COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING (CSO) AREA OF INTEREST (AOI)

FUTURE ADVANCED LONG-RANGE COMMON OPTICAL/NETTED-FIRES SENSOR (FALCONS) PROTOTYPE EFFORT FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE ARMY LONG-RANGE ADVANCED SCOUT SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (LRAS3) AND FIRE SUPPORT SENSOR SYSTEM (FS3)

1. Area of Interest Title FALCONS Prototype Effort for Long-Range Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Capability

2. Overview The Government is seeking innovative commercial and nontraditional approaches for a prototype effort under this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Area of Interest (AOI) in support of the Future Advanced Long-Range Common Optical/Netted-Fires Sensor (FALCONS) program.

The objective of this AOI is to obtain white papers that identify a viable, supportable, and producible replacement for the Army Long-Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3) and Fire Support Sensor System (FS3) capabilities within a defined funding ceiling and schedule (See Section 5 and Section 10 below).

The new system, designated FALCONS, shall provide enhanced capabilities over LRAS3 / FS3 in its ability to Detect, Recognize, and Identify (DRI) targets; perform Far Target Location (FTL); and incorporate Aided Target Detection and Recognition (AiTDR), along with other enhancements.

The Government intends to assess the technical viability, operational utility, producibility, sustainment feasibility, modularity, repairability, and affordability of proposed solutions. The Government is particularly interested in solutions that maximize mission capability within the funding ceiling, support future technology insertion, and reduce long-term sustainment burden. Delivery of final Technical Manuals (TMs), provisioning data, and similar sustainment data is not required during the prototype OTA unless specifically identified in a subsequent solicitation.

The Government currently anticipates any resultant prototype effort that may be awarded as a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Other Transaction Authority (OTA). The Government reserves the right to make no award, one award, or multiple awards as determined to be in the Government’s interest.

Security Requirements To be eligible for further consideration, offerors shall meet the following security requirements:

a. Facility clearance: Secret

b. Communications Security (COMSEC): A COMSEC account is required for this effort.

Personnel clearances, secure-facility access, classified information handling, and additional security requirements will be addressed in subsequent solicitation materials, as applicable. Some FALCONS documentation is classified at the SECRET level and will require personnel with appropriate eligibility and access, as applicable. Full details will be contained in the subsequent DD254 Contract Security Classification Specification and the FALCONS Security Classification Guide (SCG).

3. Objective and Desired Capabilities Attachment 1, FALCONS Government Performance Specification (P-Spec), provides the Government’s desired capability objectives and technical guidance. Offerors shall identify proposed compliance, partial compliance, and noncompliance with those objectives and explain associated tradeoffs.

Proposed solutions shall emphasize:

1. Operationally relevant long-range Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target-Acquisition (RSTA) capability

2. Integration and use of the Government-provided Third Generation Forward-Looking Infrared (3GEN FLIR) B-Kit

3. Affordability within the Government funding ceiling of $24M

4. Prototype execution on a schedule compatible with award by 2QFY27

5. Completion of fabrication, assembly of five (5) prototype systems (four for testing and one spare) no later than 24 months after award

6. Delivery of two prototypes for Government testing no later than 24 months after award

7. Contractor testing of two prototype systems for three (3) months following prototype build completion

8. Delivery of remaining three (3) prototype systems to the Government no later than 27 months after award, followed by three (3) months of Government test support and four (4) months of Operational Demonstration (OD) support

9. Sustainment feasibility, including support by contractor and/or Government activities

10. Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) features that enable future upgrades and Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs)

11. Future repair enablement for Army maintainers through Technical Manuals (TM), parts identification, and related support data

4. Prototype Scope The Government’s desired capabilities and technical guidance are described in Attachment 1 – FALCONS Government P-Spec. Offerors shall use the attachment to understand the trade space and propose the most capable system achievable within the funding ceiling.

The prototype effort is expected to include:

1. System design and integration

2. Subsystem integration

3. Design reviews

4. Prototype fabrication and assembly

5. Software and firmware integration

6. Prototype delivery

7. Contractor testing

8. Government evaluation support

9. Preliminary sustainment planning

10. Production-feasibility assessment The Government is not seeking conceptual studies. White papers submitted in response to this AOI shall describe a prototype effort with a credible path to build, deliver, and demonstrate the proposed solution.

5. Funding and Pricing Structure The Government anticipates establishing a total funding ceiling of $24M for the prototype OTA described in any subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP). This ceiling includes all contractor costs required to execute the proposed prototype effort, except for Government-Furnished Property (GFP) or services expressly identified by the Government.

