafts will be used at various survival training locations and are intended for continuous, on-going training evolutions without significant degradation. Specifically, the training rafts should:

• Duplicate the inflated, interior dimensions. The training rafts will not be packed into kits, thus they can be bulkier to accommodate any ruggedized features.

• Replicate all the features of fielded rafts to the maximum extent possible (T) o Inflatable spray shield o Inflatable floor o Adjustable depth sea anchor

• Have multiple layers of material, as necessary, to reinforce friction points and thus reduce friction damage from frequent usage (T).

• Have reinforced seams, as necessary, to avoid tearing or separation with multiple uses (T).

• Have ability to be easily deflated and folded (at least in half) for storage and transport (T).

• Must be able to withstand >= 250 inflation/deflation/boarding cycles (T).

• Use heavy-duty 840D/1000D TPU material (tested to 1,000+ abrasion cycles on concrete/gravel pool decks) (T).

• Must have boarding points rated to a 300 lb pull force (T).

4. ILLUSTRATIONS

The following photos are for reference only and should not be construed as direction or as any suggestion of how a device might look. The intent of these photos is to only provide context.

4.1. LRU-16/P PACKED RAFT

Photo 4.1 – This is the packing configuration of the ejection seat survival kit. The photo shows the LRU-16/P raft, a rucksack, and the outer container. Equipping an IP with sufficient survival items in their rucksack drives this new raft requirement. Note: The sleeping bag – included in arctic kits – is not shown but further constrains the available space for kit contents.

4.2. SEAT PAN

Photo 4.2 – This photo shows the B-1 ejection seat pan. This seat represents the smallest of the ACES II/V ejection seats. The Martin- Baker seat in the F-35A also presents similar size constraints. Being able to minimize the raft’s packed size will allow the seat survival kit and raft to fit within most ejection seat variants with room to spare.

4.3. LIFE RAFT MEASURED

Photo 4.3 – This photo shows the rough height dimension of a properly folded 16/P legacy raft. Note: This raft is not compressed for packing. When properly prepared for packing, proposed rafts should reduce the overall volume by 35%.

4.4. TRAINING LIFE RAFTS

Photo 4.4 – This photo illustrates mission training at the SERE schoolhouse. In this evolution, the rafts are dumped upside down and the students will be entering the water (with wave action) and required to flip the raft and pull themselves into it. This and other similar evolutions, some under actual, austere conditions demonstrate the need for a ruggedized training raft that can survive this type of rough handling over year-round, near-continuous use.