Market_Survey_Bradley_A4_Follow-On.pdf

MARKET SURVEY

BRADLEY A4 PRODUCTION FOLLOW-ON

November 2019

Return the completed survey to John Finn, Contract Specialist via email @ john.j.finn75.civ@mail.mil

Questions may be asked no later than Close of Business (COB) 25 November 2019

Submissions of the Market Survey shall be submitted No later than COB 05 December 2019

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: M2A4 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) and the M7A4 Bradley

Fire Support Team (BFIST).

Both the IFV and BFIST vehicles are aluminum armored, full-tracked fighting vehicles. This upgrade package will upgrade the M2A3 IFV vehicles into the M2A4 IFV and the A3 BFIST with FS3 vehicles into the M7A4.

Key improvements of the A4 over the existing Bradley A3 configuration include increases in mobility, electrical power, increased Situational Awareness and an enhanced Network

Capability.

THE REQUIREMENT: Army Contracting Center-Warren intends to solicit for M2A4 and

M7A4 Platforms.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this market survey is to identify potential sources that are capable of upgrading and supporting these vehicles systems. Total estimated quantity of vehicles to be converted is 300. The vehicles will be provided incrementally over a two year time period.

GENERAL INFORMATION: There is no risk to you for participating in this survey.

Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary with no cost or obligation to be incurred by the

U.S. Government. This notice does not constitute an Invitation to Bid or Request for Proposal.

This request for information does not commit the Government to pay any cost incurred in preparation of any submission to this questionnaire. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The Government will not release any information marked with proprietary legend received in response to this questionnaire to any firms, agencies, or individuals outside the Government without written permission in accordance with the legend.

DISCLAIMER: The United States Government (USG) is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Nor is the Government obligated for like data in possession of third parties or for data which is afterwards placed in the public domain by the contractor or by third parties through no fault of the USG. Should the USG need to reproduce the protected data for distribution purposes between Government offices, all such data will be reproduced with restrictive legends in place.

Reference herein to any specific commercial company, product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the Department of the Army (DA). The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or the DA, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

mailto:john.j.finn75.civ@mail.mil

Support Contractors: The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain proprietary information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent's marking of data as "PROPRIETARY" will preclude disclosure to those outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain proprietary information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING SURVEY:

Please respond to every question.

1. Number each response with the appropriate question number.

2. You do not have to repeat the question in your response.

3. If you cannot answer the question, please indicate “No Response.”

4. If a response will satisfy another question, state: “See response to question XX.”

5. If your sales media and/or manuals contain a restricted distribution statement, issue a release statement indicating that the restricted material may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this Market Survey.

6. Spell out any acronyms in their first instance.

7. Clearly mark any proprietary information. If applicable the front page of your response package should state” “Proprietary Information Contained.” Proprietary information may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this Market Investigation.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

1. Manufacturer

a. Name:

b. Mailing Address:

c. CAGE: DUNs Number:

Business Type (Check all that apply);

8(a) Minority Owned

Disabled Veteran Small Business

Hub Zone Small-Disadvantaged

Large Business Women Owned

2. Personnel Responding to this Questionnaire

a. Name:

b. Title:

c. Company Responsibility/Position:

d. Telephone/Fax Numbers:

e. E-mail address:

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact John Finn, Contract Specialist, by phone at 586-282-4112 or by email at john.j.finn75.civ@mail.mil

When answering the questions below please limit your responses to Heavy Tracked Vehicle

Combat Systems (30+ tons) that your company manufactured or re-manufactured for the U.S.

Government.

TRACKED VEHICLE COMBAT SYSTEMS INFORMATION

1. Component Model Information:

a. Model Number:

b. Manufacturing Plant Location:

c. Fully Loaded Combat Weight:

d. Top Speed/Dash Speed/Range:

2. Production History

a. How long has your company been producing/converting Tracked Vehicle Combat

Systems?

b. Describe the complexity of these production vehicles/conversions including the age of the equipment and the scope of work performed. Pleases note if foreign or domestic and commercial or defense.

c. How many of these systems has your company produced?

d. Describe your company’s method to identify components which are in need of repair.

Some functional components may be nearing the end of their useful life, what is your company’s strategy regarding these components?

e. Describe the facilities, tools and equipment which have been used to build the system(s).