Offerors shall use the Attachment 1 – FALCONS Government P-Spec provided with this AOI as a baseline for proposing a Contractor-specific P-Spec. If the Government selects an offeror for a subsequent proposal phase (See Section 7 below), the parties may negotiate the final performance baseline for delivered prototype systems.

6. Government Assumptions: Government Furnished Property (GFP), Services, and Other Cost Drivers The Government currently anticipates the following which should be taken into consideration of the white paper submission:

1. Cybersecurity support will be required, as specified in any subsequent solicitation or agreement.

2. If required by the Government Critical Program Information Assessment (CPIA), the contractor shall develop and implement a Program Protection Implementation Plan (PPIP).

3. The following items will be provided as GFP:

i. 3GEN FLIRs;

ii. M-Code GPS receivers;

iii. MPE-M Increment;

iv. Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System (ATLAS) Aided Target Detection and Recognition (AiTDR) software; and

v. LRAS3 Tripod Dismounted Yoke (TDY), Vehicle Mounted Yoke (VMY) LRAS3 Battery box with cables, will be provided as GFP upon request.

4. Contractor support during OD may require contractor-performed repairs.

5. The contractor is responsible for any adapters required to use LRAS3 yokes and power.

6. Virtual Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) will be held with the Government program office at least once per month.

7. Major reviews will be held at Contractor facilities and attended by the Government and Government Subject Mater Experts (SMEs).

8. The Contractor shall generate and submit a Safety Assessment Report (SAR) to the Government for approval during performance of the OTA.

Offerors shall identify all other assumptions, Government-Furnished Property (GFP), access requirements, delivery dates, integration constraints, and risks associated with GFP, software, facilities, and services not addressed above.

7. Anticipated Award Strategy The Government presently anticipates the following process:

1. White-paper submissions in response to this AOI

2. Government evaluation of white papers

3. Possible invitation for further engagement, project pitch, proposal submission, or negotiations (see CSO Section 1.2, Phase 2 or Phase 3)

8. Required White Paper Format and Submission Content

8.1 White Paper Length

White papers shall not exceed 15 pages, excluding:

1. Cover page

2. Table of contents

3. Compliance matrices

4. Contractor specification

5. Test Verification Matrix (TVM)

6. Milestone tables and schedule

7. Data rights and or assertion tables The Government may reject or stop evaluating submissions that exceed the stated page limit.

Offerors shall adhere to the following formatting requirements:

1. Font shall be Times New Roman, Aptos, or Calibri, no smaller than 12-point type. Smaller font may be used in figures, tables, and charts

2. All white papers shall be written in English

3. Each offeror may submit only one white paper

4. All submitted files shall be readable using common office software, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat

5. Pages shall be numbered and formatted for standard letter-size paper

8.2 White Paper Organization

Offerors shall organize white papers using the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

2. System Description

3. Technical Approach

4. Performance Compliance and Trade Space

5. Program Schedule and Milestones

6. Prototype Execution Approach

7. Preliminary Sustainment Strategy

8. Production Feasibility and Cost Estimates

9. MOSA and Future Upgradeability Approach

10. Repair Enablement, Technical Data, and Parts Support

11. Risks, Assumptions, Government Dependencies, and Data Rights

9. White Paper Content Requirements

9.1 Executive Summary

Provide a concise summary of:

1. The proposed system

2. Intended operational benefit

3. Degree of performance expected within the $24M funding ceiling

4. Major differentiators

5. Major risks

6. Proposed delivery schedule

7. OTA eligibility based on 10 U.S.C. § 4022(d) (1) (A)-(D) Models, renderings, system images, or similar visual aids are optional and may be included within the applicable page limits.

9.2 System Description

Describe the proposed end item and major subsystems, including:

1. System concept

2. Major hardware elements and subsystems

3. Major software and firmware elements, as applicable

4. Maturity of the design

5. Existing product baseline (software and/or hardware), if any.

6. New development required

9.3 Technical Approach

Describe the proposed technical approach to produce prototypes meeting the contractor provided specification, including:

1. System architecture

2. Integration approach including the use of GFP (See Section 6)

3. Major technical risks and mitigation strategies

4. Software, firmware, and cybersecurity approach, as applicable

5. Proposed use of existing components, commercial products, or non-developmental items, if applicable

6. Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of major subcomponents and technology maturation if required.

7. Human interface considerations

8. Rationale, modeling, trade studies done or required for key specifications including:

· FTL estimates/model.

