RSO-AMPOECT RFI-04 Q-A Round 1.pdf

1. RFI scope. Is a response within scope from an infrastructure and integration provider, that is, a firm supplying the containerized manufacturing environment (structure, tactical power with UPS, climate control, NFPA 70 compliance) and integrating commercially available manufacturing and assembly equipment from domestic suppliers? Or does the Government expect respondents to have organic UAS design and production experience?

Responses to the RFI are not limited to respondents with organic UAS design and production. Experience in containerized manufacturing environment (structure, tactical power with UPS, climate control, NFPA 70 compliance, etc.) and integrating commercially available manufacturing and assembly equipment from domestic suppliers would be acceptable.

2. Equipment agnosticism. The RFI describes a drone-agnostic, design-file-driven capability. Does the Government intend to remain similarly agnostic on the manufacturing equipment inside the cell, with respondents free to include best-available domestic COTS equipment, or is standardization on particular equipment anticipated?

Respondents are free to include a best-available domestic COTS solution. The Government would expect that when ordering a quantity of solutions that the components would be standardized. For example, if the solution comprises of components A, B, and C, any quantity order of that solution would contain components A, B, and C. The Government is not interested in solutions with inconsistent component configurations (e.g., some featuring A, B, and C, and others featuring X, Y, and Z), regardless of functional equivalence. This is necessary to maintain parts commonality across the force and reduce logistical burden.

3. Follow-on expectation. Should respondents anticipate a prototype demonstration or working-cell evaluation following this market research, and if so, on roughly what timeline?

This helps us describe readiness levels accurately in our response.

The Government is interested in deployable, or near-deployable solutions. The Government is still assessing the market and the readiness of solutions. If, after the assessment of submittals, the Government decides to accomplish an assessment/evaluation of potential solutions, anticipate it would be within the next 12 months.

4. Would the Government accept submittals If existing platforms, components, and software are fully NDAA compliant and conform to the Blue List requirements but haven't been officially added to the Blue List.

Yes; however, an assessment will be conducted to verify it meets Blue List requirements.

Additionally, the Government will accept submittals from potential respondents if they are in the process of being added to the Blue List, but it has not occurred at the time of submitting an RFI response, RSO-AMPOECT-RFI-04 (eUAS) CRFI Q&A Round 1

5. Is the Government interested in responses from emerging small businesses proposing a phased capability roadmap, or is the intent to evaluate only fully fielded manufacturing solutions?

The Government is interested in deployable, or near-deployable solutions. The Government is still assessing the market and the readiness of solutions. If, after the assessment of submittals, the Government decides to accomplish an assessment/evaluation of potential solutions, anticipate it would be within the next 12 months.

6. Is teaming with other industry partners for portions of the overall capability (such as expeditionary facilities, power systems, environmental controls, or logistics) encouraged?

The Government is indifferent to teaming arraignments and focused on understanding current solutions/capabilities.

7. Does the Government have a preferred production capacity or throughput objective for the expeditionary manufacturing capability, or is industry encouraged to provide scalable solutions?

The Government does not have a preferred production capacity or throughput and is interested in scalable solutions.

8. Is the intent that the manufacturing capability initially focus on Group 1 UAS, or should respondents address a broader range of aircraft classes?

The intent is to produce Group 1 and 2 UASs.

9. If a potential respondent does not meet all the specs, is PAE Combat Readiness is open to alternative approaches and capabilities.

Yes, the Government would be interested in alternative approaches and capabilities.