25SC001_SPECNOTE_0002_ATT1.docx

Area of Interest

N0016425SCA002

Small Modular Optic and Laser Designator (SMOLDr) 22 July 2025

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Special Operations Forces (SOF) seeks a low-cost, small lightweight laser designator and separable digital optic. Current laser designation solutions are costly, large, heavy, require custom external batteries, and lack imaging performance in low-light environments. The current large and heavy solutions fielded reduce the amount of necessary supplies and equipment fire supporters can carry to into battle. Custom external batteries are often expensive and difficult to procure due to single source supply chains. Lack of imaging performance in low-light environments limits the effective engagement window on the battlefield with respect to time and range.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

The goal of the SMOLDr is to provide fire supporters with a low-cost, small, lightweight laser designator and separable digital optic. The laser designator should be a module (designator module) that can mechanically and electrically separate from the optic. The digital optic should be a module (optic module) that can mechanically and electrically separate from the laser. The intent of this modularity is to field a low-cost base capability while also allowing the Government to develop tiered solutions for the digital optic at their discretion without replacing the laser designator subcomponent. The Government does not foresee the modules as being standalone devices, but is open to standalone design concepts as long as they do not sacrifice the intended modularity.

The modules should be designed for cost efficiency such that economies of scale apply to the maximum extent possible. The performer should investigate techniques to improve performance without significantly increasing cost. Enabling technologies include but are not limited to the following:

· Pixel Binning / Large pixel area

· Back-side illumination

· Photon-counting

· Artificial intelligence (specifically for improved low-light performance, not for image recognition)

· Efficient processors or tiered processing power (i.e. more processing may be beneficial for lower-light environments, but wasteful for higher-light environments)

· Power-efficient displays

· Diode-pumped laser source

· Passive heat dissipation technologies

· Lens technologies which provide significant weight and/or size savings

A solution brief’s Technical Merit and Relevance will be based on the ability to meet the primary attributes and the cumulative evaluation of the secondary solution attributes/capabilities:

Primary Attributes:

· ≤6.5 lbs – total weight of combined modules in combat configuration (includes any batteries, eyecups, hand straps, etc.)

· ≤21 inches – total length plus width plus height of combined modules

· Meet STANAG 3733 minimum energy required for designation while operating in temperatures from -19° C to + 49° C

· Optic allows a trained user to positively identify tanks at range during day and night

· From a tripod, effectively designate tanks at range during day and night (effective designation range in accordance with STANAG 3733, and including Band 1 and Band 2 codes)

· Optic allows a trained user to positively identify improvised fighting vehicles at range during day and night

· From a tripod, effectively designate improvised fighting vehicles at range during day and night (effective designation range in accordance with STANAG 3733, and including Band 1 and Band 2 codes)

· Seespot – provide ability for user to confirm the designator laser energy is on target day and night at specified ranges, without the need for external spectral filters

· Beam trace – as a goal, provide situational awareness to the user if and where the designator laser energy is incident on objects between the exit aperture and target

Secondary Attributes:

· Operation from internal (replaceable), commercially available batteries (CR123, L91, or 18650 sizes)

· As a goal, the system can operate with power provided from any of CR123, L91, or 18650

· ≥2 hours observation inclusive of at least 10 laser events without battery change (for the purposes of this power study, a laser event is equal to 40 seconds ON, 60 seconds OFF, 40 seconds ON, 120 seconds OFF)

· ≤ 5 seconds from cold start to full operation

· Ergonomics –system should have an intuitive user interface and easy manipulation/operation/viewing regardless of posture (standing, kneeling, prone) while wearing the listed gloves: NSN 8415-01-610-7322, 7323, 7324, 7325, 7326 or 7327.

Tertiary Attributes:

· Method to determine range to targets via reticle at minimum

· As a goal, accurately determine range to objects at the effective designation range

· Able to accept GPS from external connection (or have internal capability), and display in Military Grid Reference System as well as in Latitude/Longitude (units of degrees/minutes/minutes and degrees/minutes/seconds/decimal-seconds)

· Able to display target location (with associated accuracy) in Military Grid Reference System as well as in Latitude/Longitude (units of degrees/minutes/minutes and degrees/minutes/seconds/decimal-seconds)

· Operation during, and survivability following, exposure to low pressure, high pressure, seawater immersion, salt fog, electromagnetic emissions, high & low temperatures, temperature shock, rain, humidity, dust & fine sand, and transportation shock and vibration

· Provide general pointing direction (secondary intercardinal)

· Provide accurate pointing direction

· Provide accessory rail (MIL-STD-1913 Notice 1)

SUBMISSION GUIDANCE

Solution briefs should convey expertise in electro-optic system engineering. Since a size and weight bound does not exist for individual modules, vendors choosing to submit a solution brief for only a single module should make effort to minimize their design’s size and weight.

An individual vendor or team of vendors may submit solution briefs for either the designator module, or the optic module, or both. If submitting as a team, the first page of the solution brief should list each company on the team and a primary point of contact for each company on the team as well as the lead vendor and point of contact for the overall team. Solution briefings should be a white paper no longer than 5 pages in length or a 15-page slide deck.

NOTE: In accordance with NSWC, Crane CSO N0016425SC0001: The government reserves the right and ability to facilitate introductions of vendors with complementary capabilities. If teaming introductions by the government are provided, a vendor is not obligated to act on the recommendation. If a vendor elects to move forward in accordance with a government-recommended teaming arrangement, a Phase II pitch deck will be requested by NSWC, Crane in order to facilitate a complete evaluation of the jointly proposed solution.

FOLLOW-ON PRODUCTION

Companies are advised that any prototype Other Transactions (OT) agreement awarded in response to this Area of Interest may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of further competitive procedures. The follow-on production contract or transaction will be available for use by one or more organizations in the Department of Defense and, as a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or transaction could be significantly larger than that of the prototype OT. As such, any prototype OT will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: “In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has been successfully completed, this competitively awarded prototype OT may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures.”

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

This solicitation will be awarded in accordance with the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process detailed within N0016425SC0001 Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane’s Commercial Solutions Opening posted to SAM.gov. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022(d), at least one of the following conditions must be satisfied to enter into a prototype OT agreement: (A) at least one nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent, (B) all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors, or (C) at least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to NSWC, Crane CSO email: crane_02_cso_submission@us.navy.mil by August 12, 2025, 5:00 PM EST.

Questions or clarifications may be directed to NSWC, Crane POC for Q&C via email by Q&A Deadline, August 5, 2025 5:00 P.M., EST.

Late submissions will not be considered.

NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS

Anticipated Government support contractors assisting in this effort are identified below:

Frontier Technology Incorporated KBR Wyle Services Mag DS Corp

*this list is not exhaustive and subject to change

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information provided in this Request for Solution and subsequent proposals will be treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose of this evaluation. Vendors are expected to maintain confidentiality regarding proprietary information shared during the process.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries or submissions, please contact:

Mark Dravet Agreements Specialist Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division Email: Mark.v.dravet.civ@us.navy.mil Phone: (812)381-7085