· Rationale for selection of color camera

· Expected laser designator performance (EDR95)

· Rationale for AiTDR processor

· Boresight methodology

· System effectiveness in GPS denied environment

9.4 Performance Compliance Matrix and Trade Space

Provide a compliance matrix against the proposed contractor specification and its relation to Attachment 1 – FALCONS Government P-Spec and desired capabilities. A template, Attachment 2 – Performance Specification Compliance Matrix, shall be filled out and submitted as an appendix to the white paper. In sections labeled “required,” contractors are required to put a substantially similar section in their contractor specification and address it in the matrix. Additional guidance on how to respond can be found in Attachment 1 – FALCONS Government P-Spec. The contractor is highly encouraged to include additional requirements above and beyond only the “required” ones. Specifications and compliance matrixes with additional details will be viewed more favorable during evaluation than those with only the minimum required items.

This section of the narrative may be used to describe global considerations. The narrative should identify:

1. Requirements fully met within funding ceiling.

2. Requirements partially met within funding ceiling.

3. Requirements not met.

4. Proposed alternatives or tradeoffs.

5. Associated impacts and assumptions to cost, schedule, operational utility, and sustainment.

6. Trade spaces and trade studies that have been done or are required during the effort.

9.5 Test Verification Matrix

Offerors shall provide a TVM identifying the proposed verification method for each proposed specification requirement. Acceptable methods may include test, demonstration, analysis, or inspection.

Where appropriate, the TVM may recommend deferred verification or Government-conducted verification, provided the offeror explains the rationale, required Government resources, schedule impact, and associated risks.

Note: The TVM should be submitted as an appendix to the white paper, and this section of the narrative may be used to describe global considerations. The specification compliance matrix includes fields which should be used for the TVM unless the vendor has reason to provide more details in a different format. Rows which do not relate to the contractor specification may be left blank.

9.6 Program Schedule and Milestones

At a minimum, the schedule shall identify the following (See Section 10 for Government Notional Schedule):

1. Kickoff meeting

2. System Requirements Review (SRR), if the contractor performance specification is not fully formed at award

3. Preliminary Design Review (PDR)

4. Critical Design Review (CDR)

5. Test Readiness Review (TRR)

6. Prototype fabrication milestones

7. Design-verification testing

8. Prototype delivery

9. Government demonstration and test events

10. Final report and closeout deliverables

9.7 Prototype Execution Approach

Describe the approach for executing the prototype effort, including:

1. Program-management structure

2. Major subcontractor and teaming arrangements, if any

3. IPT engagement

4. Design-review approach

5. Deliverables and acceptance criteria

6. Proposed milestone structure for fixed-price execution Assumptions required to support the proposed approach, to include identification of Government-Furnished Information (GFI) or equipment dependencies, access requirements, delivery dates, integration constraints, and risks associated with GFP, software, facilities, and services, as identified in Section 6 above.

9.8 Preliminary Sustainment Strategy

Describe the proposed sustainment concept, including:

1. Contractor and Government sustainment options

2. Repairability and maintainability

3. Anticipated maintenance levels and support equipment

4. Anticipated repair parts and supply-chain considerations

5. Sustainment cost drivers

6. Approach for future TMs, provisioning data, and related support data

9.9 Production Feasibility and Cost Estimates

Describe the proposed production approach, including:

1. Manufacturing maturity

2. Production-ramp feasibility

3. Supply-chain risks

4. Long-lead items

5. Production risks and mitigation measures

6. Expected build capacity and minimum sustaining rate

7. Estimated unit-cost drivers for potential follow-on production

8. Estimated unit cost at representative quantities of 22, 51, 101

9.10 MOSA and Future Upgradeability Approach

Describe the approach for:

1. Modular system architecture

2. Open interfaces and interface control

3. Future technology insertion capabilities

4. Path to meet additional Government desired capabilities described in the Government provided specification but removed from the Contractor specification

5. Software and hardware upgradeability

6. Support for future ECPs

7. Avoidance or mitigation of proprietary barriers

8. Proprietary constraints that could inhibit upgrade, sustainment, or competition

9.11 Repair Enablement, Technical Data, and Parts Support

Describe the approach for:

1. Repair-enablement approach for Army maintainers

2. Technical-data strategy

3. Identification of proprietary restrictions or other barriers

4. Parts identification and support-data approach

5. Anticipated data needed to support sustainment and future competition

6. Proposed data-rights and or assertion tables, if applicable

7. Recurring, per unit, or annual software license requirements

8. Recommended approach for Government procurement of spares Note that Offerors who provide Government Purpose Rights (GPR) or Unlimited Rights for all non-commercial and non-catalog parts, sub-systems, software and source code may be viewed more favorable than those who intend to deliver with Limited or Restricted Rights.

