Sea Dye - Systems Requirements Document (Draft).pdf

DRAFT DOCUMENT

Sea Dye Signal Device Modernization – Systems Requirements Document (SRD)

1. INTRODUCTION

The Human Systems Division (ROU) of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) is seeking a lifesaving modernized sea dye.

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, they immediately become an Isolated Person (IP) and are faced with the daunting task of surviving, evading, resisting, and escaping. The earlier the IP can be located and rescued; their chances of survival increase exponentially. The Air Force seeks to better understand opportunities to accelerate the location of IP in all environments, but specifically in the maritime biome.

Currently, IPs are instructed to deploy sea dye marker when rescue assets are within 30 minutes of their location in order to pinpoint their exact location in the water. The current sea dye creates a fluorescent green “cloud” in the water for a short 30–40-minute duration that is only visible in unclouded, daylight conditions. ROU seeks to modernize the sea dye signaling device by expanding its visibility beyond the visible spectrum.

2. OBJECTIVE

The modernized sea dye will provide a water-borne Ground to Air/Space Signal (GTASS) capability. This capability will enable Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets to Find, Fix, Track (F2T) IPs by air breathing and space-based IR, RADAR, and multi-spectral analysis over the water during all ambient light and weather conditions.

Additionally, the dye would persist on the surface of the water beyond the current 30–40-minute window and optimally, be able to be used multiple times over a period of days.

3. SCOPE

The scope of this effort includes all Air Force aircraft that fly with a seat survival kit, survival backpack, or vest. The initial order may be in the order of 4100 units. Follow-on packets may be required in order to provide replacements at shelf life or once expended for real world and training use.

4. REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS

In order 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.

4.1. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

• The dye can be in powder, liquid, or gel form

• In the event of a non-water landing, the dye can be effectively deployable in all environments. An example of this use case may be the spreading of the dye onto snow or other contrasting surface

• The dye can be deployed by an injured user; one-hand deployment is required

• The dye must not be toxic to humans

• Must not irritate to exposed skin

• Must be visible to the human eye and to other sensor systems for a minimum of

45-minutes per application

4.1.1. SIZE

• Size must not exceed 43.75 cubic inches

The Government seeks a solution that allows Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) personnel to fill unusual voids in ejection seat kits. The shape and malleability of the packet is just as crucial as the size.

4.1.2. PACKAGING

• Must be durable:

o Rough handling under operational conditions o Long-term storage under extremes of temperature, humidity, and cold o Immersion of an unopened in salt/fresh water cannot cause an unintended deployment of the dye

• Must maintain size/shape/malleability when stored long-term

4.1.3. VISIBILITY PROPERTIES

4.1.3.1. Visible - Must meet MIL-S-17980D – as a minimum

4.1.3.1.1. Color – yellow/green

4.1.3.1.2. Volatile loss, percent, maximum – 12.0

4.1.3.1.3. Sodium fluorescein content, percent, minimum – 75.0

4.1.3.1.4. Insoluble material, percent maximum – 1.0

4.1.3.1.5. Particle size (ammt. Retained on #40 sieve) – None

4.1.3.2. Infrared – Must be visible to any platform in the maritime environment.

Vendors should communicate the extent to which they can provide visibility to assets using night vision (NV), thermal imaging sensors

4.1.3.3. Electro-optical - Must be detectable by air and space sensors through most weather and not limited to overwater operations.

4.1.3.4. RADAR Reflectivity – Must be detectable by air and space sensors through most weather and not limited to over water operations.

5. 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. We invite creative solutions to this problem space.

5.1. LEGACY DYE PACKET

Illustration 1. Legacy sea dye packet. The “lumpy” nature of this packet is caused by the dye powder hardening over time, making the packet more difficult to pack into the small spaces of a kit. Modernized sea dye should retain its malleability.

5.2. SEAT KIT

5.3. THE SEAT PAN

Illustration 2. This is an image of what an ejection seat kit might look like in the future. Note the “dead spaces”. Ideally, the sea dye packet can be made to fill dead space.

Illustration 3. The entire seat survival kit, and the life raft, must fit into this small space.

The sea dye must contribute to making the kit fit, rather than preventing the kit from fitting.