Please be sure to detail your company’s capabilities regarding welding of DoD specified materials including steel and aluminum armor. How many welders are certified and for which materials (including armored grades), how many certified weld inspectors are on site etc.?

f. Define your configuration management process (e.g., CM tools).

g. Describe the skill set of the workforce that would be used to perform the work; including technical, management and labor (e.g., years of experience, certifications, etc.)

h. Describe the maximum size component (how does this size compare to a Bradley hull?)

which your company has fabricated and/or refurbished. Please define the machining capabilities used to support these efforts.

i. Describe your company’s ability to test vehicle electronics, include infrared optics, fire control systems and optical sight alignment if applicable.

j. Describe how your company would be able to upgrade current M2A3, A3 BFIST, M2ODS-SA and M7BFIST-SA vehicles into M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles without the

Government being able to provide an entire Production Level Technical Data Package

(TDP). The TDP which would be available from the Government would include top vehicle drawings and performance specifications, installation drawings, part drawings, and their perspective performance specifications.

k. Describe your experience integrating, installing and verifying functionality of

Government furnished communication systems hardware and battle command systems in ground combat vehicles. Address the platform and complexity of the effort.

l. Would you be interested in a partnership arrangement with a U.S. Army maintenance depot? If yes, please describe the potential partnership.

3. Production Rate (for systems your company has built)

a. What is the current monthly rate of production for these systems at your company’s facility? Are single or multiple shifts currently being manned?

b. What is the minimum production rate to sustain the production line? Do you project to meet your minimum production rate for the next 2 to 5 years with current requirements?

Is this rate based on a single shift or multiple shifts? If multiple shifts, please quantify per shift.

c. What is the maximum production capability per month? What is your company’s total facility production capacity?

Is the proposed production facility compliant with DOD security regulations; how does/will it protect classified and/or FOUO and controlled unclassified information and materials as it pertains to traditional security, cybersecurity and supply chain risk management?

4. Quality Control and Test

a. How much time would be required to develop and qualify your manufacturing processes and equipment to produce the M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles?

b. Does your company have a documented Quality Management System (QMS)? Is your company certified/registered to an international standard such as ISO-9001? If not certified/registered, please provide an outline describing the key elements of your company’s QMS.

c. Is your company Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) certified; and if so, at what level?

d. Describe your company’s approach to in-house quality testing, include test facilities and fixtures.

e. Describe your company’s approach to continuous vehicle reliability improvement.

f. Describe your company’s approach to continuous cost improvement.

g. Describe your company’s approach to process and throughput improvement.

h. Describe your company’s experience with vehicle final vehicle inspection/acceptance and any direct experience with DoD final inspection records (FIR).

i. Describe your company’s supply chain management/Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) system/process including metrics and supplier requirements i.e. QMS, ISO accreditation, security etc.

COST/SCHEDULE/LIFE CYCLE SUPPORT

1. Cost and Schedule:

a. How long after production contract award can your company deliver a vehicle for

Production Verification Test (PVT)?

b. Describe any required production acceleration schedule from initial vehicle delivery to full production rate.

c. Please describe any price impacts of production rate or schedule (e.g., a production interruption charge).

d. Does your company use a cost system that has been certified by the Defense Contract

Audit Agency (DCAA)? Within the past 10 years, has your company performed a contract that had full Earned Value Management (EVM) requirements to include a

Validated EVM System? If so, is the Validation still current? If not, do you have a plan to obtain a Validated EVM System?

2. Life Cycle Support a.

1) How does your company manage obsolescence issues which arise during the life of the contract? If a component is unavailable due to obsolescence how would this issue be managed?

b. Parts and Supplies:

1) For combat systems your company manufactures, what long lead time replacement parts are associated with maintenance or operation? How often do they need replacement?

2) What spare parts or supplies would you recommend stocking and why?

3) What specialized tools or Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) are required to operate and maintain the platform(s) you produce? Please be descriptive.

4) Describe your company’s experience with U.S. Government or commercial supply support agencies.

5) Describe your company’s experience managing and maintaining Government

Furnished Equipment (GFE).

6) Describe your company’s approach to non-conforming material.

7) If your company were to produce M2/A4 and M7/A4 Platforms for the USG, how long will your company support them with parts after production ends? Provide examples of how you’ve extended vehicle lifecycle beyond production.