9.12 Risks, Assumptions, Government Dependencies, and Data Rights Identify:

1. Technical, schedule, cost, and sustainment risks

2. Risks associated with fixed-price OTA execution

3. Government-furnished equipment (GFE), GFI, access, facilities, or test-support dependencies

4. Data-rights restrictions or proprietary constraints

5. Security-related limitations

6. Recommended Government actions to reduce execution risk

10. Government Notional Schedule

Offerors may propose dates for intermediate events; however, the TRR and prototype-delivery milestones shall occur no later than the milestones shown above (See Section 9.6 for additional information). The Government Demonstration/Evaluation (Operational Demonstration Start) and Final Report/Closeout milestones are fixed dates unless otherwise amended by the Government.

11. Evaluation Considerations As part of the white paper, offerors shall identify the basis for OTA eligibility, including significant participation by a Non-Traditional Defense Contractor (NDC) or a proposed cost-share arrangement, as applicable (See Section 9.1(7) above). The Government will address required supporting information during any subsequent proposal phase. 10 U.S.C. § 4022(d) applies.

The Government may evaluate white papers using some or all of the following considerations. The Government may revise these considerations in any subsequent phase.

11.1 Mission and Technical Viability

1. Degree to which the proposed solution provides a credible LRAS3 / FS3 replacement capability

2. Performance expectations, including contractor provided specification, compared to the Government’s desired specifications

3. Soundness and maturity of the technical approach

4. Realism of claims and supporting basis

11.2 Affordability and Trade Space

1. Ability to provide meaningful capability within the $24M funding ceiling

2. Assessment of cost assumptions

3. Quality of performance-trade analysis

4. Suitability for fixed-price OTA execution

11.3 Prototype Execution and Schedule Realism

1. Credibility of the milestone schedule

2. Clarity of deliverables

3. Realism of the design-review structure

4. Identification and mitigation of critical-path risks

11.4 Sustainment and Repairability

1. Realism of the sustainment concept

2. Ability to support contractor and Government sustainment options

3. Maintainability and repairability

4. Clarity of sustainment cost drivers

11.5 MOSA and Future Upgradeability

1. Degree of modularity

2. Interface openness

3. Support for future ECPs

4. Ease of technology insertion without major redesign

11.6 Production and Transition Potential

1. Manufacturability

2. Production-ramp feasibility

3. Supply-chain resilience

4. Likely transition path from prototype to production

11.7 Technical Data and Repair Support

1. Identification of restrictions or proprietary barriers

2. Utility of the proposed technical data for sustainment and future competition

3. Technical Data Rights and Software Rights.

12. Submission Instructions White papers shall be submitted electronically to the following individual and mailboxes no later than close of business on 05 November 2026:

PM GS FALCONS Team usarmy.belvoir.cpe-isw.mbx.pm-ts-pm-gs-falcons@army.mil Subject: FALCONS AOI

Elizabeth Wearn, ACC-Detroit Arsenal elizabeth.a.wearn.civ@army.mil Subject: FALCONS AOI Submissions shall include:

1. Offeror name

2. Business size status

3. Primary point of contact

4. Teaming information, if any

5. White paper and Appendixes (Section 9.4 – Performance Compliance Matrix and Trade Space and Section 9.5 – Test Verification Matrix) Appendixes are limited to the materials excluded from the page limit in Section 8.1 unless otherwise authorized by the Government.

Questions regarding this AOI shall be submitted no later 27 October 2026. Questions shall be submitted via email to:

PM GS FALCONS Team usarmy.belvoir.cpe-isw.mbx.pm-ts-pm-gs-falcons@army.mil Subject: FALCONS AOI

Elizabeth Wearn, ACC-Detroit Arsenal elizabeth.a.wearn.civ@army.mil Subject: FALCONS AOI

The Government may post answers to timely submitted questions under the CSO on SAM.gov. Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for amendments, questions and answers, and other updates.

13. Administrative Notices

13.1 AOI Nature

This AOI is issued for market discovery, white-paper evaluation, and possible follow-on prototype engagement under the CSO process. This AOI is not a solicitation.

13.2 Government Obligation

Based on this AOI the Government is not obligated to: make an award; pay any costs associated with submission; respond to every submission; enter into discussions or negotiations; or accept any proposed terms.

13.3 Government Rights in Submitted Information

Vendors are responsible for clearly marking proprietary, restricted, or otherwise limited-disclosure information in their submissions in accordance with Government instructions. The Government will handle submissions in accordance with applicable law, regulation, and the terms of the AOI process.

White paper submissions should limit restrictive markings to information for which protection is authorized and ensure markings are specific enough to identify the affected material.

13.4 Subsequent Engagement

The Government may, at its discretion: request additional information; invite oral presentations, project pitches, or demonstrations; request a full proposal; negotiate terms for a prototype OTA; decide not to proceed further with any submission.

14. Attachments Attachment 1 — FALCONS Government Performance Specification Attachment 2 – Performance Specification Compliance Matrix